If a customer initiates a chargeback and I'm found to not be liable, do they still get a refund?

[beakychew]

Customer buys item and after a couple of weeks gives positive feedback.

Track shows that the item was delivered.

A couple of weeks later I get a PP message that the buyer has initiated a chargeback and my funds are held.

I send PP the details of the tracking.

Two more weeks and I get a  message from PP:

"One of your buyers filed a chargeback with their credit card provider. After reviewing this case, we're happy to let you know that this transaction is eligible for PayPal's Seller Protection. The disputed amount is now available in your PayPal balance.

You don't need to take any further action at this time. We'll let you know if we need more information.

For more information on selling safely, please click Security near the bottom of any PayPal page.

Thanks for your patience during this process."

My question is, does this mean the buyer been refunded by PP?

The reason I ask--

usually, if one of my tracked parcels is delivered but the buyer hasn't received it, I offer a discount on a replacement.

I don't want to offer a discount if they've already received a PP refund.

TIA.

[clarry100]

I had one about 18-months ago where the amount was under $10 and the delivery had no tracking.

I called PayPal about it and they said that due to my very good account record they would close the case "NO FAULT".

They went on to explain that did not mean I had won the case, just did not lose my money.

But they did say that the buyer would still receive their refund, it just would not come from my money.

Now I know this is not exactly the same as your case since you have actually won yours.

But I suspect that the refund to the buyer comes from PayPal coffers since you had full seller protection in place.

[lyndal1838]

Or maybe the buyer did not get a refund.

If you won the initial dispute it means that the buyer lost.   The fact that he then went for a bank chargeback indicates that he did not get a refund so has tried again.

He has probably not got a refund from the chargeback if paypal has deemed you to have won.  Lucky buyer, he will have to fork over the bank fee as well.

[beakychew]

It's not clear to me that i have "won", just that I'm not going to be charged due to seller protection.
I would have thought my evidence would be enough...

For the message I quoted, it seems the case is still open???

[digital*ghost · Accepted solution]

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@beakychew wrote:

My question is, does this mean the buyer been refunded by PP?

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You'll likely never know for sure, because qualifying for seller protection means no matter what happens, you don't lose the funds (in other words, if the chargeback is successful, PayPal pay the refund, but they don't actually advise you whether or not the chargeback is successful since it's irrelevant to you when you have SP).

The matter is probably still being decided / settled, and whether or not it's successful will rely on what the chargeback was initiated for, and whether there's any evidence to counter the claim.

I definitely wouldn't be offering the buyer anything at this stage.... probably not at any stage, unless they decided to get in touch and had a darn good explanation for the chargeback.   

[beakychew]

The reason for the chargeback was Item Not Received.

[digital*ghost]

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@beakychew wrote:

The reason for the chargeback was Item Not Received.

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That does sem a little suspect, TBH. There could be any number of reasons a buyer might go straight for a CC chargeback (without contacting the seller) after not receiving the item, especially if genuinely not received, and if they are aware they would lose an eBay or PayPal claim since it's tracked as delivered, but them having left feedback casts a shadow of doubt over that reasoning. 

The bank will be making the final decision (about whether the buyer gets their money back) in this case, so it will be a matter of whether they deem the proof of post / delivery sufficient evidence that the buyer did in fact receive the order.

[imastawka]

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@beakychew wrote:

The reason for the chargeback was Item Not Received.

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And yet they left positive fb        ????

[beakychew]

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@imastawka wrote:

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@beakychew wrote:

The reason for the chargeback was Item Not Received.

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And yet they left positive fb        ????

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Yep--strange huh?

I wondered if they had just forgotten that they received it?

I also wondered whether the feedback was left in error (maybe it was for a different item???)

The feedback was: "Great item and delivered super fast!"

which is general enough to apply to many transactions.

OTOH, it's also consistent with other feedback I get, since I do post very quickly and people are usually very pleased with this item and its value for money.

[beakychew]

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@digital*ghost wrote:

The bank will be making the final decision (about whether the buyer gets their money back) in this case, so it will be a matter of whether they deem the proof of post / delivery sufficient evidence that the buyer did in fact receive the order.

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I guess the bank won't be interested in the fact that the buyer left feedback...