swopply technology co (PayPal scam)

[J600]

Swopply Technology co basically advertise the latest tech via paid Instagram ads, and land you on a shopify website accepting PayPal. They run the store for a few months, scam a load of buyers and then close the store and open a new one. If you google swopply technology scam you’ll find lots of victims. The scam is fairly simple... 1. advertise popular items for sale 2. accept PayPal monies from unknowing shoppers 3. Swopply technology sends either an empty box or random item from China in the post with tracking (to have proof of postage) 4. Buyer opens a dispute, and either loses because seller has tracking OR is requested to post random item or empty box to China, which swopply know is cost prohibitive from the uk - therefore are able to get away with it My question is this, why do PayPal allow this to continue? And what (if anything) can be done to get your money back if you’ve fallen victim to this scam. Or is the solution to not use PayPal, and use an alternative gateway with more secure options? Would love feedback.

[joey20-5]

Today i got the same message everybody is getting. 

They know the scammed you and know that i will cost a lot of money to send it back to china. I don't understand why PayPal will do business with people like this. 

"Dear Customer: Sorry, I didn't reply to your message in time. I'm sorry to hear that you are very dissatisfied with the product you received. To express my sincere apologies and reduce your losses, I will refund 40% of your total order as compensation. You can keep the product without returning it. If you cannot accept partial compensation but want a full refund, please return the item. When I receive the item and confirm that it is not damaged, I will issue a full refund. Our correspondence address is as follows: <removed> It is very troublesome to return the product to China, and you need to waste a long time waiting for the item to arrive in China to receive the full refund, so hope you can consider my suggestion. If you agree with my proposal, I will pay you immediately. Looking forward to your reply."

[Brianp1958]

I got the same but after I told them I wouldn't charge them to dispose of the rubbish they sent and to refund the full amount they blatantly told me to return it at my cost set out in there policy and PayPal wouldn't pursue them as they don't refund return postage. Basically the laughed because they got away with it so many times they even had the ordacity Audacity to wish me good luck getting anywhere

[bippi]

Screen-shot the site.  Not that it matters much, but usually the sites do get taken down.

I screenshot the basket site.

[Brianp1958]

Tried to insert picture but can't find a insert image button but did try go into site and yea nothing there like you say nothing will happen the name was PUKSOP STORE and any inquiries go to 24hourservice email address

[FriendlyGiant]

Very much the same response I got from the seller.

[de24]

Exactly the same as I received! Also awaiting Paypal to deal with 

Interestingly I just read this on their terms and conditions regarding Returns : Only high value products need to be returned. High value is determined by our service team and is usually an item around $70 or more. If it is not high value then you do not need to return it and can keep the faulty product.

Here's hoping we all get our refunds and this Scamming Company are not smiling anymore!! 

[PayPal_Martin]

Hi @de24

Welcome to our Community!

Please note the merchant's terms and conditions do not impact or influence our Purchase Protection policy. We do not have a threshold on how much an item is valued for a return request. Please note we do offer a return shipping cost reimbursement program explained as follows https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/refunded-returns. 

Thanks

Martin

[bippi]

@PayPal_Martin - I know you probably can't speak in an official capacity, but is there anything in-the-works for companies such as this that basically operate off of fraud?   I understand the first x number of people could be filing disputes, but at a certain point, I would hope privileges would be revoked or something more punitive would be happening.

I only ask because there's a little bit of trust lost here between paypal, and to a certain extent, shopify.

[J600]

I’m extremely wary of shopify sites now after being stung by similar scams, all of which were shopify stores. The issue is you can set one up as quick as they shut one down.

[FriendlyGiant]

The one time I was offered $30.00 by PayPal to assist in the return of an item to China with a tracking number, the out of pocket cost to me made it not worth while doing, as I would still be out an additional 29.00 and change. The fact remains that PayPal needs to step up and deal harshly with unethical sellers by returning to the buyer the cost of goods and services. By doing this just a few times, it will send the message to the seller, and have them out of pocket for the crap they send instead of the items promised. This is the simplest way to reducing the ability of unethical seller to do business. Hit them in the bottom line, instead of the seller offering 2, 4, 7 dollars back on a 30.00 order the seller would be out of pocket the 2.00 it took for them to buy the item. This as I see it makes PayPal complicit in the scam as PayPal makes money off the transaction either way. PayPal does not really have anything in place to deal with sellers like these other than once the seller has been identified as a problem PayPal freezes their account maybe , but they simple close that one and open another.