I'm out of the U.S. and cannot contact PayPal for fraud on my account

[odanny]

Hello and thanks for taking the time to read this, you truly are the last line of defense, because literally everything else I've tried has ended without anything resembling a resolution. 

So I'm in Thailand, and Google a specific hotel, find it, but it is actually a spoof website that i used, it seems to have booked the room for me but also charged me over $100 for "taxes and reservation fee" or some nonsense. I cannot call PayPal, my sim card here won't allow it, so getting a resolution that way is not possible. (I've  realized the need for an international plan already)

I tried to report this online and was told "you cannot dispute this transaction"......okay...... why? There was no explanation from the wonderful AI chatbot. Another dead end.  It also did not transfer me to a live agent, is this something that can be done? Not sure how to. Also, is good , old fashioned email still a means of communication with PayPal? Sure can't find any address, because I'm poerfectly willing to be patient, I'd just like to find a way to actually tell someone about this. . 

So I can't call about thisl cannot dispute this online

[kernowlass]

@odanny 

Firstly as paypal is country specific you should not be using a U.S paypal account in Thailand. Paypal varies a lot country to country (especially in Thailand) and you may hit problems trying to use it, which of course you have.

Secondly I think you will find in Thailand that they do charge taxes on that sort of transaction, always best to check first.

Lastly paypal covers you for 'item not received' OR 'item received but not as described'.

This is a billing error so you can try and report it as such but if the site billed you as quoted when you clicked to pay you may have to take it up with the merchant.

[odanny]

I have had zero problems using PayPal in Thailand, it is accepted everywhere. The problem is simply fraud on my account and me being completely unable to contact anyone about this. Even in the U.S. I have long found PayPal to have the most negligent customer service of any financial institution I have ever been a consumer of, but overseas PayPal should probably not even be used, because if you do have problems, you are completely on your own. 

[kernowlass]

@odanny 

Read the moderators reply on this thread.

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/Payments-Archives/Amit17/m-p/1717290#M52362

Also..

https://www.paypal.com/us/cshelp/article/can-i-change-the-address-on-my-paypal-account-to-another-co...

So whilst you may have been able to 'use it everywhere' you may still hit issues so its advisable NOT to use a U.S paypal account in another country. Not sure if the website you used is fraud or not, you being charged taxes (common in Thailand) does not make it fraud.

As to Paypals customer services I have found them ok when I had to contact but then I am not in the U.S.

[odanny]

The moderator said that you can contact PaYPal ahead of time and tell them you will be traveling, I did exactly that and provided when and where, I have had ZERO issues with my prepaid debit card being accepted. I love using it and it is amazing to be able to quickly check all of my transactions online. I have no issues with that, I have issues trying to dispute an overcharge by someone pretending to be my hotel, the manager said that this charge was not put there by them, hotels don't charge $103.48 in taxes on a 2 night stay that cost $130 for the stay, 

[kernowlass]

@odanny 

Actually they said........

You can advise us ahead of time that you're traveling, which may help with using your PayPal internationally.

However they do not advise it and suggest you avoid doing so.

As for your 'issue' you would need to contact customer services but hey that would cause an 'issue' wouldn't it as you are in Thailand and as you have already found, so not ZERO issues after all.

[odanny]

Uh huh.