Item substantially different from description Return insurance and postage higher than item

[tknight]

This is a case of feeling burned twice. I ordered an item, a set of tools. What was actually sent was a plastic and rubber bracelet. Not at all what was described. I opened a case. The response was to repackage and return the items (insured) back to the seller (in China) at my own expense. As I had already paid shipping and insurance to GET the item, this is rewarding fraud by making me pay the entire return cost and rewarding the seller by allowing him to sell the same thing again when it didn't match what was being sold.  The case is now closed by PayPal and per the terms of service, once closed It cannot be reopened.  This eliminates whatever recourse I might have had.  Thoughts?

[kernowlass]

@tknight 

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

1. No return address on the returns policy............thats because 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 nearly always 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. No company address information.
4. Great looking items at bargain prices that turn out to be tat.

In the event of a dispute you need to bear in mind possible return trackable costs before you buy from that seller / item / country because....

Paypal state this >>
PayPal is not obliged to reimburse you for any costs that you incur to comply with any of PayPal’s requests for cooperation for the purpose of resolving the problem (including, without limitation, costs that you incur to return a SNAD item to the Payment Recipient or another party as PayPal requests), although sometimes it may reimburse these costs.

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/us/selfhelp/article/what-is-return-shipping-on-us-and-how-do-i-activate-it-fa...

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.