Scammers on friends and family

requinn78
Contributor
Contributor
I've just realised I have been scammed. Someone put up a post on local page selling eggs! I said I was interested. Someone replied to me on messenger saying they could deliver today 8-11today. I said best after 9 as on school run. They asked if could pay via PayPal I said fine tomorrow after receiving eggs. No reply. So at 11 today I said no deliveries today then? They replied saying because I hadn't paid I couldn't get any but if paid now I'd get some after 3. So I paid the £6. No sign of anything. Got to 330 and I tried to message them but Facebook wouldn't let me do it. I tried to then request money back from the email I sent money to. They declined it. I now cannot send them a message. I searched for the name of payee on Facebook and someone else has had same issue!
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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@requinn78 

 

A friends / family (or gift payment) is intended as a transfer of funds from family or friends to one another. For this reason, there is no processing fee when payment is made with bank or PayPal balance.
However as it is a gift payment, there is also no buyer protection as no goods or services should have been exchanged.

If he was not a close mate or family member you should never use that option as it enables the seller to evade paying his Paypal fees and negates your buyer protection at the same time.

You would also not be able to open a dispute (apart from one citing an unauthorised transaction), which would be automatically closed as you did authorise the initial payment.

Be careful as using that option for purchasing goods is against Paypal rules and can lead to account limitation.

If you funded your Paypal payment via a credit card then contact your card issuer and see if they will help you but unfortunately they may decline as well as it was a gift payment.


Lastly even if you had paid using goods/services you would not be covered by buyer protection as it does not cover items personally delivered or collected unfortunately.


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requinn78
Contributor
Contributor
Thank you but there was a fee payable for this even as a friends and family transaction. "Seller" now cannot be reached surprise surprise even on here. Luckily I paid with some credit I had not my debit or credit card but still paranoid!
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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@requinn78 

 

You pay a fee for a friends/family payment only if you fund it via a credit card.

If you used a bank account/debit card OR funds in your balance it is free.

The fee is the c.c. charge and is not to enable buyer protection which is a given as long as you use goods/services and don't use it for items personally collected or delivered.

Try a chargeback as you used your c.c but you may find they won't refund either as it was an f/f payment.


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requinn78
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I did use credit not a credit card
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kernowlass
Esteemed Advisor
Esteemed Advisor

@requinn78 

 

Do you mean paypal credit OR credit of funds in your balance?

If the latter then you would not have been charged a fee unless the funds were in another currency so that sounds a tad odd?


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requinn78
Contributor
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Think the former. Balance was in sterling
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