I have used Paypal a long time and it is one of my preferred methods of payment due to the apparent protections their service gives to consumers. Unfortunately, there has been an issue with a recent transaction, where I am somewhat unhappy at the current situation. I bought an electronic item from a well known Chinese online retailer who are notorious for their poor service that goes with their low prices (having used them before a couple of times, I though this was exaggerated but now I am a convert to the general opinon), and it was DOA. I was hoping that they would just send me another item out, but instead they offered me a partial refund of less than a third of the value if I went away and agreed to close the Paypal case I had opened. I immediately called Paypal (another complaint is that Paypal's phone system deliberately obstructs you from speaking to a human operator and thus costing them money, and I had to select options that were nothing to do with my actual issue to get to an operator), and they advised me not to do that as I would forfeit all future interventions from Paypal if I did that, and the operator seemed upbeat on their ability to get the retailer to send me a working replacment. After this, I had one more communication from Paypal where they informed me of the retailer's offer of a refund of 10% of the value to resolve the issue, which I refused. I then heard nothing further for days, until I suddenly received an email from Paypal warning me that time was running out for myself to send the item back to China and provide a tracking number, and that the case would be closed if I did not meet the deadline. I had no indication I had to return the item, or that an agreement had been reached between Gearbest and Paypal. I would like to find out what is going on, and particularly what is going on with the postage of my returning the item to China with guaranteed delivery. After all this time, expense and inconvenience, I think at the least I should have this refunded. However, trying to navigate the Paypal site for communicating with them is entirely circular and you just return again and again to the same options. Replying to their emails cause them to be returned to you, there is no means of contacting Paypal within the case, or no webmail page (that I can see) to contact customer services. The only way I can see if to go through their convoluted and long phone system and lie my way to an operator again. Does anyone have any advice on this? I am tired of wasting my time on this needlessly and just want a resolution.
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