Fraudulent Merchants

Greenlife1
Contributor
Contributor
What is PayPal’s stance on fraudulent companies. The ones that take your money and either don’t send the product or send something completely different
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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@Greenlife1 

 


Chinese Web Sites or on Social Media ads easy to spot (once you know the below signs) so buyer beware.

Paypal would not be able to check every individual seller / merchant / company in over 200 countries worldwide that adds paypal to their website to accept payments.

So they give you 'some' buyer protection but the onus is on you to risk assess your transactions.

They do stop bad companies from using Paypal when enough claims start rolling in.
However as they are in China (mostly) then its easy for them to just start over with a new name, so stopping them does not really do anything.

The BEST thing is to not buy from them in the first place, to recognise them -

1. No return address on the returns policy. The site will look as if its in your country (where they despatch goods from) but they will ask for returns to go back to China (returns depot) at a shipping cost often more than the item is worth.
2. No contact telephone number. if you click on contact the most you will get is webmail or an email address.
3. Rarely company address information.
4. Great pictures of items at bargain prices that turn out to be tat.
5. Fake reviews.
6. Google and you can often see previous company names as they change them once enough claims roll in and Paypal stop them using their services and start over.
7. Send fake tracking numbers to win item non receipt of item claims.


Advice is voluntary.
Kudos / Solution appreciated.

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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@Greenlife1 

 


Chinese Web Sites or on Social Media ads easy to spot (once you know the below signs) so buyer beware.

Paypal would not be able to check every individual seller / merchant / company in over 200 countries worldwide that adds paypal to their website to accept payments.

So they give you 'some' buyer protection but the onus is on you to risk assess your transactions.

They do stop bad companies from using Paypal when enough claims start rolling in.
However as they are in China (mostly) then its easy for them to just start over with a new name, so stopping them does not really do anything.

The BEST thing is to not buy from them in the first place, to recognise them -

1. No return address on the returns policy. The site will look as if its in your country (where they despatch goods from) but they will ask for returns to go back to China (returns depot) at a shipping cost often more than the item is worth.
2. No contact telephone number. if you click on contact the most you will get is webmail or an email address.
3. Rarely company address information.
4. Great pictures of items at bargain prices that turn out to be tat.
5. Fake reviews.
6. Google and you can often see previous company names as they change them once enough claims roll in and Paypal stop them using their services and start over.
7. Send fake tracking numbers to win item non receipt of item claims.


Advice is voluntary.
Kudos / Solution appreciated.
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MaineSusan
Contributor
Contributor

I looked at everything and all seemed okay... lots of info given... BUT once I clicked and it went thru PayPal I saw the info of (supposedly) the seller name I then could tell it was fake... using lots of different names and email addresses to contact that website, and no purchase notice in email... so I immediately tried to stop the payment but it had gone thru immediately. PP determined all was OK in my dispute, so lost my payment.

Is there anything else I can do? I did report the site to US Fraud... but that offers no monetary decisions.
PayPal... I thought you protected us from fraud? I agree it is a huge task, but??? Is there something more I can do (and others in this same situation)? How to reopen this case giving item not received?  I thought PP protected us from that. Can't seem to find a way to do that? Credit cards do... and I used PP Credit... doesn't make sense PP can't.

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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@MaineSusan 

 

Sorry I don't protect you from anything as I have nothing to do with paypal, however I do give up my time to give you FREE advice to try and help you.

Sounds as if you opened a dispute for unauthorised if so.........

 

You are only allowed 1 dispute per transaction so the only way you can get a second dispute opened is to contact Paypal (when and if you can) and see if they will open a second dispute for you.
They may decline citing policies but if you say what happened then they might open a second dispute for you.

If not then if you funded your paypal payment via a credit card then consider contacting your card issuer and see if they will help you with a chargeback?

 


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Dongye
New Community Member

Unfortunately, I was cheated. I bought a green house on an US website but got a so-called glove from China. I didn't open the small parcel that looked like garbage in it. I think that the seller just sent a garbage to me in order to get a tracking number. I tried to contact the seller but the seller's website no longer available. I opened a case with Paypal.  Paypal noticed that the seller now has agreed to issue a full refund after they received the return parcel, but I need to pay for the cost associated with the tracked return. I do not agree with Paypal's solution but couldn't find a place to open dispute. Could you help with this? Thanks. 

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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@Dongye 

 

In the event of a dispute you choose your seller and not Paypal so you need to bear in mind possible return trackable costs before you go ahead and buy from that seller / country.

Paypal state this >>
IMPORTANT: You may be required to return the item to the seller or other party we specify as part of the settlement of your claim. PayPal Buyer Protection does not entitle you to reimbursement for the return shipping costs that you may incur.

Although they will compensate you for some of the cost if you have activated this at some point before you made that transaction.
https://www.paypal.com/nz/smarthelp/article/can-i-get-reimbursed-for-return-delivery-costs-faq3544?a...


You also have the option to do a chargeback via your card issuer instead of a Paypal dispute if you funded your Paypal payment via a credit card.


Advice is voluntary.
Kudos / Solution appreciated.
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