No seller protection with PayPal.

[Tony0623]

Hello everyone. I am looking for the best way to handle a serious issue with PayPal. I am finding they offer no protection to sellers. I sold an amp to an individual months ago in January and the person received the electronic and has since destroyed it. As of yesterday, FIVE MONTHS later, PayPal finds a dispute that was filed the very end of April in the buyers favor. This is more than enough time for the buyer to ruin the item due to failure to wire properly and now I am out almost $600.00. Anyone have any suggestions of the best way to handle this or file a complaint with someone other than PayPal because the dispute process was useless.

[sharpiemarker]

@Tony0623 

Was this a credit card chargeback or a standard PayPal dispute? And what reason for the claim?

Credit Card chargebacks are opened as a dispute on PayPal but you're charged an additional $20 chargeback fee AND the financial institution decides on the case, not PayPal so if the buyer was refunded by their financial institution, then you are held liable and not covered by seller protection for item not described chargebacks/reversals. 

Typically, with a standard Significantly Not as Described PayPal dispute, the buyer is supposed to return item for a refund, not always the case with credit card chargebacks/bank reversals. Did you try to work with the buyer at all when they contacted you or a dispute was filed out of nowhere? 

Sellers are not protected from Significantly Not as Described disputes UNLESS the explanation the buyer gave for dispute is not considered 'significant' enough such as buyer's remorse reasons. You can appeal the PayPal decision or report the buyer for buyer protection abuse to PayPal if you have compelling evidence the buyer did this.

You can take the buyer to small claims court.

[Tony0623]

It was opened as a dispute on PayPal with the buyer saying item not as described. They are making the buyer return the item but I’m sure I will be getting back a defective item since the buyer made the purchase back in January. I have been using PayPal for over 15 years and it blows my mind how they can make the decision to let someone request a refund months later. Your typical electronic store doesn’t take back an item after thirty days and some don’t accept open items for this very reason. When the buyer messaged me I refused the refund because I did not hear from him from February to April so I am 100% confident the item was working during this time.

[sharpiemarker]

@Tony0623 

"I have been using PayPal for over 15 years and it blows my mind how they can make the decision to let someone request a refund months later."

If PayPal doesn't, then the buyer's credit card/bank will and it will be an extra chargeback fee to you on top of the amount in dispute and may not require a return so you lose both item and money. If you get item back, you can get it repaired if necessary and resold at least. Purchase Protection for 180 days from date of payment are the terms. If that is not ok with you, don't use PayPal to accept payment. But know that credit cards give 180 days too, even to a year! PayPal is following the industry. Sometimes when shipping overseas that amount of time is needed for items to be received by the customer so 180 days has its purpose.

Wait and see if the item is returned, if buyer fails to return item, PayPal will rule in your favor. If buyer returns an empty box or whatever, you can report the buyer for buyer protection abuse to PayPal. 

What is Buyer Abuse?

[DCMoe13]

I thought PayPal's buyer protection would protect me from scammers, but it is the other way around! And apparently, the same goes for individual sellers. I'm writing an article about PayPal's supposed "protections." If you'd like to share your experience, please contact me through my website at christinemcondo.com/contact.php. All responses will be anonymized to protect your privacy.

[EJ89]

I am currently having a similar problem an insane person purchased something they loved it according to their email a month later 

after used it and regret it or maybe found a better deal out there decided to return via Ebay. Ebay said buyers remorse closed the return in my favor.

Then they opened a chargeback with credit card company claiming never did the purchase. Complete lie and fraud attempt. I provide all proof top PayPal that said I was covered from PP Seller protection and guess what now the claim is magically changed from the bank as item not as described and a representative is claiming I am no longer covered by PP. What a joke. So I lean to say that PayPal doesn't protect sellers whatsoever.

I have posted about what happened to me to get some advice here. 

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/Managing-Risk-and-Fraud/I-am-getting-scammed-Item-not-bought-cla...