I have posted before about some unfortunate scammers doing chargebacks who got away with my item AND my money due to Paypal siding with them.
Now, I sold an item to a buyer back in late March. Heard nothing for months so assumed the buyer was happy, but in late June, suddenly they lodged an "item not as described" dispute through Paypal.
SIGH. The item was lovely, perfect, brand new, and $250. The buyer claimed it was different to what they were expecting and wanted a refund. Hmmm...my detailed description and 12 photos weren't sufficiently accurate?
Anyway, so I was overseas at the time (from mid June to early August, in the UK. My store was in holiday mode). I responded to Paypal, saying that the item was as described, blah, blah.
Paypal said that they decided the buyer would receive a refund (WHY, I do not know), but only once I received my item posted back.
Ok. Sigh again. Since I was overseas, I would not know when, if, or in what condition, the item would be returned, depending how it was sent.
As it turned out, it was not delivered to my apartment building as normal (28 storeys, 120 units), but rather to the post office. When I arrived home, I had one collection card waiting for me, which was actually squashed to another item of mail, saying to collect the parcel by 26 July or it would be returned to sender. Kinda hard for me to have done that considering I was a 24 hour flight away at the time and not due home for another 2 weeks.
I had people collecting mail that was delivered to the building. Australia Post do not do mail holds for high rise buildings. There was no initial collection card from prior to that final urgent one even though the item had been sitting at the post office since early July.
Anyway. I told Paypal while I was still overseas that I was concerned that I would not receive my item back as I was away. They seemed not to grasp this concept and merely said once the item was "delivered", the $250 refund would be taken from my account. Which it was.
When I returned home and of course had not received the parcel, I looked at the tracking online and it had been returned to sender on 27 July and successfully delivered soon after. Great. So now the buyer had not only my item but my $250 too.
I thought, hmm...I insured this parcel for $250 with Aus Post when I sent it to the buyer. I spoke with them, but infuriatingly, they said that my extra cover of $250 only applied to MY parcel when initially sent to the buyer, and since the buyer did not take out any cover AND the parcel was successfully returned to them when it was unclaimed by me, that they could do no more at their end.
Um...excuse me? Am I supposed to FORCE a buyer to insure a parcel they return to me? Why is it MY responsibility and thus my DISADVANTAGE when THEY choose not to insure a $250 item? MY item in fact. Not theirs anymore.
Further, am I supposed to have a guard standing at my building's door, waiting to intercept my mail while I'm away, or a maid waiting at all times to collect my parcels or NON-EXISTENT collection cards?
Aus Post said they understand my frustration (thanks), and to contact the buyer to have them return the parcel again. Oh, fantastic. I'm sure that'll work out REALLY well. They'll either ignore me, deny ever receiving it back, or actually send it back ruined. OR they'll lodge some kind of claim with Aus Post for the parcel not being received and maybe receive the basic $50 plus cost of postage. Which they of course will keep. Plus MY item. And it IS mine as they ended up not paying a cent for it. Where is my $250?
So...back to Paypal I go. I lodge a complaint / case, advising what has happened and requesting they either reinstate my $250 since clearly the buyer has decided to keep the item, or to get the buyer to post it back to me since currently, through NO fault of my own, I have no item AND no $250.
Somehow I don't hold out much hope for a satisfactory response.
SIGH AGAIN.
