PayPal Dispute Frustrations (1 Viewer)

Davism72

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tl;dr - Just wanted to vent. I bought into a scam. Only lost $30, so no big deal, but I expected to be better protected by PayPal.

At the beginning of lockdown, I saw an ad on Instagram for this stupid cornhole-like game, but you play with golf clubs and balls. The cost was about $30 and the ad was clearly plugging the game itself -- it showed families in the backyard playing the game, etc. First red flag was that the PayPal payment was going to some weird Chinese company -- SHENZHEN SOWEWAY INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS CO.,LIMITED -- but again, I figured PayPal would have my back if things went south.

Fast forward two months, nothing has arrived at all. I then get in the mail a single unbranded golf ball. At first, I thought that more was coming in the mail, so I wait another week or so. Then, going back to see exactly what I'd bought, I saw this description, including the weird symbols:

"��$18.9 Sale Now!!��Outdoor Golf Game - High-density foam practice sphere."

So, yeah. I bought a golf ball instead of a game. They could say that I should have read closer, and I admit that I should have, but I contend that the description above is purposefully hard to read. Oh well.

So I file a complaint and wait weeks for PayPal to get their shit together. Yesterday, I get an email that says I've been approved for a refund. Success! The catch: I need to return the golf ball (which I threw away) and I need to pay for shipping back to China. I don't have an exact cost, but this makes the whole thing pretty clearly not worth my time. Assuming $20 to get the ball home, I net a refund of less than $10, as well as months of frustration.

Here's the thing. This is explicitly and intentionally the company's plan. They absolutely know that they'll be protected from the majority of returns by this rule. They are completely unharmed by bad reviews, as their operation was short-lived. Anybody who wants to return the ball is welcome. Nearly everyone else who chooses to just eat the loss is a $30 win for them.

So, there it is. I'll keep using PayPal to do work with you all, but I'd say we're not nearly as well protected as we believe we are.

EDIT: Typo.
 
Last edited:
I bought a hose pressure washer attachment on Facebook. It arrived two months later and it was a pressure washer handle, for a pressure washer. No way to attach to a hose. Worst part - couldn't find how I paid for it. I'm out $15. I'm no longer buying anything from these ads :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:
 
My wife bought an inflatable swimming pool last week. Paid on PayPal but received no confirmation e-mail from the vendor, so she e-mailed them. Then the tracking showed up on PayPal, but when we entered the tracking number in the USPS site, it somehow showed up as delivered a week earlier than we placed the order. Not sure how that's possible for the vendor to get that elaborate with a scam, but for now, we're out about $50.

People suck.
 
How did you pay? Bank account or credit card? Personally, I put everything on a credit card , even through PayPal. Worst case you can dispute the item there or some offer return protection.
 
Bastards
I built a similar game myself:
DA0BAF1D-5B6D-4A4F-A93C-978D669FE858.png
 
Glad I'm not the only one! Just felt like a sucker. Guess it's a cheap lesson, though. If only I'd ever learned as much for as cheap at the poker table.

How did you pay? Bank account or credit card? Personally, I put everything on a credit card , even through PayPal. Worst case you can dispute the item there or some offer return protection.

Bank account. This is a solid tip, though. Might make this change.

Bastards
I built a similar game myself:
View attachment 491310
This is great! Wish I'd just paid you.
 
That is a bummer, but frankly it is also very very funny. Chalk it up to $30 up in smoke and a funny story to share. Caveat Emptor.
 
Feel bad for you but love this thread. Oh the number of things I could put in here. For now I’ll just head outside and take a picture.

We arrived in Texas with not much for the kids, so my wife bought a water table online. There weren’t a ton available (hot and Covid), so she went with a more expensive one $60-$80 I think she said. But it was a nice one, sand and water, pirate ship, etc.

I’m chuckling right now, this is what showed up from a Chinese company.

image.jpg
 
Feel bad for you but love this thread. Oh the number of things I could put in here. For now I’ll just head outside and take a picture.

We arrived in Texas with not much for the kids, so my wife bought a water table online. There weren’t a ton available (hot and Covid), so she went with a more expensive one $60-$80 I think she said. But it was a nice one, sand and water, pirate ship, etc.

I’m chuckling right now, this is what showed up from a Chinese company.

View attachment 491323
:ROFL: :ROFLMAO: :ROFL: :ROFLMAO: :ROFL: :ROFLMAO: :ROFL: :ROFLMAO:

I had to zoom in. What a deal!!!
 
PayPal and Venmo are now owned by the same company (i.e., PayPal bought Venmo). PayPal's legacy policies are severely flawed, and do little to help anyone but themselves. I try very hard to NOT use PayPal, as they only provide the illusion of protection with no actual benefit. I will use PayPal G+S for international deals, but wire transfer or even a cleared check are really the optimal way to go. Beware! PayPal + credit card charge-back = scam city....

https://www.pokerchipforum.com/threads/why-are-we-still-using-paypal.42544/#post-790959
 
tl;dr - Just wanted to vent. I bought into a scam. Only lost $30, so no big deal, but I expected to be better protected by PayPal.

At the beginning of lockdown, I saw an ad on Instagram for this stupid cornhole-like game, but you play with golf clubs and balls. The cost was about $30 and the ad was clearly plugging the game itself -- it showed families in the backyard playing the game, etc. First red flag was that the PayPal payment was going to some weird Chinese company -- SHENZHEN SOWEWAY INTERNATIONAL LOGISTICS CO.,LIMITED -- but again, I figured PayPal would have my back if things went south.

Fast forward two months, nothing has arrived at all. I then get in the mail a single unbranded golf ball. At first, I thought that more was coming in the mail, so I wait another week or so. Then, going back to see exactly what I'd bought, I saw this description, including the weird symbols:

"��$18.9 Sale Now!!��Outdoor Golf Game - High-density foam practice sphere."

So, yeah. I bought a golf ball instead of a game. They could say that I should have read closer, and I admit that I should have, but I contend that the description above is purposefully hard to read. Oh well.

So I file a complaint and wait weeks for PayPal to get their shit together. Yesterday, I get an email that says I've been approved for a refund. Success! The catch: I need to return the golf ball (which I threw away) and I need to pay for shipping back to China. I don't have an exact cost, but this makes the whole thing pretty clearly not worth my time. Assuming $20 to get the ball home, I net a refund of less than $10, as well as months of frustration.

Here's the thing. This is explicitly and intentionally the company's plan. They absolutely know that they'll be protected from the majority of returns by this rule. They are completely unharmed by bad reviews, as their operation was short-lived. Anybody who wants to return the ball is welcome. Nearly everyone else who chooses to just eat the loss is a $30 win for them.

So, there it is. I'll keep using PayPal to do work with you all, but I'd say we're not nearly as well protected as we believe we are.

EDIT: Typo.

Take a picture of a golf ball. Print it out and mail it back. Let them prove that wasn't what they sent you. It will only cost you a stamp. Nothing to lose by trying.
 
How did you pay? Bank account or credit card? Personally, I put everything on a credit card , even through PayPal. Worst case you can dispute the item there or some offer return protection.
This is what I do too unless I explicitly trust who I'm buying from.
 
You need to check out the lawn care thread. Just sayin'......
Ugh, it’s been a nightmare these past few years. I’ve got this invasive weed called black swallow wort. It’s almost impossible to pull because it’s got this crazy system of roots. So pretty much the only way to kill it is to spray it. Multiple times. Which kills the grass.
I think I’m going to have to move.
 

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