Paypal won't give me my money back!

janeymet

On the 30th of July 2010 I sent a payment of £50 via PayPal to an Email address that I believed to be my husbands. After further examination I realised that I had sent the payment to the wrong email address. 5 minutes after I had realised my mistake I then proceded to call one of Paypals many helplines. I spoke to a woman who told me that the payment would be stopped and my money reimbursed within 30 days of the claim date (30/7/10). On the 16th of august I then recieved a email form paypal saying that my transaction had been completed and my payment accepted.
I then rang another of Paypals helplines and spoke to yet another woman who told me that there was no record of my previous conversation/phone call, that the claim date was now the 16th August and that the first woman I spoke to had lied to me. She then proceeded to say that there is no way to have my money reimbursed and that as it was my fault there was no way to get my money back. She then put the phone down on me mid-sentence.
Straight away I called again where I spoke to a man. He told me that as the transaction had been completed it was no longer Paypals problem.
I need this £50 and cannot afford to just write it off when I have been mislead by Paypal. How can I get this money back?
Thanks.
Janey

cyberbob

I'm afraid I doubt you will. Its the same as transferring money from your bank account you are responsible for insuring the numbers are correct in the same way you are responsible for insuring you send it to the correct email.

The only thing I can suggest is emailing the wrong address (the address you sent the money to) and asking the person who's address it is.

It's just a shame Paypal CS are up to their usual standards and don't know their arse from their elblow.

1984ReturnsForReal_2

Depends on the email address as to where you go from here..........

What is the @(name).co.uk bit?

Baz_2

How did you pay? Existing balance, debit card or credit card?

If the later, put in a chargeback.

Paypal are the scum of the earth in my opinion, I only use them as a very very last resort. Thieves and con artists.

Have you tried contacting the email address you paid to and appealing to their good nature?

janeymet

Hi. Thanks for replying. I have sent an email to the guy and am waiting for a reply. However he appears to use multiple domain names. Fortunately with both of us being on aol.com I will know when he reads the email (if he does).
I paid using my existing Paypal balance.
Janey

DaveAshton

Baz wrote: »

If the later, put in a chargeback

If it was a gift, you can't open a chargeback on Paypal.

If you tell your bank to stop it, there's a good chance Paypal will close your account for it, they don;t like you going over their heads.

OP, there's not much you can do, it's hardly Paypal's fault you didn't double-check the address / name on this bit (just sent a sample quid to the missus):


Review your payment and send

Please check the following information before continuing.
Description Amount
House hold expense paid to £1.00 GBP EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED


Your fee: £0.00 GBP
Your total charge: £1.00 GBP

NAME REMOVED, BUT CLEARLY STATED HERE will receive: £1.00 GBP

janeymet

Hi Dave.
I have noticed I can request money through Paypal. I am presuming it would need the person to confirm it first? The transaction date that I printed off shows the 30th July but completed today. Paypal took their 50p fee (why am I not surprised at that) so I presume Paypal have just bummed me off now.
Thanks
Janey

Baz_2

DaveAshton wrote: »

If you tell your bank to stop it, there's a good chance Paypal will close your account for it, they don;t like you going over their heads.

Which is probably the best thing they could ever do.

Does it not sound like the person had to open an account with paypal to accept the payment? Hence the delay between sending and the email saying accepted. Is that not what happens when you send to an email address that does not already have an account?

If that's the case he would have got an email saying funds are waiting but to sign up to accept them.

Its theft, plain and simple, if you receive money that is not yours and spend it you are legally a thief.

If you don't get anywhere with the polite email I would follow up saying that you are taking it further, police, small claims court etc etc etc. I would also threaten paypal with the small claims court too.

bubblegum26

DaveAshton wrote: »

If it was a gift, you can't open a chargeback on Paypal.

I had some money sent to me on Friday as a gift and at the bottom was a warning to say this money could be subject to a chargeback, so maybe you can.

DaveAshton

Baz wrote: »

I would also threaten paypal with the small claims court too.

It's not Paypal's fault, it's the sender's. Paypal even say "Please check the following information before continuing", they can't do much more.

bubblegum26 wrote: »

I had some money sent to me on Friday as a gift and at the bottom was a warning to say this money could be subject to a chargeback, so maybe you can.

That's for bank chargebacks (or reversals, as they call it), not Paypal chargebacks. Yes, it's through Paypal, but it's not Paypal authorising the reversal, it's your bank.

Basically, the sender of the funds says "I didn't buy that" to their bank, and the bank claws it back for you, but Paypal don't like you doing it and can close your account for it.

janeymet wrote:

I have noticed I can request money through Paypal. I am presuming it would need the person to confirm it first? -snip- Paypal took their 50p fee

That could be a good idea, the worse that can happen is they ignore it.

Why did Paypal take 50p though, the receiving party pays the fees, not the sender? That's confusing me a bit.

tryingtogetsolvent

while I agree Paypal isn't at fault the recipient is guilty of theft. It's the same as if the bank put money in your account in error and you go out and spend it. You are guilty of theft.