I sold an item to a buyer through eBay. I have been selling various items for the past few years. Lately I have had problems with buyers not paying after the auction ends, or paying and then wanting refunds after they have received the item. I figured eBay was just going downhill.
This time PayPal was the problem. I sold a cell phone for $90 to a buyer, and he paid. The funds cleared and were deposited into my bank account. I sent him the item, and he received it and then asked for a refund. I told him he would have to send the item back and he would get his money back minus the shipping and the eBay final value fee. He stated that he did not want to return it and wanted to keep it, but he did not think it was worth $90 and wanted a full refund. I told him no refund unless he returned it.
I never received a reply, and then the buyer issued a dispute through PayPal saying he never received the item. I went to provide proof to PayPal, and there were only two options on the dispute console:
1. Provide proof that I refunded the buyer through other means.
2. Authorize PayPal to issue a refund.
Those were the only options. I emailed PayPal and said that I wanted to counter his dispute and no longer wished to issue a refund, and I provided the tracking number as proof of delivery. They responded and said they would review my response.
Two weeks later I got an email from PayPal stating that they had granted the buyer his claim. I had just had two auctions end and had $53 in my PayPal account. This was pending being deposited into my real bank account. PayPal reversed the deposit into my bank account and sent the $53 to the buyer. Meanwhile, I had just mailed one item I had received payment for, and PayPal took my payment away. They also took away payment for another item I have not shipped yet. If I don't, the buyer will leave me bad feedback and file a dispute even though I never received his money.
PayPal has put my account under limited access and said they will not allow me to use, close, or do anything with my account until I give them $30 more to refund to my buyer. I emailed again and asked to appeal their decision, and they said I have two options: pay them the $30 to refund to the buyer, or provide proof that I refunded him through other means. They also initiated a transaction to pull $30 out of my checking account. I called the bank and told them to block it.
I went to the BBB.org and found that PayPal has had over 3,000 complaints filed against it in the last 36 months, but as a paying member, it is in good standing.
I now have no PayPal account, and I am out the item I shipped as well as the $53 I received from other buyers. I have no idea what to do. I tried to close my PayPal account to avoid them trying to charge my accounts, and they will not let me remove my credit cards or bank account or close my account, so I am stuck.
However, it appears that I can open another PayPal account, buy some expensive things, say I never got them, and get my money back. But that would be the wrong thing.
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