Seller refused PAYPAL, sent cheque but item not sent

Dumbledore55

I've been using E-Bay for some time and apart from one purchase have been very lucky with all my dealings.

However back in April I bought a job lot of clothes form a seller with 100% feedback (32). She advertised that she accepted PAYPAL but when I paid by credit card she refused the payment and sent an e-mail requesting a cheque.

I sent the cheque, it was cashed but no clothes arrived, all e-mails were ignored so I've opened a dispute.

What really annoys me though is because she refused my PAYPAL payment I can't do a chargeback and even if I win the dispute I won't get the postage fees back (which were quite high) and I'll lose £15 in admin fees!!

Is there any other solution or have I been well and truly stung?

soolin

You may well have been stung. I am often criticised for pushing paypal too much and no doubt this will seem like another go at that. However, for me the combination of someone who accepts paypal but then refuses payment for any reason and insists on the buyer using a less secure payment method screams scam.

Scammers know that buyers will often use paypal backed by a credit card for protection, so they reel you in by offering that, but then have all sorts of reasons and apologoes why they can't take it and get a cheque or bank transfer instead.

Admittedly clothes don't seem an obvious scam, I would be more worried if it was electrical goods or mobile phones so this may just be a seller who completely misunderstands how it all works and has got themselves in a mess.

As for what you do, as the cheque has been through clearing it cannot be recalled unless there is an error on it. That leaves your only option as an ebay claim, which as you rightly point out will cost £15 and does not get the p and p element back either.

Soo

Dumbledore55

I've reported her as a non-performing seller not only for not sending the item but for advertising that they accept PAYPAL when they don't!

Also tried her mobile after getting her contact details from the site - went straight to voicemail - I've left a very curt message.

carrie483

And you have her address, try contacting her local police department and see if they can help you. They take all this very seriously now.

Dumbledore55

The address she gave me was for a male rather than her, perhaps her boyfriend, he lives in Dagenham. But when I got her contact details from E-Bay it stated she lived in Barking.

Anyway, I've found her address on https://www.b4usearch.com and I've e-mailed her telling her that if I don't get a refund by Friday 18th may I will report both people and both addresses to the police for deception. I've then told her what names and addresses I've got - hopefully that might stir some action!! The mobile number still just goes to voicemail.

I just can't let it go, hate to be scammed and I'm like a dog with a bone if someone crosses me!

Dumbledore55

Update - spookily enough after my e-mail, the parcel (rather than the refund) has arrived. She says she went away for 3 and a half weeks and asked her partner to post her parcels. She has offered a £10 refund for the inconvenience. I have accepted the offer but doubt I'll see it - at least the clothes turned up but over a month late and too late for the holiday I wanted them for last week!!

I had already left negative feedback but I won't retract it unless I get the refund - hope I don't get negative in return, I've been very reasonable in the circumstances.

Hintza

You have got the parcel have been offered a refund and quite rightly have not yet withdrwan your feedback. But she could be genuine mistakes do happen (yesterday I posted a cheaper item to someone in error..have now posted correct item) but the mail I got suggested I was trying to diddle them).

So I would just take it easy and be poilte and friendly and hopefully the refund will arrive in due course.

Dumbledore55

I am being polite and friendly to her and only mentioned fraud in a previous e-mail after all attempts to contact her failed.....and I do know genuine mistakes happen I once posted the wrong parcel too but then when to every possible effort to rectify the problem to the customer's satisfaction

However, the mobile phone registered doesn't work, she said she took PAYPAL and then refused it, I had to post the cheque to a different name and address, my e-mails never got answered and the parcel arrived a month late!! I also stated in my e-mail that I would now prefer a refund but instead of contacting me to check or just sending the refund (which I would have done if it was a genuine mistake) she just posted the parcel out - and to add insult to injury, the clothes smell of smoke! The worst service I have ever had but as I said, I don't really expect the £10 to arrive.

My reason for posting an update was so others might benefit from my experience and use it if they too have a problem.