So I made a mistake and bought from a scammer. How is he a scammer? They set up a Facebook account to sell something someone else makes at a cheaper price. They usually rip off an Indiegogo/Kickstarter project video, photos, content and all. They have nice sounding return policy which says you can cancel anytime before they ship and get a full refund. Well I cancelled before they shipped but they ignored me and shipped anyway 5 days later.
Instead of what I ordered, they sent me a random cheap item like a fake gold ring. Here is how they game the system, and how Paypal helps them.
1. Paypal has no dispute resolution that says, "Cancelled but no refund". So the next closest thing is "Did not receive what I bought".
2. With that option, Paypal requires you to wait for the item to arrive and then dispute it.
3. Despite showing all the proof including screenshots and videos of the unboxing to show I did not tamper with the item, and despite all the proof that this is a scammer, Paypal ignores all those and insist you need to mail the item back WITH tracking at your OWN cost. Imagine the cost of mailing from USA to China...
4. Despite receiving what I must imagine MANY complains about the same seller, Paypal turns a blind eye in order to make the commission. They get nothing if you get refunded.
5. Paypal stupidly ask you to try to resolve the issue with the scammer. Imagine that Paypal, if the scammer is an honest dealer, I wouldn't have to raise a dispute after all right. Where is your common sense here???
I finally concluded that Paypal wants the sale to go through so they will side with the seller so they can make the commission. The more people are scammed, the better it is for them as the scammers know that using Paypal they will always win, so this furthers Paypal's business.
Do not use Paypal anymore. I received better treatment from eBay, Amazon and even Taobao/Alibaba. I bought a few items from Taobao the Alibaba online shop and I paid using Alipay. I had a dispute and it was resolve within the week and I got my money back.
I am never trusting Paypal or using Paypal anymore for purchases.
