PayPal Community

Is PayPal Buyer’s Protection Worthless?   I engaged with a seller on eBay for a $10,000 stove, and the seller insisted that I pay them via PayPal.  Before making the payment I checked out PayPal’s Buyer Protection Policy and engaged with their chat to ensure that I would be protected in case the seller engaged in fraudulent conduct.  The PayPal assistant told me “your stove purchase using PayPal will be covered by PayPal’s Purchase Protection” and “it shows up significantly different than described, you may be eligible for a refund.”  The purchase page before I paid included the encouraging words “Get a full refund if an eligible item gets lost or damaged.”   Needless to say, the seller was engaged in fraudulent conduct. First, they cancelled the listing on eBay to avoid paying commission to eBay.  Then they shipped me a damaged stove.  You can read all about that here on my review for EM Customs Yelp page (EM CUSTOM with 56 real customer photos - Updated August 2024 - 14709 Lull St, Van Nuys, California - Interior Design - Phone Number - Yelp).   When the seller refused to take the item back or pay for repairs, I turned to PayPal for the promised Buyer’s protection.  I shared with them pictures of the item as listed, as well as how it was received.  I also shared with them increasingly abusive emails from the seller as evidence that the seller was not going to make me whole.  I opened my case with them on June 18. On July 9th they gave me 10 days to have an independent appliance repair shop document that the stove was indeed damaged:   “To continue with our investigation, we need documentation supporting your claim the item is damaged or significantly not as described. You need to get a document (such as an estimate or invoice) from an unbiased third-party, such as a dealer, repair shop, appraiser, or another individual or organization that is qualified in the area of the item in question (other than you). This document should detail the extent of the damage or clearly explain how the item received significantly differs from the item advertised. “   The seller was not disputing that the item was damaged, and the damage was very evident in the pictures they submitted.  I called several repair shops and was given estimates of $125 to $175 for the appraisal service which PayPal declined to pay.  Furthermore, none of the high-end appliance repair shops that I talked to could give me an appointment within the 10 days that they demanded.  Frankly, I don’t think they were particularly interested in doing estimates, when the demand for actual repairs keeps them very busy in Boston.    Long story short, PayPal denied my request based on my failure to comply with their requirements.  Their requirements were designed to make my claim fail, not to mention that I would have to spend additional money in order to satisfy their investigative needs.  Even if the appraisal documented what they wanted, they could still deny the claim for some other reason, and I would have wasted more money and time on this nonsense.   You shouldn’t have to spend money in order to have a buyer protection claim validated by PayPal – this double-victimizes you.  The seller was not disputing the damage – why am I stuck with this equipment and out $10,000K?  Why is PayPal protecting an obvious fraudulent seller instead of protecting the customers on their platform.  If this claim isn't covered when it so obviously fits within their guidelines, which ones are covered? ... View more