Return to China

[SHVLIMO]

I purchased a pair of boots that arrived with glue on them and plastic soles. I requested a refund and Paypal agreed to issue once boots were shipped back to China. The return shipping will be more than the cost of the boots ($62) Did I get scammed or are there other options?

Paypal's customer service is garbage! You cannot call and speak to a human. It is completely automated and never answers questions. 

[kernowlass]

@SHVLIMO 

Chinese Web Sites or on Social Media ads easy to spot (once you know the below signs) so buyer beware.

1. No return address on the returns policy............thats because the site will look as if its in your country (where they despatch goods from) BUT they will ask for returns to go back to China (returns depot) at a shipping cost nearly always more than the item is worth.
2. No contact telephone number............if you click on contact the most you will get is webmail or an email address.
3. No company address information.
4. Great looking items at bargain prices that turn out to be tat.

In the event of a dispute you need to bear in mind possible return trackable costs before you buy from that seller / item / country because....

Paypal state this >>
PayPal is not obliged to reimburse you for any costs that you incur to comply with any of PayPal’s requests for cooperation for the purpose of resolving the problem (including, without limitation, costs that you incur to return a SNAD item to the Payment Recipient or another party as PayPal requests), although sometimes it may reimburse these costs.

Although they will compensate you for some of the cost if you have activated this at some point before you made that transaction.
https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/article/FAQ3544

You also have the option to do a chargeback via your card issuer instead of a Paypal dispute if you funded your Paypal payment via a credit card.

[GLM13]

I realize that this post is a purely a therapeutic process for me to vent my frustration as I fully realize that PayPal is much larger than myself and will not change their dispute policies because of my unfortunate experience.  However, not changing their dispute policies, in my opinion, makes them an enabler to the scam artists as the scammers know the PayPal policy of requiring the buyer to pay the return shipping to China. They win and keep the money.  No protection for the buyer.

I, too, was a victim of this scam.  I ordered 2 metal framed garden kneelers/chairs from a social media website for $47.76. I received two foam pads that I could throw on the ground and kneel upon.  (The delivered retail value of the pads on other sites was about $2.00 each.)  After weeks of negotiating with the seller by email, I filed my claim with PayPal under substantially different item received.  They offered a settlement of a partial refund if I kept the item.  As I did not order the item they sent nor did I have a use for the item they sent as I am 70 years old and need help standing from a kneeling position, I refuse the offer.  PayPal then offered a full refund only if I returned the items at my expanse.  The only recourse PayPal offered was for me to provide the tracking information for the returned product.  The refund was contingent on the seller receiving the returned product. (As the seller knowingly sent an inferior product, I do think the seller is capable of saying they received the returned items in a used or damaged condition.)  As I did not agree with the offer, I filled in a protest to the offer as it would cost me an additional $27.75 to return the items. Long story short, my claim was denied yesterday for my failure to provide a return tracking number.  PayPal did not consider the protest I submitted to the offer.  I could not see spending another $27.75 in hopes of the seller approving the valid return of their product.  As I stated in my protest, I would rather cut my losses than depend on the seller honesty.  They win.  PayPal policies worked for them. I have been a loyal PayPal user both as a merchant and as a consumer for over 19 years, my advocacy of PayPal's buyer protection program is gone as their policies allow these scams like this to succeed.