Complaint Review: E-bay Pay-pal - Nationwide

Pay-pal is the archetypical faceless service. It works well when it works, but god forbid if something goes wrong and you need to do something not on their mindless "menu".

They truly suck.

I have about 1000 e-bay transactions, mostly as a buyer, and for the most part they were actually nice experiences. But I have some that were less than happy, and a couple that were karmic nightmares. In most all the negative occurrences, Pay-Pal seems to be involved.

I'll relate one of them.

I bid on a satellite receiver. I really wanted this particular unit, which was really rare, and almost never available. I purchased it immediately (before the auction was scheduled to end, and pay-pal'ed within minutes. I really wanted this thing, and was amazed at my luck. It cost just under $1000.

I had no response from the seller. Not even an acknowledgement of payment.

I then noticed that he had placed 3 more of these for sale, and "somebody else" had seemed to have found a couple, and they were for sale for the same exact price.

More unanswered e-mails.

Contacted (e-mail drone form) both E-bay and pay-pal, alerting them that there was a potential problem, and that I believed an ongoing fraud was taking place.

I received "automated" replies, which were meaningless. I was informed that I could not even submit an e-bay complaint for 30 days, and that I should try to resolve this with my seller in a civilized fashion. Found that the address and telephone number that the seller had used were both fraudulent. Forwarded this information on to e-bay and pay-pals uncaring silicon processor, and was rewarded with the exact same form letters again.

Well, these 5 auctions were drawing to a close, and since no one was listening, I bid $10,000.00 for each receiver, and not surprisingly won all 5 auctions.

Still no word from the seller.

My 30 days elapsed, and I filed my fraud "form" with e-bay and pay-pal.

2 Days later I received a Fed-Ex package, signature required.

I opened the box, and found 4 magazines without explanation, from an address I didn't recognize.

I checked my e-mail 15 minutes later !!, and discovered a note from E-bay/ Pay-Pal, saying that the seller had supplied them with proof of delivery, and that they considered my complaint settled.

I again "contacted" them, explaining what had happened, and they responded, that they couldn't get involved with "the quality of the merchandise received", but they had now been supplied with "proof" that I had signed for, and received my item, and they still considered my complaint settled.

Ebay suspended the guy, so I couldn't even leave negative feedback, and he just started a new account under another name.

I had followed their "rules", and it had gotten me nowhere. I contacted Citibank, and told them the story, and told them to reverse the charge. They did. I was happy.

But this is not the end of the story.

Pay-pal charged my card again!!

I reversed it again, and they then hit my "Verified Bank Account".

I reversed that as well, changed my credit card number, changed my bank account number, and called the FBI and FDIC. No body seemed to care.

If you have to use this service, pay everything with your credit card, and don't get suckered into getting "verified, give us your bank account information"

Pay Pal sent me a note sometime later "hoping I was satisfied with their complaint process, and that everything had been settled to my satisfaction, .Beep Beep".

Unbelievable??

I still have not heard from the seller.

Benedict

Washington, District of Columbia
U.S.A.

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