Fake items received, fake return address

[UnexplainedMemo]

Hello, I've been a victim of receiving fake/counterfeit/replica goods from a seller in China for an almost $2000 item. They sent me pictures of the authentic goods when I asked for proof of the item but they shipped me an obvious replica. Also, they claimed to be from Korea which was obviously not true once they sent out the package. 

I escalated the dispute because the seller stopped responding to me after I called them out and Paypal is asking me to send the item back. A couple of problems... I googled the return address provided and it leads to a Temple in China. It also does not match the information on the original shipping label that was hand-written by the seller. I cannot read it as it's in Chinese but I Google translated it to get an idea and it is not the same at all. The only thing I can read is the postal code since it's just numbers and they do not match either. They did not provide a name or phone number so I will just copy their Paypal name (which is in English) and the phone number they wrote on the original shipping label.

What happens if it's returned due to the invalid address, rejected, or if the seller claims it was never received? Will I still get a refund if I send the package to the return address provided? I will choose the option with fast tracked shipping + require a signature but it's $85 so if the return address is fake this is a huge blow to my wallet!

If I can provide written proof from the CS of the company that it's a replica/fake item, will I still have to return it to the seller? I have messaged Paypal CS through their messaging system but await a reply.

Also, I used my Paypal balance for this so calling the bank as a last resort is not an option. 😕

Please help!

[PayPal_JonK · Accepted solution]

Hello @UnexplainedMemo,

Welcome to the PayPal Community! I'm sorry a recent transaction didn't go quite as planned. When shipping back an item to the seller for a refund in a dispute, PayPal will normally ask that you send it to the address designated as the return address in the case details. As long as you can provide tracking showing the item was sent back to the address that it was requested to be sent to, the case will normally be decided in the your favor. If the item is returned or is unable to be delivered, PayPal may still normally side the case in your favor as long as you can show the item was sent back to that specific address.

I hope that helps!

 - Jon K