INR PayPal Dispute - Possible Scam

[s1roberw]

Last October I sold an item with eBay and following day I sent the item using AusPost with tracking and signature, the item sold for $1200. The shipping address was a post office box within Sydney, item shipped and collected within 2 days.

In late December the buyer puts an INR in to PayPal and PayPal puts my account in to a negative balance for the $1200 plus the shipping. Since then I have contacted AusPost support to confirm the item was collected and signed for, I then advise the buyer he picked up the item and signed for it in October and ask him to reverse his dispute. He claims he bought several of these items and one has gone missing. Not at any time in the 60+ day period after auction did the buyer try to contact me about not receiving his purchase.

After requesting he reverse his dispute and get no response I escalate this to PayPal, after a week of no information they find in favor of the buyer. Their reasoning is that the tracking is not valid, apparently after 35 days AusPost archives their tracking details such that if you query the tracking number their website says the tracking number is invalid. So I contest this with PayPal and provide them with an email from AusPost with the buyers signature with the date and time he collected with this tracking number and PayPal then says that is insufficient as I could have edited the email.

Has anyone else experienced the same thing? If so were you able to get PayPal to see the error in their process?

[digital*ghost]

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@s1roberw wrote:

Saying that this experience tells me its best to use a courier of some sort for high value items and not to except PO Boxes or Lockers, take a photo of the parcel with the reciept before handing over to be shipped.

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You can get long-term proof of post from AP, as tracking is ultimately irrelevant if you have documentation that shows the address the item was sent to, and a lodgement receipt, which should be provided on any item lodged over the counter.

If using AP, the best thing to do is create a postage label online, because then you can download a copy of the PDF that is generated and this will prove the address it was sent to, get the lodgement receipt as well and you will be able to fulfil the eligibility requirements for proof of post / seller protection for any amount of time. Taking the photos is still a good idea, though. 

[shoppingbag*]

Please keep us informed of your progress and the outcome, this type of thing affects us all. It certainly does sound like a scam.

[justkidzbiz]

I had a Paypal chargeback filed against me 2 months after the buyer received the item and left glowing feedback.

Contact Australia Post via Messenger, they generally get back to you within 24 hours. Advise them of the situation and request a copy of the Signature on Delivery and confirmation of the postal address.  This is what I did, I then sent the images to Paypal. I had to ring them to get the email address to send them the images as there was no option in the dispute to attach the images.

Seller Protection saved me and the funds were made available to me again, however the bank refused to accept any documention, both from what I sent to Paypal AND the email from the buyer confirming she received the item. So banks don't seem to care that these things can be proved.

[lyndal1838]

That is a perfect reason for contacting the Banking Ombudsman.   The bank is supposed to give cosideration to all proof offered by parties to a chargeback.

[s1roberw]

So far I have not had a response from PayPal on this, I lodge an appear with AFCA and they have contacted PayPal. I have also considered seeing if I can lodge a fruad case with the NSW Police, not sure how that will go..

I am truely hoping this will be resolved in the next week or so..

[mark.wooba]

The ultimate fix for this is for AUSPOST to get their act together and provide at least 6 months access to tracking history. For heaven's sake, tracking history has financial consequences!