PAYPAL fraud

a.jones_3

Hi
I wonder if somebody has been in similar situation.
I adverised laptop on ebay. Somebody emails me and wants to buy it, I agree, they want to pay by PayPal. I thought that should be fine as Paypal is safe. I checked my PayPAL balance and the trasaction was completed. On the basis of that I handed out the laptop. However, the person was suspicious, in a hurry, didn't even want to check the laptop, which raised my suspicion. Went on google and read lots of stories of fraud through PayPal.
Then, in 20 minutes after I handed out the laptop, the trasaction in my paypal account is being on hold as the other party opened a case against transaction saying that their account was used without their authorisation. Now the case is open, PayPal is dealing with it, I gave them all of the details of the person. The police cannot do anything untill the paypal confirms it was a fraud.
I spoke to Consumer Direct and they are saying that paypal is responsible as well and if I don't get the money back from them I can take it to the Financial Ombudsmen. Is that correct? Also, I have to write a letter to PayPal. Can anybody help? What should I put in the letter? Any help will be appreciated!!

stebiz

a.jones wrote: »

Hi
I wonder if somebody has been in similar situation.
I adverised laptop on ebay. Somebody emails me and wants to buy it, I agree, they want to pay by PayPal. I thought that should be fine as Paypal is safe. I checked my PayPAL balance and the trasaction was completed. On the basis of that I handed out the laptop. However, the person was suspicious, in a hurry, didn't even want to check the laptop, which raised my suspicion. Went on google and read lots of stories of fraud through PayPal.
Then, in 20 minutes after I handed out the laptop, the trasaction in my paypal account is being on hold as the other party opened a case against transaction saying that their account was used without their authorisation. Now the case is open, PayPal is dealing with it, I gave them all of the details of the person. The police cannot do anything untill the paypal confirms it was a fraud.
I spoke to Consumer Direct and they are saying that paypal is responsible as well and if I don't get the money back from them I can take it to the Financial Ombudsmen. Is that correct? Also, I have to write a letter to PayPal. Can anybody help? What should I put in the letter? Any help will be appreciated!!

The moral of the story is NEVER accept paypal, if the buyer wishes to collect. I have heard many stories of people paying by paypal, and then collecting. Then they file a dispute, never received.

Good Luck

woody01

I thought that should be fine as Paypal is safe

There is the cardinal error.
If !!!!!! Turpin ran a high street bank, i would rather put my money in there that let PayPal and their stupid policies anywhere near it.

cyberbob

woody01 wrote: »

There is the cardinal error.
If !!!!!! Turpin ran a high street bank, i would rather put my money in there that let PayPal and their stupid policies anywhere near it.

What Rubbish. Obviously someone else who didn't read the terms and conditions

Paypal is safe as long as you understand the terms and conditions. Its not set up for collection items as you need proof of delivery (online) All you would need to defend a fraudelant use of a credit card claim is proof of posting. To many people just accept things and don't spend a little time checking the est way to use these systems

Sorry OP but I doubt you will get your money back. All that I can recommend is that you speak to the police

I'm afraid as you would with any system be it bank, creditcard or paypal. 10 minutes spent looking at the buyer and seller protection policies could save you a lot of heartache and money.

Sorry I can't give better news OP

woody01

cyberbob wrote: »

What Rubbish. Obviously someone else who didn't read the terms and conditions

Paypal is safe as long as you understand the terms and conditions. Its not set up for collection items as you need proof of delivery (online) All you would need to defend a fraudelant use of a credit card claim is proof of posting. To many people just accept things and don't spend a little time checking the est way to use these systems

Sorry OP but I doubt you will get your money back. All that I can recommend is that you speak to the police

I'm afraid as you would with any system be it bank, creditcard or paypal. 10 minutes spent looking at the buyer and seller protection policies could save you a lot of heartache and money.

Sorry I can't give better news OP

I have read the T&C's and in this case you are correct.

In general though you are very wrong to say PayPal is safe, and the kind of person that spouts that rubbish until the point they get stung.

soolin

I'm sorry but I will also claim that paypal is safe..but add the caveat that the user must understand how it works.

However, I wish that both ebay and paypal would make it harder for new users to just set up and start selling. The idea that everyone can do it and be safe is not true, I routinely come across listings from sellers that might as well say 'please scam me ' across them, and a quick look at some of the threads on the ebay forum today show that can equally be applied to buyers. The one that is ongoing at present is an ebay sale, stock photo, stock info and where seller has said their paypal is broken so buyers need to do an ireversable bank transfer..and people did.

Like everything in the modern world these sites re as safe as the people who use them.

Going back to the oP, that is probably the most common scam on ebay unfortunately and i suspect you have no chance at all of recovering your money. The scam is covered in the handy hints thread here:

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/1623183

m0jo

I'd summise and say paypals safe if your the buyer

If your the seller its highly risky and could potentially involve a lot of hassle.

Far to many horror stories where Paypal have favoured the buyer even when goods have been sent recorded delivery. Royal mail wont cover costs as the package has been signed has recieved.

kazwookie

OP sorry to say this but you have been scammed, you are unlikely to see either your money, or the laptop again

custardy

m0jo wrote: »

I'd summise and say paypals safe if your the buyer

If your the seller its highly risky and could potentially involve a lot of hassle.

Far to many horror stories where Paypal have favoured the buyer even when goods have been sent recorded delivery. Royal mail wont cover costs as the package has been signed has recieved.

I dont think ive seen many(any?) where the seller lost with a fully tracked delivery?

soolin

m0jo wrote: »

I'd summise and say paypals safe if your the buyer

If your the seller its highly risky and could potentially involve a lot of hassle.

Far to many horror stories where Paypal have favoured the buyer even when goods have been sent recorded delivery. Royal mail wont cover costs as the package has been signed has recieved.

Then sellers should appeal as that is not per paypal terms and conditions. There is a *but* though, if seller has sent item to an ebay address and that is different to the paypal address, or to any address that paypal has not agreed is 'OK to send to' then seller will lose, but again that is made clear in the terms and conditions.

I have not seen a case where all the terms and conditions have been adhered to and seller has still lost despite a tracked delivery online.

cabbage

I was scammed in a similar way. The buyer paid via paypal and then was anxious to get his goods. Several days after I posted the goods via recorded delivery, Paypal put the funds in dispute. In the end despite several protests, call and emails they refused to pay the funds back into my account. They said it was a fraudulent transaction.

Ebay were useless. In the end I contacted all other sellers he had bought goods from (until he made his feedback private) and found that he had scammed several other buyers. One went to the police and they investigated him for fraud. One turned up at his door with some well built "friends" and got his goods back. The worse thing was, he re sold my goods on.

I sued him in the small claims court and won but was unable to enforce the judgement. It was worth it though to know that the bailiffs turned up at his house.

The police say he was a sophisticated scammer. His contact details stored on his ebay account were for a man in Ireland with a different name and phone number so how did he do that?

They went to his house and arrested him and brought him to the Police Station and charged him with numerous counts of fraud. I'm not sure if it went to court or not but I would have gladly lost the goods again to be a fly on the wall when they arrested him and took him to the police station.

Due to this, I've stopped selling on ebay. As far as I am concerned there's nothing to stop this happening again. I'm only a casual seller but I shan't be doing it again especially as you HAVE to offer paypal as means of payment as part of the listing.