Trying to get refund for money sent to wrong person by accident through Family and Friends

Dolequ
Contributor
Contributor

I was sending money to my son via PayPal. He had changed the email address on his PayPal - and stupidly - I picked up someone with the same name when I searched via PayPal. Duly sent money and instantly realised was to a stranger not my son. Contacted PayPal by phone who told me to email recipient through PayPal and politely request a return of my money. This I did - only for the email address to bounce as not accepting emails. So back on to PayPal who said there was nothing they could do as it was Family and Friends payment - but they would contact recipient and ask them to return my money. Failing the return of my money I should contact police.

it seems to me that if PayPal are able to contact the other party - and I was told it was an active PayPal account - they should be able to intervene more strongly - maybe freezing the other PayPal account whilst matter resolved or even contacting police on my behalf. Maybe I am expecting too much but do feel a bit lost at sea as to lack of options when I have made a mistake.

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7 REPLIES 7

kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@Dolequ 

 

They can't force someone to refund you payments sent as a 'gift' of money ie using the friends/family option.

Equally legally you would be able to nothing about it for the same reason, funds sent that way are 'gifts'.

They can only help you if it was a purchase for goods.

Sadly you will have to chalk this one up to a learning curve and treble check info before you send the funds.


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Dolequ
Contributor
Contributor

Thanks - I understand it and will take the loss on the chin - but I must admit that the process for adding my son as friend/family under his new email address did not appear to give me any real opportunity to check who was who. I would add we have a fairly unusual surname so thought first one that matched his first name and surname was bound to be correct. A painful expensive lesson learnt. Thank you for taking the trouble to respond.

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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@Dolequ 

 

Just one thought, did you fund that paypal payment via a credit card?

If so then contact them and see if they will chargeback for you, however again they may say no as it wasn't a purchase for goods, worth a shot though.


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Dolequ
Contributor
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Unfortunately not - was from PayPal balance - had been selling stuff for my son on eBay. So now I have ended up gifting the eBay stuff! Lesson well and truly learnt. It is disappointing that people would keep money in this way. Humanity never fails to disappoint.

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Gill26
New Community Member
I have had the same problem the person I wrongly sent to actually replied and said get PayPal to sort it out I am not refunding you Feel sick
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ajberlin
New Community Member

The same thing happened to me. Legally the user you sent the money to are required to send the money back. I'm puzzled as to why paypal doesn't allow to cancel the transaction for 5 minutes or so. Would have been enough in my case.

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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@ajberlin 

 

If you paid someone via your bank account or credit card and made a mistake then you would not be able to cancel that transaction either as it had already been made. To get your money back you would need to file a dispute with your bank or credit card issuer and a refund is not guaranteed with them either.

They are all payment processors and can't cancel completed transactions that you have authorised.


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