Require a refund through Paypal but bank won't help.

Mickey_Nine

Hi,

I'm not sure if this is the correct place to put this abut it seems appropriate.

Basically, last August I bought something for £200 from a private seller from a forum and paid with Paypal. I had no reason to question the legitimacy of the seller as I knew other people that have had numerous dealings with him with no issues.

A week or so after the payment and he tells me it's been shipped. I ask for a tracking number and he says he'll go and find it. Numerous requests for a tracking number go ignored. I figure maybe he lied and didn't send it with a track able service (it's coming from the US) so I wait a few weeks for it to turn up, taking into account waiting time at customs as I know they are terrible. So a couple of months pass and nothing. No response to pm's, e-mails getting sent back. Phone contact ignored. (I have his address, phone numbers e.t.c.)

I give up and speak to Paypal and of course it is past their 45 day policy and don't want to help and suggest I speak to my bank to make a dispute. I supply all the evidence and they then get back to me and say they can't help as it is past their 120 day time limit.

So what are my options now? If it was a UK based seller, I obviously have small claims court but is there any similar thing I can use that is international? Speak to his local police? Would they be at all concerned about such a minor amount of fraud in the grand scheme of things?

Also, I considered taking Paypal to small claims court as they enabled the fraud and their pitiful 45 day window is ridiculous. It can't be that hard to just refund me and put his balance into -£200 can it?

I actually have people that live very close to him that could go and pay him a visit but I don't want to do anything that might compromise any official action I take.

Fire_Fox

Fraud? IMO be careful bandying about such words, that implies a deliberate attempt to take your money without supplying any goods (intent to deceive). Could have got lost in the post: the seller thinks you did receive it and are trying to scam them, very bad business practice but not necessarily fraud.

Even more disturbing that you intimate willingness to engage in intimidation or threats.

bris

Always raise a claim with paypal before the 45 days are up. It's plenty of time even coming from America. Learn from it and move on, the moneys gone.

Mickey_Nine

Well, as it stands that is what it is as far as I'm concerned. I have given him multiple opportunities to refund me and he hasn't.

If it got lost in the post, he could prove it as he supposedly has the tracking number. If he cannot provide a tracking number, in my eyes it was never sent. Completely ignoring all my contact asking him what's going on does not seem like the response of someone that is completely above board. If you gave someone money and then they disappeared I'm sure you would jump to fraud too.

And please don't mistake my last paragraph as a threat. I am running out of options right now, so sending someone to ask for the money on my behalf or for some proof of a tracking number doesn't seem unreasonable.

Yeah, I messed up the Paypal claim time period. I got the payment date mixed up with the supposed dispatch date in the head.

wealdroam

Is the seller a business?

Can The Better Business Bureau help?

Mickey_Nine

Unfortunately not.

agrinnall

I can't imagine there is any legitimate action you could take now that would cost you less than what you might recover. You mention a bank not helping in the title but then don't say anything about that in your posts - however, having used PayPal I can't see any reason why you might consider your bank should help anyway. I'd put it down to experience and maybe give them a stinking write up on the forum where you found them.

Mickey_Nine

I mentioned it was past the 120 days for the dispute for my bank in my post. As it was funded from a debit card, there was some protection but I missed my window. Yeah, it's looking like it's pretty much gone

pmduk

Im afraid you've learned the hard way not to buy from private sellers on forums. Even if they're in the UK.

custardy

small claims

Slowhand

custardy wrote: »

small claims

Really? How does that work when the item was purchased from the US?