Paypal
Seller Loses $2,026 Computer Sale After Buyer Claim Wins Refund

On July 4th I sold a computer item on eBay for $2,026. This included many accessories as well. I videotaped the items before I shipped them off, showing that the items were in working order, including showing the computer itself turned on and operating software applications. I also took many pictures while at the FedEx store, also showing that the items were in working order. The items were shipped on July 5th with insurance.

The buyer received the items on July 9th, at which time the buyer emailed me verifying the items were received and appeared as promised, his words. On July 11th, 2 days after he received the items, he emailed me back saying that the computer was giving a blue screen error and he wanted a refund. He filed a PayPal claim and stated that the items were not as described. He stated that the items were scratched and that after 1 hour of receiving the computer it started failing, even though he did not notify me for 2 days. I asked him why he waited 2 days, and he said it was because he is computer savvy and tried tinkering with it himself (who knows if that wasn't what caused the problem in the first place).

The computer still had a warranty left on it, so I asked the buyer to contact the manufacturer to get the warranty work completed. He said that he still wanted to proceed with the claim because he did not want to wait a long time to get it back. I insisted, so he called for an RMA and returned the item, although he did not remove the claim. He filed for the RMA on July 14th. On July 21st he received the repaired computer and emailed the next day saying that he now had a working system, but at this point PayPal had already accepted the claim in his favor for a full refund. In his email to me he stated that he had already purchased a new system, so he wanted to keep the accessories and mail me back the computer only.

I called PayPal, and they told me that unfortunately they always favor the buyer for buyer protection. They never asked to see any of the email threads, even though I told them of the buyer's and my conversations. Now I am stuck with having to relist the item. I was never reimbursed for any of the shipping. I have not yet received the computer back, so who knows what this guy did to it. PayPal obviously does not protect anyone. I have read countless reports of them not helping out buyers who get ripped off, and now they are siding with a buyer who has a working product that he paid for in the condition in which he knowingly bought it.

All of the PayPal reps that I spoke with said the same thing: that as a seller you are taking a chance of the buyer sending it back, and as a seller you are responsible for making the buyer happy. "It's customer satisfaction, sir." I am sorry, but I am not a business. I am your normal next-door neighbor who sold a used item as is, mind you, with a factory warranty still remaining. Had this buyer bought the computer directly from the factory, they would not have refunded his money. They would have completed the warranty service and given him a working system. This guy got just that, but PayPal does not stand behind that. When I brought this point up, the reps could only stutter with no real rebuttal to it. I will never use PayPal again.

Are there any other sellers out there who have been ripped off? Are there any attorneys out there willing to help me out, or do I have any recourse?

Company: Paypal
Country: USA
Site: www.paypal.com

  <     >