Power Source Technology Ltd. - has anyone solved a dispute with this company fraudulent company?

[ganzzza]

Hi guys,

Hope this message finds all of you well.

It's been a tough time since the pandemic started, but it's tougher with situations like this: the company mentioned is scamming people throughout Europe (at least), creating semi fake websites using the countries native language (when it fact has its headquarters and operates fully from China), selling apparent official Apple products when in fact they are cheap, bad quality Apple counterfeits - they are nowhere near an original adaptor, nor they work like one. The product I got was nothing like the description, it does not work, it's not supposed to work. After a quick google search I noticed how this company branches into other small businesses, repeating the same modus operandi to lure people into buying what they think is cheap official chargers and instead scamming them (most of them, from what I understood, don't even get their hands on the products they buy). The vast majority of the reviews were 1* rated, alerting the scams this company perpetuates. After this, I started a dispute with the company in question, and they not only kept the conversation to a minimum, avoiding answering my questions about the nature of the company. I also asked for a contribution in the shipping cost, since shipping the product back to China is super expensive (from my calculations, it should surpass 40 euros) and they just repeated "so sorry we can do nothing, company rules states the buyer pays the shipping fees". Also, the website from which I purchased was taken down after the week where I made my purchase, which leads me to believe this is a common practice from the company in question.

What Paypal did basically was the same request as the company: they want the product back before making a refund. What is this? A normal company would acknowledge its mistake. None was acknowledged. To ship the product back I have to spend almost double of what I spent on the product, making this decision simply unviable. Paypal's protection only ensures that 30e will be guaranteed, making me losing money either way. I was seriously hoping Paypal would detect the scam and fraudulence behind this company but I don't think it's anywhere near this goal. 

In conclusion, it's been a really tough dispute because I suppose the company, on their side, is doing everything possible to keep their image clean, albeit they have loads of negative reviews and people affirming it's clearly a scam from a Chinese company. I just want my money back and it's just absurd that I have to ship a fraudulent piece of plastic back to China to get my 30 euros back. Please let me know if you had any trouble with them and if there's anything I can do to get this dispute solved and to keep this company from stealing people's money. 

If you need any sort of proof for these claims I have screen caps and photos of the product I can upload (they have been shared in the resolution centre and with the company as well). 

Thank you for your time

keep safe 

Tomás

[Paul-JB]

Hi

Some information that may or may not be useful or comforting but I'm sharing it anyway.

I spoke with Paypal Customer Service today.  They told me:

1) Power Source Technology is currently under investigation by Paypal.  If they find it is behaving fraudulently they will remove the company's Paypal trading rights.  I asked if they would inform all those who have raised disputes about the results of their investigation.  They said they would put info on their (Paypal) website about it.  I asked where.  Sadly, they couldn't tell me!

2) It is common practice for this company to refuse to pay the custom charge for the returned item and therefore refuse delivery.  Non delivery means no refund back to us.  Paypal said they wait for the local courier to update the tracking record to confirm the delivery has been refused.  In my case, the record shows two cases of 'Delivery Exception'.  According to Paypal, 'Delivery Exception' means the recipient has refused to pay the custom charge, but it does not meant that they have refused delivery so they (Paypal) cannot issue the refund.  I asked what entry the courier needed to put on the tracking record in order to trigger the refund.  Paypal said 'Refusal to pay custom charge or accept delivery'.  I asked if that was what 'Delivery Exception' meant.  Paypal said yes it does.  So I asked, because that is recorded twice already in my tracking record, can they issue a refund.  Paypal said no. You can see where this is going - nowhere!  Since the last attempted delivery on 8/7/20, the item has sat in the local courier office for 9 days.  I asked Paypal how long I would have to wait for the courier not to deliver the parcel as clearly they had tried and they knew the company will never pay the custom charge.  Paypal could not say how long.  They said they will only issue the refund when the item is marked as undeliverable - and so we go on, or not!

If you are having trouble with this company, please do call Paypal Customer Service and ask them to investigate.  The more people who do this the better. You can call at local rates and just put them on speaker until they answer.  To get past the automated messages, when they ask what you need help with, just keep saying 'Complaint' - eventually they'll put you through to an agent.

Good luck!

[Paul-JB]

PS There is another thread of complaints against the same company here:

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/Disputes-and-Limitations/Power-Source-Technology-Ltd-has-anyone-...

[c_smith1]

Paypal aren't interested. Investigation my foot! 

As long as they're drawing an income from this company's illicit dealings, they'll turn a blind eye.  If a company sends you the wrong goods it is THEIR responsibility to arrange for return of the goods at THEIR expense.  Paypal should know this, but allow these scammers to get away with demanding you return fake, probably dangerous goods, to China, at YOUR expense or no refund.   

Just initiate a Chargeback with your bank or credit card company to get your money back.  It's the only way you'll recover anything, Paypal won't assist you.  

[Paul-JB]

Yes, good point about Chargeback and another lesson learned At PayPal’s suggestion I set up a direct debit payment from my bank account instead of linking PayPal to my credit card. As a result I don’t have access to Chargeback as it doesn’t apply to direct debits, at least not with my bank.

[ThriftingFAD]

I contacted a lawyer and they are confused as to why PayPal is doing this; they guessed without even hearing the full details of the case and the address they provided that it was a phantom address likely not able to receive the goods even if I did send them. PayPal knows fully well what they are doing; they have been doing it for so long they have made stock replies just to help their support agents reply faster with their garbage. Google it; PayPal has been complicit with this for years/over a decade.

[c_smith1]

So, I raised my claim through the Resolution Centre.  Power Source Technology demanded I send the item back to some Chinese address I could neither read nor write, at my expense. I responded with an update that I could not provide tracking information because it was their responsibility to collect the fake not as described goods and I was not prepared to send it to an address in China at my expense when it was sent from a UK address.  I told them if they sent me a pre-paid label I would take it to the Post Office and return it to whatever address the wanted.  Paypal found in their favour.  

This is a disgraceful decision by Paypal.  I provided all the evidence that the goods were NOT as described, and offered to take it to the Post Office if the seller sent me a pre-paid shipping label.  Yet I am now to be out of pocket?  This company are CLEARLY fraudsters, yet Paypal allow them to do as they please, ripping customers off using their platform.  

I'm now left with no option but to go through my Credit Card company to initiate a chargeback.  It should never have came to this had Paypal used a bit of common sense here (not to mention applied THE LAW!)

[royrokit]

Oh Man. This is absolutely not great seeing this topic and this information. I am currently deadlocked between this same seller and PayPal, and you're right, PayPal is handing me the same information that the seller says in his e-mail responses. It's word for word. I messaged both of them numerous times to refund me, and PayPal really seems to be dragging their feet. The info they give is "It has shipped" and furnish a tracking number, and since day one, it has stated at USPS, "A tracking number has been created, USPS awaiting package from the shipper". They just created a Tracking number to make it look like they were doing something.  PayPal wanted me to wait a few days, so I waited. Nothing ever changed. I'm actually through with waiting. PayPal needs to stand up to their Policy of Secure Transactions, or fold the Tent and go home. They have to know that this is a sham. Now they have me waiting for another 10 days to give the Seller time to respond. He has responded, with a load of Bull so far, and PayPal has copies of all the Correspondence, they just aren't acting on the evidence. I have my doubts that I will ever recover the money spent, but if not, I don't think PayPal will ever recover either.

[ganzzza]

If you haven't received the item I think you'll get your money back

Stay strong guys

[royrokit]

What we get is a Badge for every post. Stupid!

[Paul-JB]

Yes, I agree.  I'd prefer the refund to a badge.  Apologies in advance for the political aside but it does smack of what our Secretary of State for Health here in the UK did with the care homes - offering badges instead of hard cash to deal with the coronavirus!!