Does Paypal/Ebay ALWAYS side with buyers?

[ragsnrobots]

Recently I had a buyer message me that he had received his package but that I had forgotten to put the actual item in there. Of course I smelled a scam immediately, because it's something that I only ever took out of the original box to photograph, and I always weigh the entire thing on a digital scale before I print the shipping label. I asked the buyer if the box might have been opened and stolen during transit, but he adamantly claimed it was well sealed the way I described it being, and I had taped it up so well it would have been apparent if it had been opened. Looking at the buyer's history, he's run this same scam on 5 out of 9 his last transactions.

He first wanted to be refunded without going through Ebay or Paypal's resolution center (not, or course, for me to just ship the item I "left out.") I told me that if he could sent me a picture of the shipping label showing that it was 9 oz (the weight of the item) lighter than it should be, I would immediately refund him...but of course he couldn't because I have a receipt, a screenshot of the browser history where I paid the full amount for the weight of the item, and even another picture of the same item in another color, which, with packaging, weighs exactly the same.

I spent half of this nice long weekend outlining my full case in a document to paypal, including pictures and the messages back and forth to the buyer in which he blatantly lies multiple times. He even lied about things that were clearly visible in his own pictures.

Naively, I thought I actually had a case, but in less than 2 hours, Paypal had ruled against me. I appealed to no avail.

I almost feel all the effort I put into making my case wasn't worth it, especially on one of the few days I have off from my full time job, but I don't feel right just rolling over and giving into scammers. I have read on these forums that Ebay and Paypal will pretty much ALWAYS side with buyers. I guess this is true? And what do you seasoned sellers do to protect yourselves from these situations besides buying shipping insurance, which I don't think would have covered me in this case anyway? Sorry for this long story, and I wish it had a different ending.

[komokwa]

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@cowa-bunga wrote:

komokwa....i am not a new seller.  i've been buying and selling on ebay since the beginning.  i have also sold an old ibook on here with no issues.  in fact, i have never had any issues buying or selling until this last time.

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OK, C-B , I mis-spoke..

You're not a NEW seller , you're just a very intermittant small time seller, who has not kept up with the goings on here on eBay .

Just because you once sold a piddy pad with no problems , has no bearing on the trouble you've just encountered.

It does though seem that from the info above you may be able to claw your way out of this with a whole skin.

@ Cowa....not C-B.....Cowa.....If you check C-B's 1st feedback you'll see he's been here since at least X-mas 99 , just as my 1st is X-mas 00.......the registered date to the left here.....has no basis in fact that I can tell !!

Just as my post count should be over 10,000.

Lithium screwed up the numbers...& they weren't good even before that.

OH....& BTW.......

Hey Cowa , how's it shakin buddy !!  

Long time no see........hope yer well !!!!

[komokwa]

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@annieland wrote:

I think it's when you registered with the "community."  Even when a particular ID registered.  I don't think we should go by these dates at all when we "profile" posters.  Heck, sometimes you can't even trust the eBay registration dates when they are as old as mine.  Mine says '97 and I've actually been here since '95.  Lotsa system changes since then, of course. 

I'm still getting used to this new board format, it's kinda weird.

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 I don't think we should go by these dates at all when we "profile" posters.

I DID'NT........

He may have been here from the start but with 90 feedback, & no DSR's ...he looks to a scammer like a new seller......or at least a very ....very.... once in a long while seller !

add that to smart phone & NO RETURNS..........

& what do you get ?????????

[rayartone]

They ruled in the buyers favor twice in my cases, they went into my bank account and took the money back, with out speaking to me. I lost my appeal, so I called and explained and they re opened the case and I won, but if they were to have investigated properly I should never have loss. This new return policy is a nightmare for sellers.

[rjd4465]

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@SoSoragsnrobots wrote:

Just an update on this saga...after a month Paypal decided the case in my favor! I had opened an appeal after the first dispute and it was closed with no comment and my money not refunded so I assumed I lost again, but today I noticed the money was credited back to my account. 

I am so thrilled...I spent a very long time putting together documentation that I felt proved the buyer was not being truthful and I had been pretty upset thinking I lost after all that. 

Finally, a victory for the seller!

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So glad to read you won! It gives me hope. I was just scammed by buyer and ebay sided with them. I'm so **bleep**. I've been fuming for hours.

[cowhillrustics]

Hi, They sell a book on Amazon on how to rip off Ebay sellers. I've had the same problem with Ebay, several times.

[mrromy]

This is still so true !!! It sucks even me with a valid case, eBay still sides the buyer(scammer from Sri Lanka) SMH!!! Instead of making alittle bit of profit I lost approx $98 for the entire transaction since I never got my items back and basically ate the shipping as well... OMG!!!!

[lordraiden72]

I've sold a few items on Ebay. I have a 100% approval rating, but, honestly, just the feeling of possibly gettin scammed was enough to make me say "forget this". Now when I want to sell small items I use Craigslist and meet people in public during the day. Cash only. But I did get an offer to review an Amazon item recently. They sent me the money to buy the item. I hadn't bought it yet when they opened a complaint. I'll just deposit the money then trash all their items with one star ratings on Amazon, and since i didn't actually lose any money, who cares.

[stardom]

We hear you loud and clear. Ebay could care less about its sellers.

[theguitarpartsguy]

I actually won a return claim against me this week. It IS possible, but it doesn't happen very often.

[randysbasement]

We as SELLERS need to be HEARD by EBAY & PAYPAL. NO SELLERS, NO MONEY for them. I am currently going through a CLAIM. The buyer NEVER went to his local P.O. to pick his item up. I spent 10.65 to ship it, now it is being returned, buyer wants his $40.00 back, and I am out the shipping. IF I EVER GET MY PRODUCT back. On m,y case. I have 3 pages of dccumemtation from USPS,  with 14 entries that 100% proves the BUYER did not do his part, BUT  I will lose the case. It is PAST TIME the BUYERS need LEGAL recourse.EBAY, & PAYPAL need to learn RIGHT is RIGHT, FAIR is FAIR, and SOME BUYERS ARE CROOKS.

[hidy-hoo]

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@randysbasement wrote:

We as SELLERS need to be HEARD by EBAY & PAYPAL. NO SELLERS, NO MONEY for them. I am currently going through a CLAIM. The buyer NEVER went to his local P.O. to pick his item up. I spent 10.65 to ship it, now it is being returned, buyer wants his $40.00 back, and I am out the shipping. IF I EVER GET MY PRODUCT back. On m,y case. I have 3 pages of dccumemtation from USPS,  with 14 entries that 100% proves the BUYER did not do his part, BUT  I will lose the case. It is PAST TIME the BUYERS need LEGAL recourse.EBAY, & PAYPAL need to learn RIGHT is RIGHT, FAIR is FAIR, and SOME BUYERS ARE CROOKS.

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 Hello, @randysbasement ~ take a breath...Do you have USPS documentation showing that the buyer didn't pick up the widget?  If yes, then wait for the item to come back to you which can take up to a month...you will have to ask CS for an extension...show them the tracking showing that the buyer didn't pick up.  Once you have the item, you can refund minus your shipping costs and the FVFs and will win the claim.  Next time yhou have a problem please start a new thread so your problem can be addressed quickly...come back if you have more questions.  

[iguanasell]

Right on!

[handell]

You basically have to videotape showing your product intact, functional, packing everything correctly and putting their label on it, riding to thge post office, dropping it off all on live video brodacast in orderPayPal,to prove yourself. but even then, the customer can say they just arent happy and you get screwed.  Same goes for PayPal, Same goes for USPS insurance. Complete **bleep**. Ebay is no longer a place where you can make your own policies, you can write anything in the description but Ebay will still override you.  On top of refunding a buyer, they leave it up to you to obtain your seller fees back from them and Payapl. They do not do it automatically, they give you 48 hrs and then they take it from you. So you get scammed by the buyer, Ebay and  then PayPal. Everyone has there hands in the cookie jar. Now you can try n fight all this and sometimes get your way however it will cost you hours and hours of phone conversations with ebay and paypal. They will attempt to frustrate you until you give up. Weeks will pass and you will get sick and tried of talking to a call center in India to Phileppe reading his script for his job. the script will be all policy and they poliytley tell you how you are going to have to get screwed in the end.  The goal is to kepe them on the line for as many hors as you can until they realize Philepe is taking that scam profit and maybe , just maybe they will tell you it will be fixed. But then 50% of teh time they just lie to get you off the phone. Ebay & payPal are big corporate crooks!

[misfitfun]

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[loveyourimagination49]

Yet it’s been up since 2013. 🙄