proper case procedure in Resolution Center?

[JimTurney]

I've never had a case opened against me in the Resolution Center but this one doesn't seem to have gone properly; however, I'd like to know if I misunderstand the procedure.

I sold a camera on eBay in March for $361.90 (including $21.90 for shipping) and the seller opened a case on July 8 for the "disputed amount" of $28.67. The email I received from PayPal late on July 8 said "You don’t need to take any action right now" with no hint of what was the dispute other than the amount, so I thought the details of the dispute would be sent to me or maybe it was a mistaken automatic message because PayPal Help says, "A dispute will automatically close after 20 days unless it’s been escalated." The July 8 message said, "If you have more info to help us resolve this case, please provide it by July 18, 2021"  So is the 10 days I was given the correct procedure?

On July 13 I received a "reminder" email from PayPal saying I had until July 18 to respond and adding a bit of explanation of the dispute unclear to me, "The buyer stated that the incorrect date, time, or amount was entered." (at this point I logged in to PayPal Resolution Center, apparently with the wrong account, I have another for non-profit donations I manage, and found 0 "Open Cases" and 0 "Closed Cases" indicated so I thought the emails were a mistake)

Tonight, July 18, I received an "update" email from PayPal saying the case is closed and incorrectly, "As previously communicated, your buyer opened a dispute for the following reason: The buyer stated that they were not charged correctly for this transaction." (I still have no idea what the buyer thinks was incorrectly charged, especially in the odd amount of $28.67).

I have been debited the disputed amount of $28.67 plus $15 Dispute Fee. Is there anything I can do to get clarity on what is the reason for this dispute even if it can't be undone?

Is it possible that the buyer waited until summer holiday period to open a case hoping the seller would not be able to respond in 10 days to answer vague dispute claims?

[PayPal_Michael]

Hello, @JimTurney. Thanks for taking the time to add your concern about a dispute here on the PayPal Community Forum. I will do my best to clarify things mentioned in your questions.

In general, any time a message indicates there's a deadline for providing more information, a response should be provided. If the original message did not specify what information was being requested, contacting Customer Service before the July 18, 2021, deadline would have been necessary. The 10 day time frame is the standard amount of time for a response before a case might be closed.

If the buyer had opened a dispute, you would have been advised what message they added when the dispute was opened, and you would have been invited to respond to the message or escalate the dispute to a claim. Based on what you mentioned here, the buyer submitted a Billing Error case which does not include the requirement that the case be escalated within 20 days. That applies to Item Not Received and Not As Described disputes.

If your buyer believed there was a discrepancy between the amount they were asked to pay and the amount they were charged, PayPal would have to investigate. However, cases are typically closed in favor of a buyer if we don't receive a response from a seller. The $15 dispute fee is based on the policies and procedures PayPal has in place related to disputes, claims and chargebacks. To see more information on that, please log on to  your PayPal account and click Fees at the bottom of any page.

I hope this helps to clarify things. To receive further assistance, please log on to your PayPal account, click Contact at the bottom of any page and then select the topic that best fits your concern to see options to communicate securely with Customer Service. You may also send a Facebook Private Message (https://www.facebook.com/paypalusa) or you may send a Twitter DM to @AskPayPal.

Thanks for your patience during this time.

Sincerely,

Michael

PayPal_Michael