PayPal

I don’t normally use this blog for anything other than research or coding but today I’m making an exception. It’s both a complaint and a warning, and it seems I’m not the only one to have problems.

What PayPal don’t tell you is that their complaints procedure times out at 45 days. If you don’t get your complaint to them in that time their ‘resolution’ will be a short email saying ‘computer says No!’

I know this because recently I brought a product via PayPal and after some delays the product did not arrive and the company went silent. They are still trading via PayPal though. PayPal tell me that I can’t get my £100 back as my 45 days are up. Surely this is a problem as such a rigid cut off allows bad traders to keep promising while delaying knowing PayPal will do nothing after 45 days!

Once I was told (Case ID Number PP-003-321-882-359):

“It’s necessary for us to cap the timeframe for opening a buyer complaint. We’ve found that in most cases, this timeframe is sufficient for a buyer to notify PayPal that they haven’t received their item, or that there is a problem with the item that they’ve received.”

So not in my case – therefore I responded with…

“Thanks for this – but I’m still really annoyed by this fact and that the trader is still trading with PayPal. How many other people will be ripped off and you know about it. I’ve tried email, 5 phone calls and still nothing yet you still seem to be trading with them. I think this makes paypal complicit. So I’d appreciate if the 45 day rule could be relaxed this time. especially as I’ve been away on vacation for three weeks – presuming the package would have arrived in that time (to my work address collection point).”

But still nothing.

Be aware then that PayPal DO NOT Have Your Back when it comes to fraud. In fact I would suggest that if they know a trader is not trading fairly and do nothing about it then they are complicit, because by providing them with a PayPal sellers account they are enabling the fraud to occur.