Responses to How does PayPal protect me as a seller?

[ikeman56]

Dear Papal,

I had a customer say that I sold him a item that he received that wasn't what I describe. I have no idea why he filed the claim, since I put on my description that I will refund the money if the customer isn't happy. I have 100% feedback and I do everything I can to keep that status. I emailed the customer. Told him to send the item back and I will OK the refund, but told him to go thought me first. No responds to 4 email. I escalated the claim just like paypal instructed me and they refunded his money WITHOUT evidence of shipping the item back. NOT FAIR to a long time customer. I've sent 3 emails to the buyer via the email Paypal sent me with no responds. I find out from 2 other seller that the buyer is a con and will do this repeatedly till Paypal and the Seller stop trust him. HOW IS THAT FAIR!

Ike

Hello (seller),

After careful consideration of the evidence provided in the case detailed
below, we have completed our investigation and decided in favor of the
buyer. Under terms of our User Agreement, we have debited the following
amount from your PayPal account as a refund to the buyer: $91.95 USD

-----------------------------------
Transaction Details
-----------------------------------


Buyer's name: (buyer)

Transaction ID: 74539407T07720022

Transaction date: Dec 7, 2010
Transaction amount: $91.95 USD
Your transaction ID: 4UE39029JD8826221
Case number: PP-001-171-965-011

Refund amount: $91.95 USD

[PayPal_Adrian]

ikeman56,

I've edited your post to remove personal information (both yours and theirs).  For the safety of all of our members, please don't post personal information in the forums. 

That aside, we appreciate that you took the time to work with this buyer and attempted to avoid the claims process.  This is a best practice that every seller can learn from; merchants who resolve customer issues before they reach the dispute/claims process ultimately have a higher rate of customer satisfaction, and therefore, more repeat business.  I want you to know that you made a good choice, trying to work this out before it was escalated.  I wouldn't ask you to do that part any differently. 

There are times when PayPal may not require the return of an item - such as if it would be illegal or dangerous to do so.  PayPal does not generally issue a refund to a buyer, after asking them to return the item, without either proof of delivery or sufficient proof the item has been returned.  If you feel that your claim was granted without sufficient proof, you would want to reach out to PayPal via the "Contact Us" link and inquire about the status of the return shipment.  They should be able to provide to you enough information to track the shipment and, if necessary, retrieve the item. 

I know these particular types of claims can be difficult to deal with, and again, thank you for doing your best to work with the buyer in advance. 

Hope this helps,

Adrian

[kowalski]

It's too bad the 'contact us' link does not work! It would be nice to be able to directly access a human being in these cases where P/P apparently decides with a buyer by default and the seller pays the price (literally!)

[seeingstraight]

I'm in the process of selling/buying a foosball table off Craigslist. The table will be shipped from N.C. to N.D. since shipping is involved we want to make sure it is one payment to be considered for buyer/seller protection, is that a correct assumption? Secondly, is there a way to lock the payment for say seven days to insure delivery confirmation? Ship time is 4-5 days, so a week would be just great. That way, both buyer and seller are protected correct?

[KarenJ]

I hope I'm in the right thread to post this question. I have two current auctions running that are for local pickup only as they are too large to ship. Ebay will only let me use electronic forms of payment such as Paypal. While this is fine by me, as I've been a Paypal customer for over ten years with no problems, what if I get a dishonest buyer who files a "item not delivered" claim? Are there any protections available to sellers in this situation?

If I have the customer physically sign a reciept (with the auction number on it) stating that the item was paid for and recieved, is this acceptable evidence? In a court of law this is acceptable evidence, but doesn't Paypal require "online viewable" evidence?

Thank you,

Karen

[MarketingMan]

I AM SELLER I BEEN SCAM. PAYPAL TOOK BUYER SIDE. I OWN PAYPAL 260. I AM NOT PAYING

BUYER TOOK MY MONEY AND THE ITEM WOW.

[tcxd1025]

Actualy I found that Paypal does not protect the seller.

In my case, after buyer filled a claim, Paypal decided in his favor and reversed money.
I made an appeal and won, paypal suggest contact the buyer for get funds.

However, buyer did not responds. It's normal. I mailed to Paypal several times, newest email they repplied : PayPal is unable to take any further action beyond granting your appeal and advising the buyer to return your funds. You would need to resolve any outstanding issues with the buyer directly.

This mean there is no protect for seller here; even I won on my case.
I lost my money. Buyer took my item and he did not pay for this. Paypal did nothing, only reversed funds in my account.

[KarenJ]

It just doesn't make any sense. Ebay has a pickup only/ no shipping option for sellers but zero seller protection. Why do they offer "pickup only" at all then? It would be so simple to print out a reciept/invoice, have the buyer sign it, and scan it in to the system. Item paid for, recieved, and accepted by buyer. It seems a tad dishonest on ebay's part and Paypal a willing accessory.

[PayPal_Olivia]

Hi seeingstraight, KarenJ, and tcxd1025. Welcome to the forums! I'm sure there are some other people who may be wondering some of the same things that you asked about, so thank you for bringing your questions here for us to discuss!

seeingstraight - You are correct that the payment for the table and the shipping should be one payment (for goods) in order to be fully protected. The protection for both buyer and seller will be ensured whether or not the payment is held. The seller should make sure to ship using a company that offers online delivery confirmation, with signature if the transaction is $250 or more. Good questions!

KarenJ - There are definitely times when an item is too large to ship cheaply, and a more cost-effective method of delivery would be local pick up. To deliver this way would be to choose to forgo Seller Protection. PayPal and eBay don't want to unnecessarily limit a seller's options. We offer the ability to deliver by hand because some sellers weigh the risk of potential dispute against the reward of free delivery and still feel that it's a worthwhile method. It's a matter of individual choice. It's perfectly okay to choose not to allow local pick up, too!

tcxd1025 - I'm sorry to hear that the claim did not go in your favor! If you provided the tracking within the initial 10 day timeframe, please let Customer Solutions know that, so that the case can be re-examined. PayPal wants to make sure that the case is decided correctly while the funds are still held. The timeframe for response is in place because we can't leave the buyer hanging indefinitely if a seller doesn't get back to us with their side of the story. If we get tracking in that 10 day timeframe, the clock is stopped and we watch the tracking to see what happens with the package. If we don't get any response at all in 10 days, we reverse the transaction to the buyer. It's so important to give us the information we need while the funds are still held, so we can make sure that the money is released to you if the package is delivered.

I hope this information helps. Like I said before, knowledge is power. Knowing the facts at the outset helps you make the informed choices that put you in a better position for success. We want you to have success!

Don't forget that the Disputes and Claims forum will be featuring the second part in the protection series this evening - "How does PayPal protect me as a buyer?" We'll also be available tomorrow and every Tuesday from 4-5 PM CST to chat in the Watercooler about anything that comes up. I hope to see you there!

Olivia

[ptpatty]

I have a buyer that is claiming that she received package open with items missing, and wants refund. I ask her to send me copies of post office documents stating that her parcel was damaged and send pictures , maybe?  I can't get her to respond and she opened the case!? At first she claims not as described, so I offered refund , although it was exactly as described. Then I hear her say the bit about package being open. Now I know I am being scammed!  There is a hold on my money and I can't get any response from anyone! I want to open a case against her for fraud , but I can't find the correct avenue??? Please don't tell me I have lost my items and money! I am in a hard and bad way here. Help Me.