pay pal rip off

[wduk2005]

Hi recently i sold my phone on e bay not because i wanted to but because we really need the money, its a new released phone so i knew it would be woth at least �300 pound, i was getting offers from dodgy sounding people but turned them down cos i didnt want anything to go wrong, then it sold for �390 and the buyer paid immediately with paypal, because i have heard off everyone that paypal is the safest way to exchange money i was satisfied and sent the phone, then they take the money back and say it was bought with unauthorised funds. i do some checking up and find out the buyer has been bidding on at least 20 more of these phones and other people have been ripped off too. ive rung paypal in america and they say because i sent it to an unconfirmed address (even tho it was the address given to me by paypal) im not covered and i've lost out.

that might not be a lot of money to some people but its a hell of a lot to me and i have bills adding up that need paying, does anyone have any suggestions or info or anything that might help me out.

i cant believe they can take money back like that its like someone using a stolen card in a shop and the bank taking the money back cos they cant do that and they certainly cant advertise that they are the safest way to change money if anything they are the most unsafe.

thankyou in advance to anyone who can help me with this

[rogerthomas]

I wouldn't touch EBAY with a barge pole. Stories like yours just confirm my worst fears. If you are so hard up for money, why did you buy a 'phone worth �300 in the first place.

[littleoldme]

I must say that I've taken part in around 150 transactions on e-bay as both buyer and seller and the only problems I've had have been two non-payers (that's OK though, they just didn't get the items!). Paypal do cover themselves with disclaimers, most notably about the risks of delivering to unconfirmed addresses, which may not be covered by their Seller Protection Policy. They say:

"You are not required to post goods to a buyer's confirmed address to be eligible for coverage under the Seller Protection Policy.The Seller Protection Policy does, however, require that you send goods to the address listed on the Transaction Details page and this is not always a buyer's confirmed address."

It's a bit confusing, but as I understand it, for you to be covered by the SPP, the buyer has to have given Paypal a confirmed address (by proving it is his or her credit card billing address), but this may not necessarily be the same as the one on the Transactions Details page. If the buyer hasn't done this, then I'm afraid you send the items at your own risk.

Sorry I can't be of much help, but it's the buyer who has ripped you off, not Paypal. I make no comment on the ethics of their rules, but they are laid out in their Terms & Conditions.

[Ethel]

So sorry you've had such a bad experience - and sadly there is nothing you can do except report it to the police. He has committed a criminal offence.

And yes - shops are liable for losses incurred by this type of fraud.

It might be an idea for you to post your problem on the eBay Question and Answer board. People there can give excellent advice.
I do know of cases like yours where everyone who has been a victim of the same person have joined together to put all the evidence to the police.

For future reference, even if this person had paid by cheque which appeared to have cleared, the funds can be withdrawn up to six months later if the cheque is fraudulent in any way.
The only guaranteed safe way to accept payment is by direct bank transfer into your bank account or cash.

[wduk2005]

the phone was free on contract which i need for work.

i aint that stupid................ well maby i am for using paypal that wont be happening again believe me

[LeMarchand]

Apparently the phone scam is a great favourite on eBay at the moment...

[Neeru247]

Hello, I think the main issue here is the unconfirmed address...I think Paypal have some rules about this. As you are not getting far with Paypal, maybe you should try the Financial Ombudsmen for guidance. It's a free service so give it a go. You may also want to visit http://www.paypalsucks.com/ which may be able to guide you. That's all I can suggest at the mo...sorry!

Neeru

[spurslady]

HI how horrible that you have had to suffer in this way. It makes my problem with a buyer over �3.24 seem like a drop of water in the ocean. I'm new to eBay and you expect everyone to be as honest as you are yourself. I even contacted a seller the other day to ask if they wanted more postage as it cost them more to send the item to me then what i paid. He said yes which is understandable. It seems these people were willing to pay over the odds for your phone because they knew they were never going to actually shell out for it.

Evil is all I can say but its made more aware of the risks I'm just sorry you had to go through it.