Paypal Seller Protection and a wrongly verified address

Marksfish

Sorry, this is a long one

In October I sold an item on eBay to a business. In the Paypal send to address, the buyer had changed their address from the correct postal address of Junction Business Park to Eco Business Park, which Paypal had verified. I was sending the parcel with enhanced insurance due to the value, with Parcel Force. Parcel Force would not accept the Eco address online as it is user defined and not a recognised postal address. If I am honest, I didn't notice the one word difference in the address when I completed the pre- filled with post code details, online Parcel Force form (I have tried to change it since in a dummy order), but the Eco address location is exactly the same as the Junction address location. Package was signed for (with gps co- ordinates) and I had a happy and confirmed buyer.

Last month I got a notification that the buyer had opened a "unrecognised transaction" with their credit card. Paypal could see the tracking info and seller protection was in place and I was told not to worry. This week, Paypal have told me my seller protection is not valid because of the one word difference in the address, debited the funds from my account and added a "admin" fee. I have since managed to get the buyer's email address, emailed them and was told that they recognised the amount on their statement, but not the seller name, so queried it with their bank. They have since verified that the amount was for the item they purchased from me and last month notified their bank that the dispute was no longer required. I have tried contacting PP, but they will not accept a complaint over the phone and will only speak to me about clearing the outstanding amount. Trying to send a email to the complaints-response@ address given to me, results in a email saying that emails are not received at that address. The online form (when you can find it) only allows limited characters and attachments that are images. No confirmation has been received by me of the complaint being received by them, which I believe is against Financial Ombudsman guidelines. Parcel Force and other mail companies have stated that while a person or company can call their address what they like, it doesn't mean it is valid and they will always fall back to the official address. None of the other mail companies list the Eco address at the postcode given. Checking on companies house website, shows the company registered address as Junction. Their website shows their address as Junction. Google shows their address as Junction. Parcel Force have also said that a parcel would have been accepted at the Post Office with an incorrect address, but if a claim was needed, it would not be honoured due to it being a unofficial, company provided address.

I am a bit between a rock and a hard place at the moment. I am loathe to pay the money to Paypal considering the dispute has been closed with the buyer's bank and presumably funds sent by their bank back to Paypal, but how would I know and how could I prove it? and considering Paypal verified an unrecognised address which has one word difference, which they are using to not enforce seller protection. I am receiving no response from them about my complaint. The Ombudsman says Paypal have agreed to their code of practice and to be arbitrated by them, even though a non UK company. So must I still wait 8 weeks from complaint inception if nothing is being acknowledged? Perhaps going straight to the ombudsman would be considered acceptable for such a customer unfriendly organisation? I have already had a veiled threat of a 3rd party collection agency if I do not pay off the balance, but if i pay it off, am I agreeing that I owe it in the first place?

Just looking for some options please? I thought i had complied with everything to keep myself safe, but it seems Paypal are a bit more wriggly than a worm.

Thanks

Mark

born_again

A dispute can not be closed by a bank once it has started. Only PayPal can reject it. As they they already debited you then they are not going to reject the dispute with the buyers bank.
You could explain the the buyer that they need to pay you again as paypal are not disputing the charge.
In future it would be wise to make any buyer just how they will be billed, if you are using a different description.

Marksfish

born_again said:

In future it would be wise to make any buyer just how they will be billed, if you are using a different description.

I don't know what appears on a buyer's statement as I have obviously never purchased from myself. I have several email accounts allocated to my PP account and the buyer used one of my non default addresses to make payment. I would have thought there would have been some sort of a reference to that on their statement?

born_again

On a bank statement it will show as 
Payment via DD > Paypal Payment
Payment via Debit/Credit card > Paypal(username)
So depending on waht Paypal acc you are using to take the funds will make a difference. So if you list on ebay under one name, but bill via a different paypal username. You are going to hit problems when people forget they bought something and it does not tally with them.
Same if you use a different email. It will show as that username.
Best to stick to one PP account if you are selling as a business.

powerful_Rogue

Send a letter to the buyer saying something along the lines of

"On xx date you filed a report with Paypal sttaing you did not recognise the transaction. Due to this, Paypal have refunded you the funds for the item you purchased and received on date xx.

As you confimed in your email dated xxx, you are now aware that this was not an unauthorised transaction and was indeed purchased by yourself.

I kindly request that you make payment for the item to xxxxxx within the next 7 days"

I would go in softly like that at first. If no payment received within 7 days, send a follow up letter adding something like:

Further to my letter sent on the xxxx. I still have not receive payment for xxxx which you receive on xxx date. I require payment for the item within the next 7 days otherwise I will have no option other then to file a claim in the Small Claims Court.

soolin

born_again said:

On a bank statement it will show as 
Payment via DD > Paypal Payment
Payment via Debit/Credit card > Paypal(username)
So depending on waht Paypal acc you are using to take the funds will make a difference. So if you list on ebay under one name, but bill via a different paypal username. You are going to hit problems when people forget they bought something and it does not tally with them.
Same if you use a different email. It will show as that username.
Best to stick to one PP account if you are selling as a business.

This is not workable at all though in real life. You are only allowed one of each type of PayPal account, so I have a standard one and a micro one, but I sell across at least 3 accounts routinely, as well as on other platforms where my user name is different again . 

As a buyer I routinely buy from say ABC resources but note the PayPal is say J Smith boxes. Ufortunately if that confuses some buyers then I can see no way of making things so very simple that even someone unused to how payments work can be reassured. It isn’t only PayPal that this affects either, buy somehting from a high street shop and many of them show up on your credit card bill as something entirely different, perhaps the parent trading company. 

Marksfish

Thanks for all the replies so far. No notifications, so a bit late back to the party
I have thought about this overnight. I'm not so sure Barclays (Barclaycard?) won't refund the money to Paypal once they are notified of the correction. It took a while for the grey matter to kick in but I recall disputing a payment with my card provider a couple of years ago. the card company refunded me the money, with the proviso that if the transaction was correct, the funds would be debited from me again. Once the the matter was resolved to my satisfaction, the amount was again taken from my account and re- paid to the provider. I have no reason to believe this isn't going to/ hasn't already happened. 
Paypal have now come back to me this morning and said they have disputed the claim on my behalf, but it can take up to 75 days 

Marksfish

Just to finish this off. Paypal have been un co-operative in every way imaginable. They do not respond to messages, they will not acknowledge a complaint and would not talk to me on the phone except to arrange payment of the amount. "Silent" calls from them every day for a week (well, "this is Paypal, we have no operators available"). They finally told me the bank had found in the buyers' favour and basically, tough luck, there is no appeal. Paypal as a electronic money provider only has 15 days to respond suitably to address a complaint, not the 8 weeks as a "normal" financial institution has. I shall be taking it up with them as they have not followed any of the rules that are laid down by the Financial Ombudsman for complaints.
As an aside. I wrote a letter to the MD of the company involved as the buyer explaining what had happened, and how the person I was dealing with had gone quiet on me. I have received full payment in my bank account today, so a result from that point of view.
I am hoping that a complaint to the FO will help to bring Paypal to heel (not looking for financial recompense as there is now none to seek). They have agreed to follow the FO code of practice and are not doing so.