Scammer’s error has left me with the dispute fee! Any suggestions from the forum please!

[Bellesanna9]

I have been charged a £12 dispute fee for someone claiming to have sent me money in error. I responded to the complaint and was happy for PayPal to intervene. I do not know who this person is and I believe it is a scam. I don’t understand why I am £12 worse off for her sending me money in error and I agreed she could have it back once it had been cleared in my account. Any help gratefully received!

[kernowlass]

@Bellesanna9 

Its easy to make a typo and a payment go to someone else's email address / paypal account.

All you had to do was issue a refund, if a fee was charged then you would issue a part refund minus the fee element as the mistake was on the sender side.

However instead you didn't refund so the sender had to do a chargeback, a chargeback is external to the PayPal system. The buyer's credit card issuer grants its members specific consumer protection which PayPal has no authority to replace or reduce. If a PayPal user initiates a chargeback with their credit card company Paypal have no way of stopping the claim. When a PayPal payment is charged back, Paypal are charged a fee by the credit card issuer. They pass this non-refundable fee on to you.