PayPal Dispute Advice

[fdgowin]

While I might get the opportunity to post here (or trade here) as often as i like, I have read enough here over the last few years to know there are a lot of knowledgeable people on this site. I'd like to ask for your advice on the best way to handle an issue I've encountered.

As everyone probably knows, Yahoo! Auctions is now defunct. A seller I had dealt with before, mentioned he needed some money for medical bills. He had scans of cards, and reasonable prices. I ended up winning 5 auctions totaling $91.
Here's the list of cards -
MICKEY MANTLE RED HEART 1953-54 AUTO $1.50
1984 TOPPS DAN MARINO RC ROOKIE NRMINT OR BETTER $23.00
1984 TOPPS JOHN ELWAY RC ROOKIE NRMINT OR BETTER $20.00
JOE MONTANA RC TOPPS #216 $30.00 (7 AVAILABLE, ALL NEAR MINT OR BETTER)
MICHAEL JORDAN RC ROOKIE FLEER NR MT $10.00
subtotal $84.50
S&H $6.50
TOTAL $91.00

I paid via PayPal. In the meantime, before the cards have arrived, I start reading recent feedback.

Yahoo! Auctions User Rating (emily_rose_refractor)

It appears he is substituting bad cards for the ones people bought. I filed a claim with PayPal, because the cards haven't arrived yet. He did not send with delivery confirmation, nor did he offer it in any of our correspondence.

In his words, he is claiming, "you didn't pay for tracking and as long as i have a reciept from post office i am legally covered through paypal and any other enforcement."

I have never dealt with this type of situation before. Oh sure, I've been ripped off a couple of times, but never encountered someone as pompous as this.

Has anyone else been through the PayPal dispute system? How were you treated? Are they fair? (Has anyone else dealt with that individual?)

I can tell you this, if the package does arrive, I will record the opening of it so I can document the contents.

Thanks in advance for your advice.

fdgowin

[Jeb2000]

Sorry to hear about you situation.
I've had several disputes opened in paypal, in all of them I was the buyer and the seller didn't send me the cards I was due to recieve.
In all of them I won, because none of the sellers sent with a tracking #, but I was never issued a refund since the seller didn't have funds in their account...

Luckily for me, in both cases it was for a really low amount of $$, so I did it only for the principal action of it to expose the bad sellers as they were.

It takes a while for paypal to settle a dispute, but if they'll find you're right, and the seller has $$ in his account, you'll get them.

I really hope everything will work out for you and that the seller will come through.

Jeb

[Grid]

As long as he had money in that account when you filed that dispute, those funds will be frozen in that account.

Regardless of what he says he's legally covered by, he agreed to pay pals rules and while some of those rules truly suck, he's not covered by the receipt. If he cant provide a delivery confirmation number or some sort of other method that can be used to track the package online, he's already lost the dispute.

[fdgowin]

Thanks guys. I can't imagine sending cards out without delivery confirmation, if for no other reason than my own piece of mind.

[Grid]

Im the same way. US only and EVERYTHING just about gets DC.

[rmcards4u]

If he didn't use delivery confirmation, you will win, and I think PayPal buyer protection covers the funds even if he doesn't have the funds. They took money from me once, even when I used delivery confirmation, because the Post office didn't deliver, so if it is for a decent amount, don't just use DC, USE INSURANCE, which I know many don't use. The post office is not perfect.

[fdgowin]

UPDATE - I received an e-mail from another buyer on Yahoo, asking if I'd received my items. He said that he hadn't received his either. I went out to the seller's feedback, and it looks like he started dumping torn-up cards as Yahoo Auctions ended.

Yahoo! Auctions User Rating (emily_rose_refractor)

I'm posting this as a warning in case anyone runs into this guy, but will not post his real name & address.

I also found an incident on ebay where he was buying cards, claiming he didn't get them and got caught selling them on NAXCOM. I mentioned that, and he said he didn't use either website. But when I posted his private feedback, he suddenly became "not a registered user" on ebay.

I updated the dispute to a claim on July 10. Within 1/2 hour, I received a profanity filled, threatening, bad rating from Yahoo! Auctions. I received a couple more threatening e-mails since then. According to Paypal "The seller's deadline for responding to this claim is Jul. 20, 2007. If the seller does not respond by the deadline, the claim will be decided in your favor." Which he didn't. So I guess, per their rules, I win.

Not a lot of fun, but I guess the good guys do win in the end, even on the internet.

I will let you know if I recover anything.

thanks for listening -

fdgowin

[fdgowin]

RESOLUTION - I received this from Paypal late last night:

We have concluded our investigation into your case and have decided in your
favor.

We were able to recover $91.00 USD and this amount has been credited to
you. Please allow five business days for this adjustment to be posted.

The money is already in my account.

Glad that's over.

fdgowin

[Grid]

Gotta love people that get pissed when they try to rip you off and you get your money back.