Paypal Chargeback AFTER already giving a refund

Kevvers_2

I recently sold an item on ebay, and was paid through paypal. But I was very suspicious of the buyer and decided to refund his payment as the item wasn't covered by paypal seller protection if anything went wrong. Low and behold, 6 days after sending the refund, I get a chargeback for his original payment for aparent un-authorised use of his card.

I have given the id of the refund to paypal, and also written a note of what happened, and uploaded 2 emails he has sent me, admitting to receiving the refund and one of admitting he used HIS credit card to send me money.

But I can see what is going to happen. He removed 'his' credit card from paypal after sending me money, so my refund didn't go back to the card, it just went to his paypal. Which he then removed. So even if paypal win the case, the credit card used for payment still want the £700!!! spent on it. Which wont be in the buyers account, so will have to come from me... or am I wrong?

I have phoned paypal, and so far they seem to say nothing will be taken from my account as I have given a refund. Also my paypal account isn't frozen or limited, and there is currently nothing in activity to show paypal are trying to recover £700 from my paypal or my bank to cover this. Or wouldn't that show anyway? I have tried to remove my bank details from paypal, but get the message, unable to do it as a transaction is in progress... (worrying)

So with the evidence I have given, I think I have a pretty good chance of winning, but if paypal can't recover the money from the buyer, who is responsible for it? Is my only hope, that the buyers credit card decline the chargeback with paypal's evidence and the case is dropped?

Saying all this, if the buyer used a stolen card, and the real owner saw this purchase and obviously told his credit card company it was un-authorised, he will surely get his money back. If not from the buyer then from me?? £700 of MY money, that has nothing to do with paypal or this transaction. Why would I be held responsible for some poor sap and a dodgy scammer committing fraud? All I did was receive the payment and refund it. I have nothing to do with this, why does paypal involve me? Surely it should be between the credit card compnay, the buyer and paypal.

Any advice or experience with this?

TIA

soolin

If you refunded the original payment than there is nothing left to chargeback, so don't worry.

Kevvers_2

soolin wrote: »

If you refunded the original payment than there is nothing left to chargeback, so don't worry.

That's what I thought. But how has he managed to file the chargeback in the first place? Surely his credit card would have noticed that the payment was refunded and declined it. Which is why I'm thinking the refund only made it as far as his paypal account, and he's taken it out of there on another card. So his original payment card hasn't received the money back. =\

MsCrow

Kevvers wrote: »

I have phoned paypal, and so far they seem to say nothing will be taken from my account as I have given a refund. Also my paypal account isn't frozen or limited, and there is currently nothing in activity to show paypal are trying to recover £700 from my paypal or my bank to cover this.

How did you receive notice of the chargeback? I'm just a bit suspicious that you have logged in and there is no evidence of a dispute or that your account is frozen. I wonder if this was a spoof email by a spammer or the buyer? Did you click any links or login to your paypal account separately? Soolin's right, if you refunded you have nothing to worry about but if you did receive an email, check the headers to see whether it really did come from paypal.

Kevvers_2

MsCrow wrote: »

How did you receive notice of the chargeback? I'm just a bit suspicious that you have logged in and there is no evidence of a dispute or that your account is frozen. I wonder if this was a spoof email by a spammer or the buyer? Did you click any links or login to your paypal account separately? Soolin's right, if you refunded you have nothing to worry about but if you did receive an email, check the headers to see whether it really did come from paypal.

Yes, I have logged into paypal directly and seen the case, and also phoned paypal 3 times to discuss it. It's definitely genuine... unfortunately. It has always showed the dispute in my paypal, it's the buyer who says it doesn't show in his, because he is lying basically. It even says dispute started by **** and then the buyers name.

MsCrow

What a bummer, I just wanted to check as I was confused that your account hadn't been frozen. Good luck in a successful outcome.

soolin

You did definitely refund the original payment didn't you?

Kevvers_2

MsCrow wrote: »

What a bummer, I just wanted to check as I was confused that your account hadn't been frozen. Good luck in a successful outcome.

Well with my phone call to paypal, I asked if paypal where attempting to get the funds from my papyal or bank to cover the chargeback, and from what I could understand, they said they weren't as it has already been refunded. Also, they said my account wasn't frozen or limited again as it had been refunded already. So I'm not really sure why the case is still ongoing... saying that it was only started on Friday.

Also, I recently discovered that the chargeback was for the first of two payments he sent me. The first payment was put on hold and then refused by paypal and returned to him (so I never actually received it) the second payment was accepted but I refunded him, as now I didn't trust him. So which ever payment attempt the chargeback is for, I either never received the payment, or I refunded it.

Confusing and annoying don't even start to explain this -.-

Kevvers_2

soolin wrote: »

You did definitely refund the original payment didn't you?

Yes. Clicked refund payment on his transaction

soolin

Kevvers wrote: »

Yes. Clicked refund payment on his transaction

Good, in that case it sounds like you have had a narrow escape from a person who is possibly buying beyond his means.

Kevvers_2

Just got this email from Paypal

'The buyer asked his or her credit card company to reverse the charges for
the payment sent to you on 22 Jul 2009.

We're disputing with the card company. We'll let you know if we need any
additional information from you.

Yours sincerely,

PayPal'

The dispute has been removed from my paypal account.

Now someone told me it costs paypal around $100 to dispute a chargeback, and so they only really dispute it if they think there is a good chance of winning. So I think I'm half way there Or am I reading it wrong?