Paypal disputes

[Sinistral]

I just got my very first Paypal dispute made against me.

It was for an ATI Radeon 9800XT graphics card, it sold about 2 weeks ago for £55 odd quid. By the time P&P to Italy was added n it worked out about £70. (damn heavy this card)

He started a dispute saying it doesn't work and wants his money back. I know perfectly well the card worked fine because I had been using it right up to selling it.

I sent this reply:

"This card worked correctly for two years without error. Either this user does not have the necessary technical experience in order to get this card up and running or it has become damaged as a result of incorrect installation by this user.

I will however be willing to offer this user a full refund on the condition that this card is first returned to me in EXACTLY the same condition it was sent in. I will then test the card myself and if I find it to be working I will issue a refund.

I would like to remind MR Vita Catucci that I do NOT represent a computer company; I did not offer a guarantee for this item in my auction description. But the card was sent FULLY WORKING. If I examine the card and find it has been altered, or the user has damaged this card as a result of over clocking or volt-modding. Either by physical means or by altering the bios I cannot accept responsibility for this damage. Equally I will not be responsible for the costs of retuning the item to Mr Vita Catucci if I find the goods are in working order.

Mr Vita Catucci recently e-mailed me seeking technical assistance for the card and I quote: "the card seems to work good (only two times the pc was frozen) but if i want to play (fear, metal gear, doom3 or everything else..) the result is black screen and system blocked." Mr Vita Catucci is inconstant in his correspondence, first stating the card is working good, then saying it does not run particular games. I have told Mr Vita Catucci that if the card was not working as he described it would not be selective in the program used, it just would not work period. I have a great experience of these cards. Either they work or they do not."

What do I do in this case? I sent a card fully working. He probably damaged it. Will Paypal take his side?

I also noticed they have "frozen" the funds for this transaction and CHARGED me for holding it!" Will this charge be returned if Paypal decides in my favour?

[transbot]

I think you just have to sit tight, and come across as reasonable and co-operative as possible. If you have a good feedback reputation, flaunt that - particularly if the other guy doesn't.
I don't know how the verdict is reached (independent adjudicator? tombola?), but prepare yourself for them always settling in favour of the 'plaintiff'.

That's if it isn't just left to you two to work it out among yourselves, however long that may take.

[onyx]

I should imagine PayPal will favour in your direction, though in future selling items of this kind you should always state in the sellers instructions that it is a sold as seen item blah blah

Selling second user computer bits is always dodgy as you dont know whos buying them, it could be some idiot trying to put DDR memory into a vintage motherboard for his granny ect, to me if you have a bundle of parts then its best selling them together or selling them at buy it now prices and clearly stating that if they they dont know what it is or what to do with it then dont buy it.

Saying that just sell stuff like that as a UK only item, that way you can sort it with out fcking about for weeks

On the other hand the buyer was from Italy, dont get me wrong im sure not all italians are w_ankers but 85% of Italians i have dealt with on ebay have been total C U N T S!

Blah Blah i reckon you will get to keep the money, in about four weeks! but you never know, ive been shafted by paypal a few times

[chaoticjelly]

Upshot - paypal will tell Italian buyer to return via trackable, he returns, they give him full refund inc postage. Worst case - sends back an empty box, royally shafted. Most likely case - sends back a card he's shafted up, your left with a card, that just doesnt work.

Can appeal if its not as you sent it - paypal will ask for an engineers report type thing. I got one for an Amiga once from the owner of my local Cash Generator - it was on letterheaded paper, and I had to fax it in. I think before that they wanted some kind of "law enforcement report" - I told them the police in England will laugh you right out of the station...

Damn corporate yanks!

Also no offence I know there is a couple of members from this country, but I had the most problems with French bidders, most seem to live in the middle ages and want to send things like payment in groats, magic beans, cordiale postale or something, type terrible english and tend to tell you that the item has not been received (which may be the case due to the terrible state of la poste!)

Conversely, buyers from the scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland) and places like Iceland, all write absolutely FANTASTIC english, and usually pay almost instantly, they are absolutely lovely.

[kungfukid]

Absolutely disgraceful - paypal are indeed w*nkers, a few weeks ago they took duplicate charges out of my bank coz of some technical issue, and result was they took over £100 too much. That caused me to go into unauthorized overdraft and incur bank charges. They told me, yeah, no problem it was our fault and we'll refund the charges to you ASAP. I faxed them all my details, and bank letters etc to show it was their charge that caused the situation, and a month and a half, a letter and 6 phone calls (all 45 mins plus) later I'm STILL waiting for my money. I'm at the stage I'm gonna write another letter only this time charge them lawyer style for my trouble (I now pretty much guarantee I'm gonna get £200 plus in compensation for it, watch this space....

[Kiff]

Did you mean to type INCONSISTANT in his correspondence?

Sorry, I try to make light of a bad situation. ;D

[anagrama]

Agreed about having more problems than usual with French buyers/sellers - all 3 of the packages I've lost in the last year or so were coming from France. And there's another one I'm getting slightly worried about now (if you're reading this Kenneth, I'd appreciate a response to the question I sent through eBay).

[Sinistral]

kiff said:

Did you mean to type INCONSISTANT in his correspondence?

Sorry, I try to make light of a bad situation. ;D

FECK