Paypal Is Causing Extra Issue

[joezhou]

I was targeted by a fraudulent online shopping website. I was a little bit hesitant at the time of purchase, but I thought if I use PayPal it would be safe. I am not sure now!

Basically the vendor gave me a random tracking number and claimed the item is delivered. Two days after not receiving the item (with a delivered status), I called PayPal to raise a dispute. The first agent is named May. I reported to her about this scam, and requested a refund. I also told her the item I bought is over 10lbs and the pretended tracking number for me in UPS is only for a 3.6-lb item. This is stupid. She said I will need to get a proof from UPS. I chatted with UPS and they do not want to release any information (even just to certify the item is NOT for my address). This is expected :(. I explained to May the second time this tracking number is just a random number they found from UPS system. I understand the agents have their guidelines, so I asked to talk to her manager. The manager said they will have a look.  And within 20mins, they sent me an email saying their decision is in favor of the seller without any explanations. They ask me to directly contact the seller if I have any questions and gave me an email address for the seller. And guess what, the email address is not even a valid one (I tried)!

I did not give up and called up again, this time a lady with a name start with Ka (maybe Kate?) answered my call. And told me there are some issues with the tracking number and they will refund me. I asked if there will be an email confirmation for her promise. Almost 1hr gone now and I am still waiting...

Without considering the outcome and any further communications, I can certainly say Kate is a much more decent person than May's boss. At least, May is trying to help. And for May's manager, after asking me to contact the seller directly, then the seller's email address you gave me does not even exist? Is this man even half decent?

In summary, if I do not have PayPal (and thought it is safe), I would not have made the original purchase for sure. And from now on (after getting my refund), I will choose NOT to use PayPal whenever possible. PayPal is actually filled with loop holes. And I can feel from the calls that the company has a cowardice culture deeply rooted.

[kernowlass]

@joezhou

How do I open a dispute with a seller when a purchase goes wrong?

You can open a dispute in the Resolution Centre of your PayPal account within 180 days of payment if:
•You don’t receive the item
•You receive an item but it’s significantly different than the description on eBay or on the seller’s website

By opening a dispute, you can communicate directly with your seller to work out a problem transaction.

If you reach an agreement with the seller you can close the dispute. If you're still not happy with the result, you can escalate the dispute into a claim. We'll review the claim and decide on reimbursement.

These steps apply to Personal accounts. If you have a Business account, please log in to see the steps that apply to you.

To open a dispute:
1.Log in to your PayPal account.
2.Near the bottom of the page, under 'More about your account', click Resolve a problem in our Resolution Centre.
3.Click Dispute a Transaction.
4.Select the button beside the transaction you want to dispute, then click Continue.
5.Select ‘Item dispute’, click Continue and follow the on-screen instructions.

Note:
•Generally buyers must wait at least 7 days from the date of payment to escalate a dispute for an item not received
•Where an item has not been received, please ensure you have given the seller enough time before opening a dispute

https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/first-dispute

DO NOT CLOSE THE DISPUTE UNTIL YOU HAVE A CLEARED REFUND OR YOUR ITEM WHATEVER THE SELLER SAYS. ALSO DON'T FORGET TO ESCALATE THE DISPUTE TO A CLAIM WITHIN 20 DAYS IF THE SELLER DOES NOT REFUND.

If that does not work then if you funded your paypal payment via a card then contact your card issuer and see if they will do a chargeback for you.

[joezhou]

They close my claim for me (I did not close it, it was closed!). And in the email asked I should contact the seller. Sure enough,  you know what? The seller email address they gave me in the email is an invalid email address. Do you want a screenshot of the email of the decision? I can send it to you.

Regards,
Joe

[kernowlass]

@joezhou

If they closed it then it may have timed out, did you escalate it to a claim?

OR how did you FUND the paypal payment to the seller in the first place AND

what option did you use to pay the seller via paypal?

[joezhou]

It is not timed-out. Because I raised the dispute today and they closed it today. From what I searched online, if they have a tracking number and showing delivered, regardless of whether the tracking number is suspicious or not, PayPal will always be in favor of the seller. In my case, this is obviously suspicious, I bought a soundbar for 299 dollars and the tracking number is showing 3.6pounds? But many of the staffs in PayPal don't care (can't say everyone, but I can feel that specific supervisor is just trying to close it as soon as possible, evening knowing that this will bring the wrong outcome).

I just gone through the normal Paypal interface on the scam shopping website which would charge me from my Paypal account. So probably I have funded them first.