Worried Seller - second request from Paypal

Wanna_Bee_Free

Hi Folks,
Been selling on ebay for a while with no problems but just received a worrying
email from Paypal as follows:

Second request for Information
We recently notified you of a complaint we received from a buyer regarding merchandise that either was never received or did not match the original description.
We may temporarily hold the funds associated with this transaction while you respond with information about this case. Please review details of the transaction below.

The transaction details are genuine. I have checked and can't find the first request for information via Paypal.

This is for a bid that closed on 1st August, buyer paid within a couple of hours. I posted the item on 4th August (First class parcel and I have a certificate of posting) and the buyer has now kicked off a dispute on Paypal.

I am worried this is a scam because I don't understand why the buyer didn't just send me a message to ask when the item had been posted? Before I respond I want to understand this buyer's approach as it feels very obnoxious to me but think I must be missing something?

Also why did I get a second request but no first request from Paypal, if you see what I mean....

aeuerby

If there is a dispute open it will show up when you log into paypal. DO NOT click any of the links contained in the email.

Also you mention that you sent the item 1st class parcel and have a certificate of posting. If there is a dispute, paypal will want proof of delivery not posting. Everything you send when using paypal should be send via trackable means for your own protection.

steviebabes

I would consider sending a copy of the proof of posting via recorded delivery and enter the tracking number into paypal. A bit naughty but you should then be covered for item not received.

soolin

steviebabes wrote: »

I would consider sending a copy of the proof of posting via recorded delivery and enter the tracking number into paypal. A bit naughty but you should then be covered for item not received.

No that would be more than naughty and this really isn't the forum for such suggestions. Anyway the date will be after the date postage was claimed, so it wouldn't work.

However, despite all that I agree with aeuerby in that the first place to go is paypal, the dispute should be showing in there, regardless of whether this is first or second notification.

Wanna_Bee_Free

Thanks for your replies. Yes the dispute is showing in Paypal and I did't click on the links in the email. But I don't understand why would the buyer do this so quickly rather than just send me a message to say had I posted the item...

Are you saying that he can grab back the money via paypal and my certificate of posting isn't good enough? I thought I just had to provide proof of posting, didn't realise Paypal needed proof of delivery. So this is a scam because the buyer effectively gets the item for free by saying it never arrived. Nice .

DH asked what their feedback is so just off to check.

Wanna_Bee_Free

Ok, he has just over 60 and 100% positive. So maybe this will work out ok after all..

soolin

Wanna Bee Free, paypal require online tracking to show delivery to stop a chargeback, the details are here:

https://www.paypal.com/helpcenter/main.jsp;jsessionid=G9xT2LL9v2dWSWFbrp6Pk5YbyyDbx6yypZH2L9mPkw4Bt2nYP3Mw!-1452704562?t=solutionTab&ft=homeTab&ps=&solutionId=17464&locale=en_GB&_dyncharset=UTF-8&cmd=_help-ext&serverInstance=8003

It is very unusual for a buyer to go straight to paypal, however they can do so if they wish. All is not lost though as whilst you will have to refund them at some point, you can use your certificate of postage to reclaim that loss from the Royal mail assuming your item was below £34.

It is also quite rare for a buyer to make false claims of non receipt as they can only make 3 claims a year anyway via paypal and once paypal see a trend they might well do some digging themselves. It is also rare for a buyer to make false claims for smaller amounts below the £34 threshold, most real scammers will target naive sellers who ship phones without using special delivery.

Regardless of all that my specific advice would be to respond via the complaint system asking buyer to wait a little longer for item to arrive due to the strikes that have just finished. Paypal won't force a refund for a few days yet, so hold him off for a short while in case item is stuck in the backlog of stuff to be delivered.

Lastly, edited to add: if you are on aol then the first otification from paypal might have bene lost plus any messages from buyer as the problem with AOL and ebay/paypal messages is well known. However it is worth checking your ebay messages online in case buyer did email via the ebay system.

steviebabes

Sorry about my suggestion but all this goes to prove recorded or special delivery are a MUST for any paypal transaction over £34.

Wanna_Bee_Free

Hi Soolin, Thanks for your response, I feel much happier now. I haven't had any messages via ebay but will just proceed with the Paypal dispute as you suggest. The item was less than £34 so I can claim via Royal Mail anyway. Sounds like the buyer has just jumped to the end of the process? Odd though.

Thanks for the AOL comment, didn't realise that might have been a factor here now you mention it.

soolin

steviebabes wrote: »

Sorry about my suggestion but all this goes to prove recorded or special delivery are a MUST for any paypal transaction over £34.

I totally agree that special is a necessity for items over £34..no way would I post without it. However, recorded can't be used for items over £34 as it is standard mail and so covers only up the 100 times the cost of a first class stamp, ie £34.

Wanna_Bee_Free

Thanks, to everyone for their advice and replies.

This buyer has made me realise I need to be more careful. I've always trusted certificates of posting up to about £20 - £25, partly because it seemed daft to add so much to the postage costs on my items and partly as I hadn't read through the detail of Paypal's policies. Wish I was a detail kind of person! Now going to find the small print on ebay about timescales too so I can quote them at this unusual buyer.

Cheers all,

Wanna Bee Free