posted on November 8, 2000 02:07:10 PM new
Some of you may remember the thread I started about the seller who defrauded me out of $301. Paypal sent me several emails indicating that they may try and help me out. I just received their final verdict on this:
Dear Heather Crossland,
PayPal's Buyer Protection Policy protects buyers against fraud
when they use PayPal to purchase from a Verified Seller. This
policy does not apply to disputes about the attributes or quality
of goods received. Because your dispute regards the quality of
the item, we cannot reverse your transaction or issue a refund.
Although we cannot speak to the details of the this particular
transaction or comment on this specific seller, as a general
principle PayPal does not tolerate fraud or illegal activities.
Therefore, I am noting this complaint in the record of the PayPal
user you reported. If we find this user to have violated our
policies, we will restrict this user's account until complaints
against the user have been resolved satisfactorily. If we take
such an action against this user's account, we may ask you to
confirm whether or not your complaint has been resolved.
Sincerely,
PayPal Account Review Department
If there is any doubt you may have about a seller and think that because they are verified you have protection, you do not. As long as the seller sends you something, ie. a box of rocks, or an empty box, Paypal will do nothing at all to them. There user verification is a total joke, it protects no one. I regret that I ever said anything good about Paypal or that I sat here and defended Paypal Damon on these boards.
I am starting the chargeback with my bank today for the debit card portion of what I paid on this item. Paypal intends to restrict my account if I do this. Really funny actually, I am the one defrauded and I will be the one with the restricted account. Anyway, what recourse do I have when they restrict it? They are sorely mistaken if they think I am going to let this go. Heather
Paypal don't give a hoot. Two months ago someone used my hubby's credit card to open an account on PayPal. PayPal has been of no help and nasty, nasty to me about the whole thing. Problem is, I let it slide because I never figured out which card was used to open the account and now this guy is selling on eBay.
PayPal could have helped, but instead they've behaved in as smug and rude a mannar as I have ever seen in a corporate entity. I don't think I like PayPal anymore.
posted on November 8, 2000 02:47:36 PM new
It would have been different had I not had to have proved to my bank that I was defrauded in order to do the chargeback. My bank agrees that I 3was defrauded, so why does Paypal not do anything? Heather
posted on November 8, 2000 03:13:38 PM newProblem is, I let it slide because I never figured out which card was used to open the account and now this guy is selling on eBay.
posted on November 8, 2000 04:00:47 PM new
<i>
tootstreas: Paypal don't give a hoot. Two months ago someone used my hubby's credit card to open an account on PayPal. PayPal has been of no help and nasty, nasty to me about the whole thing. Problem is, I let it slide because I never figured out which card was used to open the account and now this guy is selling on eBay.
</i>
With the security measures that PayPal has inplace,
(i) How was another party able to open an account at PayPal? To open an account they would have had to use your street address; if they entered their address the mismatch with your home address would that not have immediately sent up a red flag?
(ii) If they used your street address and were able to open account at PayPal, how did they intercept the snail mail verification letter? I assume PayPal still sends them out, so was the guy parked outside your house and checking your mailbox to get his hands on the letter?
/Can't make the italics work. Oh well./
[ edited by dimview on Nov 8, 2000 04:01 PM ]
[ edited by dimview on Nov 8, 2000 04:06 PM ]
posted on November 8, 2000 04:02:49 PM new
fountainhouse, I'll try to explain.
The first time this happened was in August. There were about ten items purchased in eBay auctions at a dollar each. The items arrived at our business PO Box and I figured out what was going on when a seller sent her email address with her item. I sent the items back, contacted the sellers and the user was NARU'd. It took a lot of time to figure out, for about ten buck worth of items. Also CCNOW hit the credit card immediatly so it was easy to figure out which one was being used.
The second time, in September, again it was about ten items all for about a dollar each. I knew what was happening right away, but PayPal would not do anything because I couldn't give them a credit card number because they never charged a credit card. You set up your PayPal account using a credit card, but I guess card doesn't get charged unless the user requests it.
So, I told SafeHarbor and they said, Thanks. They did not NARU him. I told PayPal and they said, Too bad prove it. And I let the ball drop. It just got tired of writing and fighting. I didn't seem to be accomplishing anything. The scam continues and now this guy appears to be selling items.
posted on November 8, 2000 04:15:43 PM new
dimview
The guy's in Eastern Europe. The account is not verified. He gave PayPal our PO Box address and changed it by one digit. No one had to sit outside my house.
You can buy low end items using PayPal without being verified.
If you want to email me I'll give you the names and you can look at the feedback and items for yourself.
I hope I don't sound defensive. I want you to question this. I want to be as clear about what is happening as I can be, because maybe someone can help me figure out what is going on now.
Moderator: can I state the user ID of this person(s).
My email address is [email protected]
[ edited by tootstreas on Nov 8, 2000 04:20 PM ]
posted on November 8, 2000 04:28:04 PM new
<i>
tootstreas:
"The guy's in Eastern Europe. The account is not verified. He gave PayPal our PO Box address and changed it by one digit. No one had to sit outside my house.
You can buy low end items using PayPal without being verified."
</i>
I certainly would like to take a look at this, particularly since PayPal's terms of service of the day (TOSOTD) claims that international users must use a credit card that they confirm; I'm currently checking out another individual who apparently opened 15 Yahoo!Auctions/PayPal accounts within the past one to two months, defrauding numerous PayPal accountholders, so its looking more and more like there's no security measures in place at PayPal at all.
posted on November 8, 2000 07:20:44 PM new
Paypal fraud protection is like ebay safeharbor--they claim to take care of you but really do nothing.
I recently received an e-check to my paypal account. It sat there for awhile but now is "cancelled". I already sent to item out and Paypal can't (or won't) answer why the check was "cancelled".
posted on November 8, 2000 09:33:45 PM new
dimview - the other person may be an international person, but the information he supplied to PayPal would say otherwise.
American credit card, American address (PO Box). Any gibberish phone number and the real credit card holder's name, and you got yourself set up as an American PayPal user!
posted on November 9, 2000 03:39:41 AM new
Heather, sorry to hear this happened to you. Paypal is jerking me around right now too. I agree, I am not going to let this one go. I believe what they are doing is illegal. I will start with a complaint to the FCC and take them to court if necessary. I live in the same county as Paypal and for $30 I can drag their butts into court to answer for their actions.
posted on November 9, 2000 07:26:03 AM new
I know someone who opened a PP account using a relative's address and a credit card belonging to his business (in a completely different city). Later, he added a credit card with yet a third address. PP didnt even blink. Their verification is a joke. But with their users so ready to accept the cost, why should PP bother? Until their 4 million users realize what kind of a company they are dealing with and close their accounts, PP will be laughing all the way to your bank account. http://www.ygoodman.com [email protected]
