I ordered something from a web-based company that is apparently no longer in business. The phone numbers no longer work, and I have tried every email address that they have, and have never received a response. It appears that they used to update their web-site on a periodic short-term basis, but now it looks like it hasn't been updated in over a year. The business is a Mom-n-Pop shop in the very literal sense. I am worried that perhaps the owners have died or perhaps have become ill, as they appeared to be a thriving business in 2010.
It's embarrassing to post here, as they were an, *ahem* "adult products" store, specializing in hand-crafted wooden toys (www.jildos.com). I placed an order, I was charged $39.00 immediately, and have not (and likely will never) receive anything. It looks like their automated web-business is still in operation, but there is no one working the back end.
I tried for several weeks to contact them, just thinking they were having supply problems. Unfortunately, by the time I realized that no one was behind the wheel, 45 days had passed and Paypal will not even look into my case, even though they are listed as a "verified seller." If I had used my credit card, I would not be in this predicament. I used to think that Paypal was safer, but apparently that's not the case.
Even if I can't get my $39.00 back, I would at least like to prevent this from happening to someone else. But Paypal will not even acknowledge my complaint. Is there anything at all that I can do?
