Buyer doesn't pay then sends fake echeque but eBay closes case!

[kustomizer99]

Has this happened to anyone else?

A buyer didn't pay for an item and made no response, so after 10 days I opened an unpaid item dispute.

The buyer then issued a PayPal eCheque and eBay recorded the payment as received, even though it would take several days for the funds to clear.

I've been informed by PayPal today that this eCheque has failed and they have cancelled the transaction. There is however no record in PayPal of the dispute ever even occurring, as if they've just erased it.

But even worse is that Ebay still consider the 'payment' to have been made, and I cannot reopen an unpaid item dispute. When I try to do so, I simply get told that the case is closed and I can't proceed any further in contacting anyeone at Ebay about it.

What the heck do I do next? Is anyone else tired of these time-wasting, inept loopholes for scammers?!?!

[phorum_junkie*]

I would call ebay, keep to the facts, in chronological order, and I am sure they will sort it out. I have never had any problems with ebay phone support and have found them very willing to help which they always have.

[janeababe]

Just curious....
when the buyer paid by e-cheque, did it show up in your ebay account as an hourglass? or did it show up as the $ sign?

An e-cheque should show up as an hourglass until the funds have been cleared. It will still say that payment has been made, but it wont actually turn to the $ until the payment is through.

I would ring the Buyer, Ebay AND Paypal. 🙂

You can get the buyers phone number by using the SITE MAP at the very  bottom of ebay page, then CONNECT - then FIND CONTACT INFORMATION. 
On this page you will need the transaction number and the buyers ebay ID. You will get an email with their registered phone number. They will also get an email with yours. No Biggie there.
🙂

Good luck.....   🙂

[kustomizer99]

Thanks everyone! janeababe, the 'payment' just showed up in eBay as soon as the false 'payment' was made, no hourglass. I also received an email from eBay stating that the payment had been made, so the case was closed. You'd think they'd have a clue, I thought they OWNED PayPal!

No response from the buyer, as predicted.

I'll give PP and EB a call as long as it's toll free.... will go check....

[janeababe]

hmmmm.....  im running out of ideas!  LOL

I cant fathem this one. I dont know how one would make a *fake* paypal payment UNLESS the buyers account was *hijacked*? .. and now paypal has frozen the account?

other than that... I am eagerly waiting to hear what Ebay and Paypal have to say about all this....

Should be interesting,. none the less.

Good Luck ..... again 🙂

[kustomizer99]

Hi again 🙂

I don't think it's technically a fake payment when originally issued, but I do believe the buyer had no intention of really paying, and therefore made sure no funds were available when the eCheque was due to clear.

🙂

[***super_nova***]

Thanks everyone! janeababe, the 'payment' just showed up in eBay as soon as the false 'payment' was made, no hourglass. I also received an email from eBay stating that the payment had been made, so the case was closed.

In that case it was not an echeque, it was a payment from their CC = instant.  That is why it showed as paid in eBay.  However the CC refused to pay; must have been maxed out. 

[patchoo78]

Usually when using a credit card if it's maxed out the payment won't go through at all. That's what happens when I try and pay with my Debit Card and have no money in my account. 

[auction.assist]

dont expect to get anywhere over the phone either its deiverted to an American Call Centre and they are all trained monkeys speaking from a Script, they cannot answer anything thats out of the ordinary.

[kustomizer99]

I thought their call centre was in the Philipines? A lot of English-speaking Phillipinos have American-sounding accents, as they learned English from Sesame Street - -seriously I was told this by someone from there.

Telstra's 'help' desk is also in the Phillipines... or it was last time I had to call them.

[kustomizer99]

'In that case it was not an echeque, it was a payment from their CC = instant.'

All I know is I received an email from PayPal stating that 'You've received an eCheque payment from xxxxx'. And they were still calling it an eCheque when it failed to clear several days later.

I don't know why eBay considered it to be a firm payment, as the dispute process is through PayPal anyway -- and PayPal knew there was a problem! Typical ineptitude and lack of communication we see more and more of these days.