order was subject of fraud how can I get money back

[lorrainchilvers-auge_0]

recently made my 1st ever EBay purchase,

paid with PayPal, took 3 days for payment to clear

never got item, or any info from seller,

have looked on site and it tells me seller is no longer on Ebay

and my payment was the subject of fraud.

How can I contact anyone to see what is happening

all emails sent to Ebay just bounce back, as the seller

no longer exists

first time using the site will probebly be the last

[lyndal1838]

As you paid with paypal it is the simplest thing in the world to get your money back.

Log into your paypal account and find the transaction.  Then go to the Resolution Centre and open a dispute for Item Not Received.  Escalate the dispute to a claim as soon as the system will allow you to....it should be immediate in this case.

If you mention in the dispute that the seller is no longer registered on ebay it may expedite the return of your funds.

As for the payment taking 3 days to clear.....that is quite normal if you funded the payment with your bank account.  The payment is normally istant if you fund the payment with a credit or debit card.

When a seller is deregisterd you normally get an email from ebay advising you of the fact and telling you how to get your refund....there is no need to contact anyone.

I would suggest that you read the Site Map and Policies to learn how ebay works and how to trade safely.

[*tippy*toes*]

I know that your first transaction going bad has left a bad taste in your mouth, but don't let it turn you off. 98% of eBay sellers are honest and trustworthy. The good thing about eBay is, buyers can do no wrong, so it doesn't matter what happens, you will always get a refund.

I commend you for coming on here and asking. Most newbies wouldn't think to do so and would assume they have lost their money. Scam sellers rely on new sellers because most don't know they can get refunded., so the scammer keeps the ill gotten gains.

Do as Lyndal said and you'll have no problems getting a refund. If you have any issues, please come back and ask for more help. There are plenty here who are more than happy to help you out.

Was the item you bought a normally high priced item at bargain basement prices? Beware of those items. Like with anything these days, if it looks too good to be true, then it usually is. You're not going to get a genuine $500 item for $20 and free postage. If you are ever unsure if an item or seller is legit, come here and ask. There are plenty of members who can pick a fake listing or scam seller a mile off.

[springyzone]

What a shame.

Do exactly what Lyndall & Tippy toes suggest, because if you follow their advice and put in a paypal dispute, you will get all your money back.

That is the beauty of paying with paypal, it gives you some protection & that is so whether you're buying on ebay or any other site, so remember that.

I've been on ebay for about 15 years now as both buyer & seller & yes, there are some scammers out there. I occasionally lost money in the early days before paypal.

But these days things are much better on the whole.

Always triple read the ad, see where it is from (I personally prefer to buy from aussie sellers when I can but have had good experiences with small items from China and elsewhere too) & check the feedback.

Avoid or be very wary with some categories of items such as phones, electricals, IT etc & as one of the others said, if the price seems amazingly low eg a brand new thermomix for $500 that uses only the trade pictures, avoid it like the plague.Scam.

In fact if i were you, I would continue to use ebay, but for a few months, limit your buying to small items till you get a feel for how it works and a feel for what could be a dodgy ad.

But always use paypal, no matter what a seller may ask or suggest.

[heihachi_73]

The first item I ever bought on eBay vanished into thin air between the seller's post office and mine, it was a $10 Game Boy game.