Complaint Review: PayPal

Kimbberly wrote: "Let's say the belts never did reach her,they're still NOT IN MY POSESSION so why do I have to pay????? "

Because ... according to eBay's and PayPal's terms of service, the SELLER is ultimately responsible for the merchandise until it reaches the buyer's address. Many eBay sellers post "disclaimers" stating that they are not responsible for lost or misdirected mail, blah blah blah, but that does not mean that they are ultimately not responsible. Using eBay means accepting their terms - if you don't like their terms, then don't use their service.

Dear Steve,Thank you very,very much for your EXCELLENT advice ! Finally a response that's truly helpful. I will definately be looking into some of the options you presented !

GREAT NEWS! I received an email from another ebay seller this morning stating this ebayer in the UK did the EXACT same thing to her.She claimed she didn't get the belts,she received a refund and only after the seller read the negative fb I left this fraud did she check her store and lo and behold there where her belts listed in this crook's store !! Now the seller is trying to get her money back and this lady refuses to answer her emails.

After I relayed this new developement to paypal THEY GAVE ME MY MONEY BACK AND SENT THE UK BUYER AN EMAIL STATING SHE NOW OWES PAYPAL !!! I refused to give up on this matter and I have FINALLY received justice. To all of you out there who know you've been screwed "DON'T EVER,EVER GIVE UP ON SETTING THINGS RIGHT AND GETTING TO THE TRUTH".Don't give up because it takes too much legwork and you feel like you won't get anywhere.

Eventually someone WILL listen. Even after I felt hopeless I still sent paypal my shipping info via fax EVERYDAY!I was not going to let them forget me ! Well,it worked out and I hope everyone out there who's been RIPPED OFF get justice too! Thank You,Kimberly

In response to your comment on "legitimacy". I've been an Ebay & PayPal member for 4.5 years.I pay my auction fees on time every month without fail. My sales aren't in the millions like some sellers but I make decent extra spending money and PayPal has made a few bucks off me with taking 3% of every payment I've received. I've never cheated anyone,I've never lied to anyone,I've honored every bid and every purchase I've ever made and I would NEVER,EVER in a million years lie about receiving merchandise.Ya know what? This lady has to live with herself and what she did and in the end we all have to answer to our God for the things we've done in our lives and that may be where I have to leave this thing. I will be contacting customs in the UK tomorrow morning and go from there. I truly believe that "What goes around comes around".

Thanks Peter ! Have a good one !

Where I said SHE CURRENTLY HAS 3 OF THE BELTS I SOLD HER UP FOR AUCTION IN HER EBAY STORE !!!!! Also,during the past month while this claim was "in progress" she sold 9 other belts who's description in her auctions exactly match the ones I sold her only I can't see the photos because SHE REMOVED THEM !!!!!! THAT is why I call her a FRAUD,FRAUD,FRAUD. You really need to read my complaint thoroughly before commenting. Also,there is NO WAY that you can say that PayPals decision was fair or just!

Let's say the belts never did reach her,they're still NOT IN MY POSESSION so why do I have to pay????? I've lost the merchandise AND the money and she has both !GET REAL! This thing has UNFAIR RIP-OFF written all over it and I wouldn't use PayPal again if my life depended on. They are not to be trusted and like I said earlier, if they felt so strongly about giving this FRAUD a refund then they should've reached into their pockets and used their own money !

Funny little tidbit to this story....I haven't been selling for the last month and a half so my PayPal balance was zero and now it's MINUS $62.81 because of the refund that PayPal sent this FRAUD with my money!!NOW I'M IN THE HOLE !!! Is that a hoot or what ?? I really got taken on quite a wild ride ! THANKS PAYPAL !!

Thank You

Kimberly,

With the volume of business you do, you should just get your own merchant account!

They are very easy to get, and you can even do checks by phone and debit cards. There are companies that specialize in home business and also ebay sellers.

I agree that PayPal/Ebay policy sucks. They truly have a take it or leave it attitude. They are just too big too care, and too many people will just accept the BS.

Not me.

Don't use it!!

This is a problem I have voiced here several times. PayPal shipping items CANNOT be "scanned in" at time of shipment or even manually input, therefore you can only prove you purchased the postage, not that you actually sent the item. It cannot be tracked enroute!

You should go directly to the USPS site and prepare your label. It is the same cost and you still get the free delivery confirmation with Priority mail and Express mail. Then carry it to the post office and stand there while they scan it in. Get a reciept for the shipment to prove it was scanned in.

NEVER use PayPal shipping for any item you cannot afford to lose, or on any international shipment.

You previously asked, "If my proof of shipping wasn't legitimate would I actually have posted this ???"

Yes - you might have posted this if your "proof" was illegitimate. People post "complaints" all the time when they are in the wrong, and when they have no tangible evidence at all to prove otherwise. Just look at other postings on this board.

It sounds as though your shipment is held up in customs, which is not your fault - however, it is not the buyer's fault either. The bottom line is that PayPal refunded the buyer's money because they never got the item - regardless of the reason why. The solution is simple. You could contact the buyer so that if he/she DOES eventually receive the merchandise, he/she can either re-pay you for it, or send it back to you. Or, if it is "lost" in the customs chain, you could be reimbursed through the postal insurance you took out on the item as any responsible eBayer would do prior to mailing something. Either way, it is a win-win situation for all involved. But, calling someone "fraudulent" when they in fact never received what you claim to have sent, is totally inappropriate.

I have an ebay store and I use PayPal shipping to ship everything which means I paid for this $16.00 shipping label with funds that came directly out of my account and the buyer's information was supplied to me.It was shipped to the address in South Yorkshire, England that the buyer has on her PayPal account.Your question is semi ridiculous! The shipping label,which has a Customs Label number right on it was sent to PayPal over and over and over. I traced the package easily on the USPS Track & Confirm site where it states that the package went from my store in St.Charles,IL 60175 to a USPS site in Carol Stream,IL 60199,approx. 35 miles away,the next day.Even if( and that's a big if),this package didn't make it to England,it's OBVIOUSLY OUT OF MY POSESSION AND THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS!PayPal could see this EASILY for themselves and with all of their so called "investigative teams" the need to INVESTIGATE !


Also,did you miss the part where I stated that 3 of the belts are now for sale in her ebay store?? These are vintage belts,at least 30 years old,not something that's common.How PayPal thinks it's right to give this buyer a full refund FROM MY PAYPAL ACCOUNT without knowing FOR SURE where these items are is ABSOLUTELY,POSITIVELY,WITHOUT A DOUBT THE MOST ABSURD BUSINESS PRACTICE I'VE EVER ENCOUNTERED.PayPal shouldn't have decided in my favor or her favor until this case was THROUGHLY investigated and this package tracked down.I don't care how long it would have taken,the outcome is INSANE !


This lady complained about the shipping from the get go and this is how she made it good for herself.She has 3 negative feedback this month alone for not shipping merchandise to US buyers ! So,this fraud knows all the ins and outs of the international shipping thing.PS:I gave everyone the cusoms label # on this package and anyone can check it for themselves and see that the package moved from here to there.PayPal operator Charlene is the one who informed that "Enroute" on Global Priority packages means "made it to customs".I will be contacting customs in the UK myself on Monday because it's all up to me now to set this nightmare straight.


I've been a PayPal member for 4 years.There are times when I have 75+ auctions listed at a time and everytime I receive a payment for ebay goods PayPal got/gets 3%.If a lousy $63 is worth losing an upstanding PayPal member then PayPal needs to take a close look at their priorities.Just a little side note...In my auction preferences of "payments accepted" I state that "I only accept PayPal because I think it's the safest way to trade on ebay" !! Boy,what a fool I was ! NEVER AGAIN,from now on it's checks and money orders and I'll put what would be PayPal fees in the bank where my money is safe !
Thanks

You wrote: "I sent proof of shipment to PayPal more than half a dozen times"

What kind of "proof" did you provide? Did you have an exact tracking number which would proove delivery to an exact address? Or just some general, nonspecific receipt from the post office showing that you shipped something to the UK?

The reason I ask is because I was once ripped off by an eBay seller, whose "proof of shipment" was nothing more than a fabricated receipt showing that they had purchased postage for a package going somewhere in my state (it didn't even show what town it was supposedly going to). Of course PayPal did not buy that, and refunded my money.

The moral of the story is, the burden of proof is on you, the seller. Document your transactions completely, to avoid similar situations again in the future.