User has signed up for a service subscription but now complaining that we have taken payment?

[Lynxus]

Hi Guys,

Where do I stand with this?

A user has signed up for a service subscription but now complaining that we have taken payment?

They have bought a service through our website "through paypal" Every month paypal takes money. Now they are complaining that we have taken money from their account unauthorised and will be filing a complaint to their Ccard company????

How on earth does this work? Buyer signs up. Pays monthly and then after a few months complains that its illigally been taken?

Where do I stand on this?

Also note that its an internet service that they HAVE been using.

Thanks

Graham

[JonnieS]

With regards a chargeback the buyer normally has to prove to a CC company that he has taken steps to demonstrate to the seller that the money has been taken out of his account, in this case paypal, without his permission.

This may mean email exchanges between the buyer and seller in which you will have demontrated to the buyer that he has signed up to the servce [you will need to provide proof of this] and as importantly; using that which he has signed up and paid for.

The CC company will ask the buyer for proof of this and as paypal will support you, the seller, in this dispute, will ask for proof from you that the seller has taken out the subscription.

My advice would be to wait for a request for your contribution to the dispute and provide the information in a timely manner.

There should not be a scenario where the dispute is settled in favour of the buyer without your contribution.

[Lynxus]

Thanks for your reply.

Yeah I hope its going to be painless.

HE! created the account and clicked subscribe then enteringhis details and clicking confirm.

He then went on to use the service for many months without a problem.

However today he complains about the payments.

To me this seems clear cut!

You cant buy a phone line from BT and then claim your cash back a few months later because you havent used it as much as expected or just because you want your cash back.

Te explains that this is an "unauthorised" transaction. However HE!!!! entered his own details in and has been using it for months. Seems pretty authorised to me.

Its not a case that someone else used his card. HE did it himself he even said that hes stopped using the software.

Thanks again for your thoughts.

Graham

[JonnieS]

I would add that I have read horror stories about sellers getting **bleep**ed [that is a paypal paypal edit for a word used to describe turning a tool on the head of a fixing to secure one peice of wood to another] because, at the end of the day, paypal is powerless when a chargeback is in operation and can only support you.

I would do some research as to what support that is.

My specific advice is to call papal, say 'agent' over and over again to get past the dreadful automated service and explan the probem, asking them to leave some notes on your account.

Personally I woud email the seller with a narrative of the events leading up to the dispute, for instance.

001. Subscription taken out x date

002. First payment taken out x date

003. Most recent payment taken out x date

004. Service used between x date and x date [with examples of actual time used, if your systems permits it].

005. Brief narrative of the problem, i.e. 'I understand you have requested a refund despte using the service, please refer to our T&C's which can ge found here [link].

006. Provide a resolution, i.e. we are prepared to terminate your agreement on x date, meaning your service will cease on x date.

007. Explain that if you don't hear from them you will assume they will continue with the service they have signed and paid for.

The purpose of the above, obviously, would be to demonstrate that you have acted reaosnably to a complaint, however unreasonable that complaint may be, and will add hugely to your defence, should you need it.

Good luck.

[PayPal_lucy]

Hey there,

With services there is no buyer or seller protection. So any case in PayPal would be closed once it was determined as authorised.

However, with a card company this is different. If the card company decide to allow their customer to file the case then PayPal have no say over this and a case will be opened. The outcome of this case is decided by the card company themselves.