SHORT VERSION
Basically, I got scammed by a website that has PayPal. I tried contacting the seller numerous times through many different methods, but they deliberatly ignored me. Opened a lengthy and frustrating dispute with PayPal and they ruled in my favour. I'm getting a full refund but I have to return the item with trackable shipping. I live in Sweden and trackable shipping to China is expensive. Even if I do return it I will have lost more than half of the purchase price on what I already spent in customs fees and will spend on return shipping.
The refund policy of the seller clearly states in bold text that if a buyer can provide proof of deficiency, they will get a replacement or full refund without having to send back the item. So I spoke with PayPal telling them this, but they said they don't care what the seller has stated on their website. What kind of protection is PayPal offering then?! They said I need to take that up with the seller... HE'S NOT RESPONDING!
They think that I'm trying to keep the item for free when I have already sent them video proof that the item is downright broken. I don't even want to keep it, but I also don't want to spend so much in return shipping. Besides after the seller has been so suspicious, I can't trust that he will accept the return. He might lie and says he never got it and will just try to lengthen the process more... What do I do?
LONG VERSION
I purchased a bamboo flute from a Chinese website called SoundOfMountain.com and it arrived completely faulty. The flute was supposed to be D key but is instead a little lower than C#. The flute is 2 sections so depending on how much you squeeze the joints together, you can adjust the pitch. The problem is I have the flute in it's shortest setting!
On top of this there was a missing accessory that was clearly listed on the store page. There was also a misleading picture showing a bag you could put the flute in, instead I got a packaging case... The build quality of the flute was also questionable. It's listed as "professional grade" and is supposedly made by a master with the name "Dong [removed]". The blowhole had a chip in it that made it difficult to play high notes. I know this is true because when I blow the air on the other end of the blowhole which doesn't have a chip, it's much easier to play high notes. Then there were also scratches and aesthetic problems elsewhere.
I tried contacting the seller numerous times through many different methods, I got no response. They even friended me on a messenger app but proceeded to ignore me when I listed my issues. On their own refund policy which can be found on their website, It is clearly stated in bold text, that if a buyer can provide evidence for the item being defective, they will get a replacement or a full refund without having to send it back. I provided all kinds of photographic and videographic evidence but they proceeded to ignore. I asked my sister to send them a fake email asking why she can't track her order (she never ordered anything), and they responded immediately asking what her order number is. The person who responded had the name of "Joe [removed]".
I finally decided to take the issue up with PayPal and after an extremely frustrating attempt at trying to open a case on the resolution center, I called them and they did it for me. It took a few days, but the seller (now scared), offered a partial refund of 30 Euros. I had payed 111 Euros + customs fees!! I immediately declined and wrote "a partial refund for what?! A completely faulty product not as advertised? Being outright disrespected and ignored by the seller?". Then I proceed to upload all the evidence I have, including a picture of the refund policy listed on the seller's website. The seller finally caves in and offers a full refund but I have to send back the Item and he requests that it can be tracked.
I have no issue returning this idiotic product, but my issue is having to pay expensive trackable shipping to China from Sweden. I have already payed customs fees when it arrived now I have to pay for return shipping?? All of this has reached half of the purchase price!! I call two different PayPal agents and both of them say there's nothing they can do about it. I repeatedly mention to them that the policy of the seller themselves doesn't require me to send it back, but they just tell me that PayPal doesn't care about the seller's terms listed on their website.... I then get mad and ask them what kind of protection are you offering me then?! And they just reiterate what has already been said, "It's up to you to contact the seller". And I frustratingly tell them "I already told you I've tried contacting them numerous times, they aren't responding!". And she just lazily says "Ye, well not much I can do about that". I keep trying to get them to understand, but they recommend I report the company to the police for fraud. I'm like "What is the Swedish police going to do about a company in China?! Then they ask me "would you report this to your bank?", I'm like "What does that have to do with anything"? and they say "Yes exactly, PayPal is just a bank we don't handle those kinds of problems".
I originally called them because when I clicked on the refund link it said 30 euros. They reassured me that it's just a glitch and it's actually 111 euros. I tried on my computer many times and even once where I cleared my cookies and history. I tried on my phone app and there it says 30 euros as well. I also cannot decline the offer like I could with the other. After the first agent didn't help me with my shipping problem, I asked her "can you at least fix the glitch for me?". But she just said "have a good day" and hung up on me. She was outright rude and disrespectful. I called the center again and they hung on me twice! They even answered once and it was just silence then they hung up. I suspect it was the first agent avoiding me... The fourth time I called it was the second agent and he seemed nicer, but couldn't help regarding the shipping costs either.
I have no idea what to do now. The seller still hasn't contacted me. I contacted him through my second email writing a fake inquiry and he responded an hour later! In the email I had written that I was interested in one of their instruments but needed to be sure their refund policy was true. He reassured me that yes they will uphold their refund policy I just need to place the purchase. It was Joe Wang. I then sent another email telling him that "my friend" had ordered from them and received a faulty product but they wouldn't respond to his issues. He responded minutes later telling me the FLUTE my friend ordered was not faulty, "he just doesn't know how to play it". I never mentioned that it was a flute! He was deliberately avoiding me this entire time.
I responded by telling him of all the undeniable evidence my friend provided and if he was willing to send a replacement. I also asked him many times why he simply didn't mention all of this to my friend when he tried contacting them but he avoided the question each time. Lastly he said the pitch of the flute could be adjusted by "pushing and pulling" the joints. I explained to him that "my friend" had already sent him video proof that he had done that and it wasn't working. Now he's not responding again....
How can PayPal allow this kind of scamming? How can it not matter what the sellers refund policy is?! Is this a joke??
