[Please help!] Have I been scammed? When should I file a dispute? What should I do?

MarionMcNally
Contributor
Contributor

I bought some Apple AirPods Generation 2 for £110 yesterday (12th January 2020) from a seller through an app. She requested that I pay her via PayPal app, which I agreed to as I know PayPal is a secure software with Buyer Protection. However, she sent me 'a relatives PayPal account' to send the money to, and convinced me that this was safe and that I would be guaranteed to be sent the next day. I sent the money and she told me that it was 'on hold'. After that I discovered that she had been advertising the AirPods to other potential buyers, suggesting that she is not going to send them to me. I also had other people messaging me warning me that it was a bad idea to purchase AirPods as many accounts had been hacked and were falsely advertising AirPods and scamming buyers.

Today (13th January 2020), I have been contacting her throughout the day asking whether she has sent the AirPods. However, she has been giving me suspicious excuses as to why she cannot send the package yet. For example, she said all the post offices in her area of London were closed, but she said that at 14:34pm, so I do not believe that all post offices were closed at that time. She also sent me many messages today strongly insisting that she is a legitimate, reliable and authentic seller and I should have nothing to worry about, and to stop asking about shipment. At 18:49pm on the same day (Jan 13th), I asked her whether she managed to send the AirPods today as promised and guaranteed. She responded to me saying no and that she will message me when they are sent. I then asked her if she would be able to send them tomorrow (because I was becoming very frustrated at this point at the thought that I had been scammed). She replied at 19:32pm to me saying that she was going to Scotland for 5 days tomorrow. I then asked her if she would send the package before she went, and that if she didn't I would be wanting a refund. I continued messaging her that the process would be a lot easier if she would communicate with me. However it is now 21:00pm and she has stopped responding to me. 

 

Have I been scammed? I am worried because there have been many accounts on the shopping app I used advertising the sale of AirPods that have been hacked and are scamming buyers. Please tell me when and what I can do to resolve this issue. I am very worried and frustrated as £110 is a lot of money to me 😥.

Thank you in advance for any advice given. 

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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@MarionMcNally 

 



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. Click on the transaction and use the resolve a problem option at the bottom of that details page.

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.


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MarionMcNally
Contributor
Contributor
After reading my problem, when do you think I should open a dispute?
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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@MarionMcNally 

 

Sorry couldn't wade though all that text so just posted what i thought would help.


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MarionMcNally
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So could you please advise me the next steps I should take and when I should open a dispute?

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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@MarionMcNally 

 

When you open a dispute is entirely up to you, it has nothing to do with me, all i can advise you on HOW to open a dispute and the steps to take IF and when you decide to do so....good luck. 


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