Well, 2020 continues to astound me

[Mark_C]

I'm not %^&$$%$# with you.

This happened this evening.

A few months back I ordered a hand stitched leather Halloween mask from Ebay, paid through Paypal.

It was from a Chinese company, but I took the chance anyway as the item looked incredible.

I received a cheap $5 latex mask with a broken string.

I opened a dispute and the seller never responded, so I upped it to Paypal buyer protection.

After 3-4 back and forths with images, links, letters, etc, I finally got a response today.

Seems that Paypal buyer protection has gone insane.

They told me to further my complaint I had to open a federal case through the FBI.

Yep, a bonafied FBI case probably scootched in there between ID credit card theft and pedofile rings.

They sent me this link... Internet Crime Complaint Center(IC3) | Home Page

Once the FBI accepts my case I have to forward the case information back to Paypal where they will consider a refund for the $35 mask.

You cant make this &$^% up.

 

[MadReefer]

That sucks Mark. Since I'm in that field I try to stay away from foreign companies unless I know they've been around awhile.

 

[iTzJu]

Paypal has been **** in the past few years. I try to avoid using them when i don't have to.

 

[Mark_C]

But seriously - a federal case?

I can see it now in FBI headquarters, morning brief:
'Agents, good work on that Armenian spy ring, look like the missiles are safe.
This morning we're tracking a bitcoin exchange regarding 200Ks of heroin coming out of Bogota destined for... HOLD iT!
MY GOD! Cancel that! We got a guy in Brick NJ received a $5 latex mask with a broken elastic - Agents! Roll out!'

 

[DEL]

wowwwwww...but wait...what if at some point a crime is committed and that person had the same mask !! then the only person they have on file is you !! screw that, ill take the $35 loss hahahaha. less headache in the long run. but at least now you know....spirit Halloween or party city only !! heheh

p.s.
I thought ebay is supposed to handle that ?

 

[Avrohom]

Open a dispute with the cc company that pays your PayPal. They will refund immediately - then if PayPal awards you the credit the cc will retract their credit but you are covered. Whenever using PP always pay it through a cc for this reason, PP is not awesome w this type of stuff

 

[erics210]

WOW- when I have had a few customers do wrong items or such,Paypal just takes it. seems like I instantly loose.
ONCE I won.

 

[MadReefer]

Eric, glad to inspire you. Some times its all you need. My corner was hard to maintain and was also losing interest.

 

[radiata]

I'm not %^&$$%$# with you.

This happened this evening.

A few months back I ordered a hand stitched leather Halloween mask from Ebay, paid through Paypal.

It was from a Chinese company, but I took the chance anyway as the item looked incredible.

I received a cheap $5 latex mask with a broken string.

I opened a dispute and the seller never responded, so I upped it to Paypal buyer protection.

After 3-4 back and forths with images, links, letters, etc, I finally got a response today.

Seems that Paypal buyer protection has gone insane.

They told me to further my complaint I had to open a federal case through the FBI.

Yep, a bonafied FBI case probably scootched in there between ID credit card theft and pedofile rings.

They sent me this link... Internet Crime Complaint Center(IC3) | Home Page

Once the FBI accepts my case I have to forward the case information back to Paypal where they will consider a refund for the $35 mask.

You cant make this &$^% up.

My wife had a similar problem. She bought a set of pastel pencils at a price that seemed too good to be true ($70). The set never arrived, but some Covid Masks arrived from China with the same Tracking Number that an email said was for her pencils. She complained to PayPal, and was offered $60 to settle the problem (doh?). Looks like PayPal isn't vetting their customers in any acceptable fashion. I don't know if wifey accepted the offer or not, but Caveat Emptor!.

 

[Roca]

On the plus side you come out with a pretty funny story. Though obviously a waste of time for the FBI, you gotta wonder if the agent that would read your case would get a solid laugh out of it.

 

[Mark_C]

On the plus side you come out with a pretty funny story. Though obviously a waste of time for the FBI, you gotta wonder if the agent that would read your case would get a solid laugh out of it.

My cousin is an agent and though he cant really talk about his work he has shared some stories of when he was a new agent. Apparently the FBI is required to investigate everything assigned, so the new agents get the crap work. He’s told me stories from petty neighbor complaints to a guy that claimed to be receiving russian communications through his fillings.
Obviously a report isn’t going to happen as I’d hate to be the a-h that burdens these guys with extra garbage work.

 

[Roca]

I've never thought much about how petty sounding cases get dealt with at the FBI but I suppose it is good that everything is taken with a note of seriousness just in case. It definitely sounds like a pain for the agents dealing with them though.

 

[Paulie 069]

I'm not %^&$$%$# with you.

This happened this evening.

A few months back I ordered a hand stitched leather Halloween mask from Ebay, paid through Paypal.

It was from a Chinese company, but I took the chance anyway as the item looked incredible.

I received a cheap $5 latex mask with a broken string.

I opened a dispute and the seller never responded, so I upped it to Paypal buyer protection.

After 3-4 back and forths with images, links, letters, etc, I finally got a response today.

Seems that Paypal buyer protection has gone insane.

They told me to further my complaint I had to open a federal case through the FBI.

Yep, a bonafied FBI case probably scootched in there between ID credit card theft and pedofile rings.

They sent me this link... Internet Crime Complaint Center(IC3) | Home Page

Once the FBI accepts my case I have to forward the case information back to Paypal where they will consider a refund for the $35 mask.

You cant make this &$^% up.

Gotta love loopholes and red tape