Fraudulent Shopping Site <Removed> - PayPal Refuses to Help With Fraudulent Transaction

[iauto]

I haven't posted here before and I'm hoping that this is an appropriate forum where I can seek help.

I stupidly made a purchase from a fraudulent website at iinter.com but didn't realise it was a scam until I didn't receive as order confirmation email as promised by the order process description on the site. I then did some searches which indicated they were fradulent and tried to contact them using the email address on their site without any response. I also clicked on the social media links on their site which simply went to the respective home pages and I found iinter does not have a presence on any of the social media platforms. I should of done all this before placing an order with PayPal to iinter of course!

For more information on the scam, please see the following link:

https://www.signal-arnaques.com/en/scam/view/356072

I lodged a case with the PaPal resolution centre and was extremely dissapointed with their glib response after obviously not taking my problem at all seriously: "Based on our review, we found this transaction is consistent with your PayPal payment history. As a result, we've closed the case."

I have accidentally paid money to a fraudulent shopping site via PayPal and want them to help me get my money back and that's what I get!!!!!

Please also note that Paypal have been advised that this seller is fraudulent in the past by other victims but continues to allow payment transactions to be made to this scammer.

I have replied to the PayPal service address in regard to the case closure advice without even getting a reply which is very dissapointing.

I have also tried to reopen the case which you simply can't do once they have closed it!

So when you have a problem, PayPal allows you to state your case once and if they choose not to take any notice, that's it, you're done!

This is totally unsatisfactory and I'm hoping someone here can tell me how to progress this matter with PayPal?

If I fail to find any way to deal with PayPal sensibly on this, I will have to resort to social media and I am quite prepared to close my PayPal account and warn everyone that you can expect no help from PayPal if you ,ake the mistake of paying a known fraudulent seller and they allow the transaction to go through. Although PayPal is marginally more convenient that paying by Credit Card, with a Credit Card you can dsipute a fradulent transaction and get the transaction cancelled quite easily which is how it should work with PayPal as well.

Thank you in advance for your suggestions and help.

[kernowlass · Accepted solution]

@iauto 

Why did you open a dispute for unauthorised??

A dispute for an unauthorised transaction is telling paypal that your account was hacked and used without your consent to make that transaction.
Paypal would check IP addresses and devices and close the dispute if it was you that made the transaction....and you did make it so they closed the dispute.

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?

Paypal covers you for non receipt of item OR item received but not as described so you should have waited and opened the appropriate one really but the best thing to do is not buy from these scammers...........

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.