PayPal Protecting Fraudulent eBay Buyers

[G-2018]

Hi all, 

Avid reader, first time poster! I am an long time eBay seller currently dealing with 2 fraudulent eBay buyers.

Case1:  Sold an electronic bath scale on eBay. Buyer receives item then opens eBay SNAD - Defective

Buyer: The scales are not working correctly  Me: Can you kindly clarify the issue

B: They are not displaying the correct weight (I offer technical assistance)

B: The display screen does not display correctly. Please refund. (Oh sure, here you go 🙄)

I ask for a photo of the screen. Buyer refuses. I advise item must be returned for a refund.

Buyer does not respond, and opens PayPal SNAD, claiming arrived damaged, screen is cracked.

There is now an eBay and PayPal return request open at the same time, which PayPal insists is not possible.

(the eBay case closed by itself a week later)

Within seconds of opening the PayPal return request, the buyer escalates. There is no opportunity for me to 

communicate with the buyer whatsoever.

I phone PayPal and ask to have the case closed as obviously the buyer is lying as they initially

claimed something different. According to the buyer's eBay claim, it wasn't cracked when they received it.

Rep tells me to upload all the evidence I have. She notes that either way it's not as described, and it's irrelevant

if the buyer is being dishonest. (What??) She then advises that if the buyer sends back a different item, I can appeal.

I upload screenshots of the eBay request (don't know why i bothered) and PP approves return.

The scales I receive are used and old, and the screen is not cracked.

I call PayPal and speak to James (the most passive aggressive, rude and condescending US rep I have encountered to date)

I highlight that PayPal offers Seller Protection and he told me to read PayPal policy, it states that sellers have no protection

whatsoever in SNAD cases.  Previous messages are not considered proof, because they could be photoshopped. So now I'm the liar.

I advised that the item i received is not the brand new item I sent, and that the screen is not cracked as the buyer claimed.

James said he'll add the details on the claim. 1 hour later the case is closed and the buyer is refunded. 

James advised that the only way a seller can win a PayPal SNAD is if the buyer incriminates themselves in the

comments of the PayPal case itself.  However PayPal does not provide the seller any opportunity to communicate

with the buyer in the PayPal case! Please enable this option for goodness sake, it can help sellers. 

Anyway, I would like to appeal the case, but the appeal button does not exist. I know where it's supposed

to be, in Resolutions, Closed Cases, click View Case. I've emailed PayPal 4 times now for assistance to appeal,

and all i get is copy paste responses with different rep names attached at the end. It's insulting to be honest.

How can PayPal CEO Daniel Schulman feel proud of his company knowing that he has such

an incompetent team of robotic, unintelligent people working for him?

Case2: 6 Months ago buyer purchased an electronic door handle/lock. 3 Months later he bought another one.

He emailed me on eBay, stating he's having issues with the one purchased 6 months ago and would like it

replaced under warranty. Manufacturer asks him to send it back, buyer refuses as too expensive and asks me to refund him $500

for both handles. I advise he needs to follow manufacturer instructions for warranty claims.

He opens PayPal case for the one purchased 3 months ago, claiming I sent him a used, second hand item. Again, different reason to the

eBay request. I know PayPal doesn't cover warranty issues. I have indisputable proof the buyer used the handle for several months, he also sent me photos of the handle on his door, it is all scratched and damaged, the fingerprint screen looks cracked, probably why it no longer works properly, in which case it wouldn't be covered by warranty, which is what I'm guessing his real problem is.

I know PayPal will refund him, it's literally killing me to see it's so easy for buyers to get a refund. No proof required !

I am now at the point that I will be filing a police report against these buyers, will be filling out Statutory Declarations

(Notarised Affidavits) to provide to PayPal, and will also be lodging a Cyber Crime report.

Does anyone with PayPal knowledge and experience have any further useful advice ? 

Thank you