Paypal Fraud

[PolecatEZ]

Recently I purchased a 6 month subscription to a VPN security service, about 5 days ago or so.  The service had a good record and had been up and running for almost 3 years already, and around 15,000 concurrent users.

3 days after I paid for the subscription, the website disappeared.  The VPN service likewise stopped working.  Their support site, separately, also disappeared.

I filed an immediate claim with Paypal.  Their response was that it fell under 'item not received as described' and they would do nothing about this.

I paid for 6 months service, received 2 days of service, and the transaction was fresh enough that it could probably still be blocked and refunded.  Paypal has given me no way whatsoever to dispute their fraudulent "resolution" in the matter.  There are no appeals apparently that work.

Buyer beware.  Paypal already got their cut of the money, its not in their interest at all to actually help with fraud.

Though I can't be sure I'll never use this service again, as some needed services may require it in the future, I will do my utmost and select other options for payment if at all possible.  I think the actual scam here *IS* PayPal.  Unless they can come up with some financial reason to actually help you dispute a claim, there will be no real ethics in this.  They simply have no financial benefit to helping their customers.

[christopherf]

I'm really confused paypal can't make up there mind. For instance I have read where if you buy a virtual item they protect the seller.  And me i was a seller they protected the buyer. So what the heck are they doin?  I mean virtual items are clearly going to be sold so why not state a side that there going to be on instead of going for who ever is the higher paypal usser?

[imouer]

Early on after FEEbay bought Paypal, they acted like they were going to become a real bank.  Unfortunately, the greed of FEEbay some took hold and Paypal became just another way to extract money from its users without being held accountable in any meaningful way to the public.  They could give a crap about their users.

[profdata]

If this was purchased on ebay, then a non virtual item would be covered under SNAD.

But this was not purchased on Ebay , so there is no SNAD protection for virtual or non virtual.

If you funded the paypal payment with a credit card contact the cc company and file a chargeback

[prodigy1]

Good news is coming. Rumor and I believe truth now, is that Paypal will now start offering the same type of protection for OFF eBay purchases as on. Supposed to go into effect come November. I believe it is already in effect for Paypal UK.

As a buyer/consumer, this is good news, as a seller on and off of eBay (ie Craigslist, etc.) I'm slightly concerned but ultimately this is the cost and risk of accepting Paypal. If I don't like it, I don't have to use it right?