Refunding from a non-existing account

StinkyDoo
Contributor
Contributor

Hey there community, Today, I realized that I just got scammed. I was wanting to order a game account from someone through gmail. Though I have sent this person the payment, it was through Friends & Family, and was paid from my bank account. The recipient would not recieve the money until next week. I checked my gmail this morning to see if he’s still in touch, but his gmail became non-existent. I don’t know whether or not the scammer got a hold of my money or not since the payment method doesn’t notify either one of us. Is it possible to recieve my money back from a non-existing account?

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2 REPLIES 2

kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@StinkyDoo

 

Normally Paypal will credit the seller in advance when you pay and Paypal take the wait for the funds to transfer.

So if its marked as 'completed' then he has been paid.

If its marked as pending or uncleared / unclaimed then you may be able to ask your bank to recall it OR if pending and not claimed it may time out at 30 days post payment.

 

However.............

 

A friends / family (or gift payment) is intended as a transfer of funds from family or friends to one another. For this reason, there is no processing fee when payment is made with bank or PayPal balance.
However as it is a “gift” payment, there is also no Buyer protection as no goods or services should have been exchanged.

If he was not a close mate or family member you should never use that option as it enables the seller to evade his paypal fees and negates your buyer protection at the same time. That is also why you would be unable to open a dispute apart from an unauthorised transaction (if your account was hacked and used without your consent).

You also risk having your account limited for using this option when you are purchasing goods as its against Paypal rules. Smiley Sad


Advice is voluntary.
Kudos / Solution appreciated.
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StinkyDoo
Contributor
Contributor
Thanks for the advice. I now know better to not fall into something as ridiculous as that. I’ve lost a good sum of money to someone really suspicious and have placed my account at risk. I will be a smarter consumer in the future. Thank you again kernowlass. Have a kudos and a great day.
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