Dispute was escalated, and seller is re-contacting me with same non-starter

[MicroMicro]

I was scammed by a seller who intentionally sent wrong item.  From the moment I received the item I knew I'd been scammed and was headed into uncharted territory with PayPal. 

 I opened a dispute in the resolution center as "Wrong Item Received".  And since then, every communication with the seller just reinforced that I was being scammed.  

Finally, the seller has agreed to a refund but only if I pay for return shipping.   The seller insists the return be made to an address unrelated to the transaction, an address southeast Asia.  Every step of the way the seller has been acting in bad faith.  

I've "escalated" the dispute expecting PayPal would review the dispute and make a decision.   I thought I was done directly communicating with the seller, and PayPal would step in, review the dispute, and make a decision.  But, the only response to the escalation is from the seller, again with the same scam-offer related to shipping to an overseas address.  And to be clear, the sender address is in California, USA.  

When I chose to Escalte the dispute, I expected PayPal to review it, and make a decision.  But here I am dealing with the same scammer seller make the same scam return shipping offer.  

[kernowlass]

@MicroMicro 

Once escalated allow paypal 10 days to decide on the claim.

However if they find in your favour you may still be required to send the item back ''trackable'' to the seller before getting a refund.

And whilst these Asian merchants (normally selling tat on Social Media sites) despatch from most countries their ''return'' address is normally listed in Asia/China so you may still have to return it there.

[TomnDC]

This has happened to me as well and I find it not only ridiculous & absorb, but poor business practice that the customer (buyer) should have to pay to send the items back when we (the customer) were clearly scammed. PayPal should stand behind it's customers in these situations. The seller should be required to send a prepaid return address label to send the items back. My case is almost identical to the letter, so this must be common practice with these Asia sellers, who must be getting away with this practice, so they just keep doing it.

[kernowlass]

@TomnDC 

In the event of a dispute you choose your seller and not Paypal so you need to bear in mind possible return trackable costs before you go ahead and buy from that seller / country.

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.

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.

[MicroMicro]

Thanks for your input. 

The response from the seller that I described appears to be the reply from PayPal based on my escalating the dispute.  Although its authored by the seller, not PayPal.  I was expecting a reply authored by PayPal explaining how they (PayPal) decided the issue.   Instead, it looks like the same scam reply he sent in the dispute communications.  

Its clear to me that the return obligation is designed to make a buyer quit and walk away as a victim.  Absolutely a non-solution made in bad faith by the seller. 

[MicroMicro]

Just want to add that the seller is providing an over seas return address that simply doesn't associate with the transaction in any way, its fiction.  They're simply making it up as an obstacle to a refund.  They send me valueless garbage, then hold my refund hostage until I pay a ransom.   How PayPal allows this?  

[kernowlass]

@MicroMicro 

The overseas address would be their return depot and as long as you provided paypal with a tracking number showing you sent the item back to the address paypal gives you then you would be covered.

Paypal gives 'some' buyer and 'some' seller protection the rest is up to us to risk assess who we purchase from.

Paypal would not be able to check every individual seller / merchant / company in over 200 countries worldwide that adds paypal to their website to accept payments.

They do stop bad companies from using Paypal when enough claims start rolling in.
However as they are in China (mostly) then its easy for them to just start over with a new name, so stopping them does not really do anything.

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.

[MicroMicro]

Thank you for the information.