[Oracle]

I just came across this thread from a different forum... This is serious stuff...

The following email was received from PayPal half-an-hour ago. (February 24 2010 at 2:49 AM)
It relates to the fraudulent act committed by the buyer of a watch I offered for sale and who attempted to reverse his credit card charge immediately after I emailed him to say that I had posted the watch.

PayPal initially denied his attempted reversal.
Several month's passed and then his credit card company advised PayPal that they had received a claim from the card-holder and wanted information on the transaction to back up the information I had originally given PayPal.
This information, which included photographs of the watch prior to its despatch and a description of its condition, was provided a couple of weeks ago to PayPal.

Tonight I get their response; they really pulled out all stops to defend me! Yeah, sure they did!
Read on ....................

================================================== ===========
Hello Bruce Kennewell,

We recently notified you that the buyer asked his or her credit card
company to reverse the charges for a payment you received. The buyer
indicated that the merchandise had one of the following problems:
- It was damaged or defective- It was not as described, or- Services were
not rendered
We carefully reviewed the information you sent to us and determined that we
wont be able to dispute the reversed payment successfully.

Since the credit card company reversed the payment, we have debited $118.00
USD from your PayPal account in order to reimburse the buyer. This is in
accordance with the terms of the PayPal User Agreement.

The credit card company charged a settlement fee, and as a result, we
debited your PayPal account to cover this fee. This is in accordance with
the terms of the PayPal User Agreement.
================================================== ===========


Then followed some information relating to the original claim by Mr. Robert Reinach and this final statement by PayPal:-
================================================== ===========

-----------------------------------
What to Do Next
-----------------------------------

This case is now closed. You dont need to take any additional steps.
================================================== ===========


After reading that, and after counting to 100 and calming down, my response to PayPal was as follows........................



And just how much effort did you put in to standing up for MY rights? How "carefully" you must have reviewed the information that I provided........what did it take, all of three seconds? Did you even LOOK at the photographs of the watch, or read the information I gave about its condition? Did you understand that the reversal was attempted BEFORE he even took delivery of the watch, so how could he have possibly said it wasn't as described or that it was defective?

Paypal, this a pathetic response from you and simply adds reinforcement to the overwhelming opinion across dedicated collector's forums that PayPal/eBay is heavily biased to the purchaser and will invariably side with a claimant, as it is the easy way out.
That this is so is supported by the fact that you have simply plucked US$118.00 from my account and I am advised after the act and have no redress whatsoever.

You people, and the pond-scum who stole my watch AND my money, are beneath contempt.

Sincerely,

Be warned, people.
PayPal and eBay ARE NOT neutral and will take the easy road, and that will just about guarantee that the buyer will always be right.

And sellers outside the USA, beware of Mr. Reinach, of Bremerton, Washington state, as this little play in three acts has shown him to definitely be a scammer of the first order. (I'm sure he wouldn't try this on with anyone IN the North American continent!)

Bruce