Buyer Protection Issues

[stacydewberry]

I bought a $50 leather handbag and it was defective not even a month into having it and I was not given a refund OR a replacement. I called and went through the “resolution center” and was told that I had to go buy something to send it back in and pay to ship it back in order to get either thing. I waited almost a month to get the item and am not going to spend any more money on it. This was not anything I did wrong. It was a defective product. The “buyer protection” isn’t any good unless you PROTECT THE BUYER! Does anyone know how I can write a letter to their corporate office or get some resolve with this issue? Thanks!

[kernowlass]

@stacydewberry 

Paypal give ''buyer and seller'' protection and that cannot be a 100% guarantee for both parties.

So you have to read up on each and then risk assess your transactions.

Paypal state this >>
IMPORTANT: You may be required to return the item to the seller or other party we specify as part of the settlement of your claim. PayPal Buyer Protection does not entitle you to reimbursement for the return shipping costs that you may incur.

Although they will compensate you for some of the cost if you have activated this at some point before you made that transaction.
https://www.paypal.com/us/smarthelp/article/FAQ3544

You also have the option to do a chargeback via your card issuer instead of a Paypal dispute if you funded your Paypal payment via a credit card.

[stacydewberry]

Then they shouldn’t even have “buyer protection” at all because with the handbag the item is defective and with the shoes they were sold under a false brand name when they were definitely NOT. In both cases the issue was with the item not with anything I did or didn’t do. With an actual exchange or return okay but in these two situations it is ridiculous to be expected to pay more money out to these companies to get what you ordered or thought you ordered in the first place.

[kernowlass]

@stacydewberry 

As long as you are not buying tat from China then the ''return shipping'' option to claim back return costs should cover most items. 

[stacydewberry]

They were both from China.

[kernowlass]

@stacydewberry 

😪

Chinese Web Sites or on Social Media ads easy to spot (once you know the below signs) so buyer beware.

The best thing is to not buy from them in the first place, to recognise them -

1. No return address on the returns policy. The site will look as if its in your country (where they despatch goods from) but they will ask for returns to go back to China (returns depot) at a shipping cost often more than the item is worth.
2. No contact telephone number. if you click on contact the most you will get is webmail or an email address.
3. Rarely company address information.
4. Great pictures of items at bargain prices that turn out to be tat.
5. Fake reviews.
6. Google and you can often see previous company names as they change them once enough claims roll in and Paypal stop them using their services and start over.
7. Send fake tracking numbers to win item non receipt of item claims.