Catman Jim Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 Hello all, Sorry to be a griper, but I figure this is an appropriate forum to do so. Two months ago, I was the high bidder on Ebay on the complete set of Rippers: The Horror Wars by Great White Games, that is the miniatures rule book & all 4 boxed miniatures sets (Van Helsings' Warbands #1 and #2, Dracula's Brood, and the Jack the Ripper set). Each of those retails for $25, so it was a $125 value, I was to pay only $38 for the lot. I paid through PayPal (my current Ebay rating is over 200 positive, 0 negative, and I have been using PayPal without any problems for several years now). After several weeks went by, I did not receive my items, I investigated the seller and found that he operated a gamestore in Nacodoches Texas, and had gone out of business in this time. I called the number he provided in the initial contact email and discovered it was a false number. Multiple negative feedbacks were starting to come in on this seller for non-delivery & non-contact (he has since been removed from Ebay). I filed a complaint on Ebay, and also with PayPal, as they claim to have a $1000 protection plan on bad auctions. Long story made shorter, after 6 weeks in review, PayPal agreed that I had been ripped off by the seller and was entitled to my money back. HOWEVER, they were not going to refund my $38, instead they would be keeping it as their service fee for investigating my complaint! I have read through all of their Buyer Protection Plan policy, and nowhere did I see that they would be charging a service fee. I feel like I have been ripped off twice, once by a bad seller and once by PayPal! Has anyone else had a similar situation? Paypal has a 'no appeals on closed cases policy', so I don't believe I have any options on this, although they did send me a email questionaire "Did you receive satisfaction on your recent claim?" where I did take the opportunity to rip them a new one, for what little good that will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Qwyksilver Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 You could pursue it through a legal channel. If there is no mention of an investigation fee, it could be treated as petty larceny. But if there are other people in the same situation you might find a common cause. Or, in Boston, on channel 7 there is a consumer advocate bull dog that does segments called "Help Me Hank" where they investigate things like this. Maybe your local station has something similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frustrated Father Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 Yup, you got ripped off IMO. That being said, for future auctions, you might want to look into filing a complaint and request your funds back through your credit card or bank (or in my case, credit union). Most places allow this only within the first thirty days though, so if you haven't heard anything or gotten your money back, jump on the phone and get your money back. Paypal is going to send you all sorts of nastygrams, but tell them to stuff it - if they aren't willing to protect your money then you have to do it yourself. I as of yet, have had no real problems but that's not to say that I won't. Seems more and more these days you keep hearing stuff about fraud and ripoffs on ebay and paypal. Its time for them to change their policies and if they won't do it on their own, its going to take people taking them to task over it that eventually (hopefully) will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kheprera Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 And this is one of the many reasons why I've stopped ebaying as much. It's also why I don't use PayPal. In fact, if it's an auction and they don't allow money orders, I don't bid. Simple. More and more of the sellers are going PayPal only, and, quite frankly, it angers me. I despise credit cards as it is. I have one that basically works like a debit and I use it only for buying stuff at reapermini.com. I tried using it at the hotel during ReaperCon. That mess still isn't sorted out. When the hotel put a hold on the card, the credit card company has assumed it's a real charge. Personally, I'm surprised I'm not stuck in Denton. Why can't we just use cash? Credit and debt is a bunch of baloney and is how a large number of people are in dire straights now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchantra Posted May 26, 2005 Share Posted May 26, 2005 And this is just one reason I refuse to use Paypal. A few years ago now, a friend wired me cash so I could fly to see the guy I was dating in Vancouver for his Birthday. The cash was wired to my paypal account from his. I then wired it from my paypal account to my bank account. Someone watched the entire transaction then ripped $220 from my regular bank account. At first Paypal wanted to help, but when they credited the cash back to me someone took it again even after I had changed passwords several times. So I had to shut down my bank acount. Thankfully my Bank here locally was great about everything and helped me open a new account and get my money back, because after the second time, Paypal decided they didn't want anything to do with it. So when I have customers wanting to order on my website and they ask if they can use paypal, I tell them NO and then explain why. Sometimes they place an order using other means and sometimes they decide not to order. I'm of the opinion if they decide that they cannot follow by my ordering rules then I didn't want their business anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cutebutpsycho Posted May 27, 2005 Share Posted May 27, 2005 Wow, I'm a little shocked! I use paypal frequently for everything from buying and selling on ebay to sending money to my parents. I only take it out of my checking account. Twice, I have had transactions on ebay where the seller did not send the item promised, I followed ebays and paypals rules for contacting the seller, and had no satisfaction. When I contacted paypal, both were settled, one with the seller getting the item to me when threatened by paypal, the other with paypal crediting my account. I'm very sorry to hear that you've had a bad time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-Arkham Posted May 27, 2005 Share Posted May 27, 2005 I haven't had any problems with PayPal, but I am growing tired of eBay for other reasons. Namely, the ever popular "I don't make as much on eBay as I make on commissions." And watching other people sell poorly painted "pro" work for more than mine doesn't help, either. Kep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mastertickles Posted June 8, 2005 Share Posted June 8, 2005 well for me I love using PayPal and I've never had a problem. I also like to have the use of credit cards. I have excellent credit and always pay before or on time. Credit cards are for people who are responsibale and mature. Thats why they love going after teens because they know they can make a killing on finance charges. Yea I guess it sucks for the teens but they knew what would happen when they swiped! When you build great credit you get benifits. Better rates on morgages, cars etc etc. The point is if PayPal and credit cards did not work well and were not fair they would of not have survived this long! just my view! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catman Jim Posted June 9, 2005 Author Share Posted June 9, 2005 well for me I love using PayPal and I've never had a problem. I also like to have the use of credit cards. I have excellent credit and always pay before or on time. Credit cards are for people who are responsibale and mature. Thats why they love going after teens because they know they can make a killing on finance charges. Yea I guess it sucks for the teens but they knew what would happen when they swiped! When you build great credit you get benifits. Better rates on morgages, cars etc etc. The point is if PayPal and credit cards did not work well and were not fair they would of not have survived this long! just my view! Thanks Teen? I'm a 45 year-old grandfather (with a long history of good credit). I disagree with your comment about Paypal & credit cards must be working & be fair or they would not exist. That's relative. You could make the same statement about the pay-day loan industry, it works great for the folks who are making the loans, but most folks who take one are in for trouble. Yes, I am also continuing to use PayPal even after my bad experience, for the convienience it offers, but I know now not to count on them to back up a purchase under $50. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cade Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 Also, paypal has found quite a niche. Rather than exchanging lots of info and go about complicated and sometimes pricey banks wires, paypal allows a very cheap electronic funds transfer system that anyone can make available at an online point of sale. This eliminates the wait time to get paid so the sales product can be sent out faster. They are pretty much a monopoly here and that tends to make companies less committed to customer service. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kialindo Posted June 10, 2005 Share Posted June 10, 2005 I personally was on the other end .... A buddy of mine won an XBOX signed by Linkin Park from a local radio station. We brought it home and played it for a while ... and decided that we didn't want it.... so I put it up on e-bay for him. I ended up selling it for $260 and got the money from paypal and shipped it off using the post office here at work .... AND of course I insured it!!! Well about 10 months later I get a notification from paypal that the credit card used to purchase the xbox was stolen and unless I could prove that the address I had shipped to was a verified one I owed them the money..... SO I got the insurance form showing the ship to address and called paypal .... I was told that unless I could give them something that they could look at on the internet that I owed them the money!! I even got the manager of the post office on the phone but it wasn't good enough ... so needless to say I was out an xbox AND the $260!!!! I don't have a paypal or an ebay account anymore ... IF I want something on ebay I have friends who use it and I will just give them the cash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Firebird Posted June 12, 2005 Share Posted June 12, 2005 I think you got ripped of plain and simple. You can try legal action, although for 38 bucks doesn't seem worth the effort. Try talking to one of the supervisors see if you can get your money back. If they stilll wont help let 'em know you'll tell this story far and wide to everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonas Withabee Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 Well about 10 months later I get a notification from paypal that the credit card used to purchase the xbox was stolen and unless I could prove that the address I had shipped to was a verified one I owed them the money..... SO I got the insurance form showing the ship to address and called paypal .... I was told that unless I could give them something that they could look at on the internet that I owed them the money!! That smells distinctly of "not my problem." If you unknowingly accept stolen cash from someone in payment for a product, are you then responsible for paying back the victim if they're located (not to mention that that "victim" might be in on a scam to get that money back and keep the product)? I don't know the specifics regarding credit cards and PayPal, but maybe that's what they're banking on. ~J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kheprera Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 Well about 10 months later I get a notification from paypal that the credit card used to purchase the xbox was stolen and unless I could prove that the address I had shipped to was a verified one I owed them the money..... SO I got the insurance form showing the ship to address and called paypal .... I was told that unless I could give them something that they could look at on the internet that I owed them the money!! That smells distinctly of "not my problem." If you unknowingly accept stolen cash from someone in payment for a product, are you then responsible for paying back the victim if they're located (not to mention that that "victim" might be in on a scam to get that money back and keep the product)? I don't know the specifics regarding credit cards and PayPal, but maybe that's what they're banking on. ~J I'd also suggest turning it back on PayPal and request verifiable proof from them that the card used was, in fact, stolen. A police report should suffice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enchantra Posted June 13, 2005 Share Posted June 13, 2005 I'd also suggest turning it back on PayPal and request verifiable proof from them that the card used was, in fact, stolen. A police report should suffice. And that to me sounds like the best thing you could do. Ask to see the police report. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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