is 163.com address a scam?

[barbc49]

• Last week I placed an order and paid using PayPal, the order never returned to the order page to complete the transaction. The address on the resulting invoice ends in <removed>. Have emailed the seller several times, no response.  I am concerned that this is a scam.

[Tazangrey]

I placed an order for a kayak, $99 seems to be blasted in all different names throughout the websites. PayPal did make good on reimbursement although I won't receive it for 7 days or so. They say I'm getting a refund. Don't understand how they can have a receipt from UPS stating it was delivered, and then I tracked it and found that it was delivered to a different address. But those people knew nothing of it. I believe them. I think this kayak thing is a scam. $99 kayak under all different names companies. All over the website. Typically a kayak like that would cost $1,500 Spec's a 600-lb. Delivery says 59 lb package. Just wondering how many people ordered one of these kayaks. And how does UPS have a genuine a receipt for delivery although they have no signature or driver has no memory of delivering it. I live in the woods and typically get the same driver always. He said he hasn't seen any kayaks. And any of his deliveries. I believe how every other package I order always comes to my house, in 10 years I've never had a package not show up

[tonyjbrowning5]

I had ordered a big screen flat screen from them the store called Belinda's $84 and can't find my tracking number anywhere can't get any response from the seller's email can't seem to get it on my PayPal account summary anywhere so I can't really dispute it at least I haven't figured out yet but I don't know what else to do

[KDay00]

This is a scam from China. They use an algorithm that somehow can build websites based on search terms you use. It looks totally legit with customer comments, etc. After you order and they get payment the website disappears and you get a “404” Page not found error. They then will issue a tracking # that shows on your pay pal invoice along with an email address / contact information that’s really good but they won’t reply to an inquiry. You can send emails 10 times with no replies and you won’t get a confirmation email either. At least I didn’t. Had to use information on invoice with pay pal. They got me for $24 for some Clorox cleaning items. Website disappeared as I previously stated after my purchase was made. The tracking # you get from the pay pal invoice is either good but they send you a sticker or some other novelty item weighing less than a pound but it gets delivered and they then have delivery confirmation for the tracking # and you can’t prove what you really got. They messed up with me by issuing an already used tracking # for an item that was shipped 4 days prior to my order date and was delivered to an address in South Africa. I live in USA. That’s what clued me in to the scam pretty quickly. I sent refund requests to the email about 10 X with no response at all. Finally I filed a dispute with pay pal and my money was refunded in less than an hour. File a dispute with pay pal. If you used a debit or credit card you can then file a dispute with the bank but they will require you to attempt to settle it with pay pal first or the merchant. I can assure you that you will not get what you ordered. With all the entries in this forum I don’t understand why pay pal allows them to continue doing this to people and process fraudulent payments for 163.com . The explanation about the algorithm and how you get scammed was something I read on another posting in this forum. It sounds very plausible that’s what they are doing and quite ingenious too for a scam. I don’t support this behavior but the genius of it has got to be making them a killing on the non refunded charges a lot of people don’t dispute or give up when the process gets drug out for an extended period. If you can’t locate the invoice from pay pal fir a dispute contact them anyway. I’m sure they are aware of this scam. However, file a dispute with your bank if you used a credit card or debit card as a last resort. The seller can’t prove you got what was purchased and the bank will investigate. They WILL refund your money immediately when you file the dispute and then when they are done with the investigation they will finalize the credit to your account. Do not give up if you don’t get a refund as quickly as I did. Keep pushing pay pal or file dispute with bank because I guarantee you that the item will never be delivered or you will get a package with a cheap novelty item to support they did send you something and it was received. I really hope they get shutdown because a lot of people are getting robbed by criminals in China. I hope this helps you get this resolved.

[knightsga]

YES- a total scam. I lost $175 to them for a refurbished iPhone, but received a little wrist bracelet & tracking number. PayPal accepted the tracking number as proof I received my order even though it was not what I ordered. I filed dispute with PayPal and was denied. I no longer use PayPal but a credit card. I cannot trust PayPal to honor my transaction orders when I am treated as I was.

[Temp20230525GM]

I have been through this twice! This is what PayPal told me I had to do, file with PP “item substantially different than described” you can in your description your story but the above quote must be in your PP claim to go through quickly. When that is your case PP request info from the seller and according to PP they do not respond so the case is closed in your favor with a full refund. In my case instead of a sewing machine they shipped a paper mask from China and that was what they used as proof of shipping. But they never responded to “the item substantially different than as described”. You would think by now PP knows they are scammers and close THIER accounts. They are using several 3 digit numbers .com as email... I would stay away from anything online that does not have an address and google it. Also make sure they have a working phone number! SAVE YOURSELF A LOT OF AGGRAVATION....

[Icondo]

After going through a lot of the complaints about the same company I spotted your solution and thought I’d give it a try , lodged a complaint through PayPal chat and within a few hours got a total refund minus $10 aus through exchange rates , I can’t Thankyou enough and my wife has now learnt her lesson buying through FB ads , I suggest too others too do the same as you mentioned and hopefully they will get the same outcome Thanks

[felicitasj]

Was scamed out of $279.00. Paypal says they are not responsible. I understand, my fault to deal with Chinese scamers. Onthe other hand Paypal should not deal with them either. Will never trust Them again. In future pay with Credit card directly

[SMERL13]

Someone gave me.advise to contact paypal via facabook messenger after my claim was kicked out after only 4 days. Within half an hour its all been sorted. I think on the dispute its quite limiting what you can put. Mine was a transaction that i hadnt made and when i contacted the seller they said it was a sweet fume (whatever the feck that is) and had i not received it. Had told them.i havent a clue what that item is and asked for a tracking numberm....never received anytjing else from them!!! Anyway, put the claim through as unauthorised activity. When i was explaining to the girl on messenger she said she would reopen it as an item not recieved as i had a better chance of getting my money back. She couldnt believe there were so many of us been scammed with this email address.

[bsyovat]

I will never use PayPal again. I resolved my issue directly with my credit card company but it's terrible to think that PP allows this to continue. 

[blochness]

Yes, this is very much a scam. I ordered a tank top and some bogus package that wasn't even clearly from the fake company had random items I didn't want was sent to me. Didn't even think it was from that "company." I've had to dispute this charge THREE times even though I have emails of the scammer admitting they didn't send me what I ordered. The scammer keeps offering partial refunds. Absolutely not. It's not what I ordered and I don't want those items. I'm so disappointed in Paypal actively protecting a known scammer over a customer who uses the platform regularly. I will no longer be trusting paypal with my online transactions.