I am just going through this now...same situation.
As it turned out, the Chinese company was Keidson. My "not as described" situation is also a bait and switch scam. I followed a Facebook ad offering a full-size computer keyboard for $60, and I received a seven-inch long micro keyboard that you can buy on Amazon for less than $15.
PayPal first required me to contact the seller to work it out. Without hesitation, they responded offering a 5% refund, and I could keep the keyboard to resell or give away as a gift. Clearly this was an expected and planned response. I filed the complaint with PayPal and eventually got this resolution:
"Keidson has agreed to issue a full refund of $67.94 USD, once you return the item(s) associated with this transaction."
A quick trip to USPS revealed the true nature of PayPal's resolution. USPS could send it with tracking for $45. FedEx offered to send it for $74.
I reached out to PayPal through their messaging feature and further realized that they are very much aware of their contribution to this type of scam.
I agree with the below comment that PayPal could make links to reports about scam sellers. It would help, but the truth is that con artists will eventually just change their names and proceed with a clear reputation. What needs to happen is that PayPal distinguishes between their customers who simply want to return a product, and their customers who were clearly swindled. They could control this, but are choosing not to.
Victims need to stop seeing PayPal as a neutral party and start seeing it as part of the scam process. To this end, they need to be included in criminal investigations. The best way to shut this stuff down is the traditional way report the scam and PayPal's involvement to authorities.
FBI: https://www.ic3.gov/media/2020/200803.aspx
FBI: https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
FTC: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/media-resources/identity-theft-and-data-security/filing-complaint
"The FTC encourages consumers to file a complaint whenever they have been the victim of fraud, identity theft, or other unfair or deceptive business practices...Although filing a complaint will not guarantee that their problem will be fixed, it can help the FTC and other agencies investigate and take enforcement actions whenever it is warranted. The FTC compiles complaint data that it receives, along with data from other agencies, into a database called Consumer Sentinel. Consumer Sentinel allows members to access consumer complaints submitted directly to the FTC, as well as to complaints shared by over 40 data contributors, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Internal Revenue Service, over 20 State Attorneys General, and all North American Better Business Bureaus. More than 2,300 federal, state, local, and international law enforcement users have access to Sentinel; hundreds of individual members access the system each week."
I'm sure PayPal has a slew of lawyers who will help address PayPal's position in all of this, but at least American buying victims will know that their situation is on record with the federal government.
Public awareness is really the only approach to stopping what seems to be a well-known scam practice. Fortunately, my experience was inexpensive, but I can only imagine the ultimate cost to American consumers. This discussion needs to move away from a PayPal community forum and into the open air.
I've been wanting to write a book and have been looking for a research topic. It looks like I may have found one. If you would like to tell your story to someone who is listening, please feel free to send me your details, and please include any related PayPal correspondence you may have on file.
