I got burned on a brush sale

[vocalistbob]

I just received a notice from PayPal that they have received a "chargeback" from a guy I sold a brush to who is claiming that the purchaser was not authorized to use the credit card the payment was made on. I have received a few of these chargebacks from scammers in my business and while PayPal gives me the opportunity to prove that the sale was made and the product was shipped, these cases are almost impossible to win because the issuing banks will always side with the card holder, which means I am out $120.

I will examine all transactions in the future and will not sell to a buyer whose name is different than the name on the credit card. Even so, the odds still favor the scammers.

So while I think 99.9% of us take pride in the fact that we transact business like gentlemen, crooks show up anyplace where money changes hands.

 

[jhh834]

Ouch. That is truly unfortunate. I hate how a few bad apples can ruin things for the rest of us. Good luck with your PayPal claim.

 

[Shave_Rat]

It is a case of card fraud, does the shipping address you used help law enforcement at all with tracking the crook down, with any hope of recovering the brush? Was the sale done here on the BST?

 

[vocalistbob]

Regardless of the documentation I can provide, the final decision is up to the bank that issued the card - and they always side with their cardholders. The transaction was done here or on a similar site; I can't remember which. And it was shipped out of the country, which doesn't help. I will not see my money or my brush again. It's gone.

 

[one cut]

I hope it was not here, I feel that there should be a certain level of trust and gentlemanly behavior at badger and blade.

 

[Gingerbread]

It's a damn shame that you can't trust people.

 

[vocalistbob]

I have sold (literally) dozens of items here and on a similar site with no problems at all. I think that you HAVE to trust people - within reason, otherwise life would be pretty gloomy. I figured the forums to be very safe places to buy and sell, and I still believe that, despite my setback. And BTW, I was wrong; it was shipped within the US.

 

[Omak]

Sorry to hear that Bob, bad news.

I too am a very trusting person.

 

[chibi]

It's sad that this happens.

 

[paco664]

well... sorry you got cheated.... that is always a fear of mine when selling on ebay....


but there is always hope the scammer is a straight shaver and he "slips"...... ya know.... hint hint wink wink...

 

[Dalejr]

I hope the scammer is happy, he obviously doesn't have a conscience...

 

[thekinge]

Bob, sorry to hear that. However, was this buyer's PayPal account shown as "Verified" by PayPal? If so, it may be easier to prove that the buyer's PayPal account and card were indeed correctly matched.

 

[gegarrenton]

That's always a real bummer to hear, doing business not in good faith is one of my biggest pet peeves.

 

[Mick]

Regardless of the documentation I can provide, the final decision is up to the bank that issued the card - and they always side with their cardholders. The transaction was done here or on a similar site; I can't remember which. And it was shipped out of the country, which doesn't help. I will not see my money or my brush again. It's gone.

If the card is on the paypal account then the owner of the account committed the credit card fraud by placing the card on their account. Paypal can cancel the offending account and they should cover your loss as it was there system that was used to commit the fraud.

If the item was shipped through the USPS then you should contact the postal inspectors office and file a charge of mail fraud

I NEVER sell or ship over seas (this includes over seas to Canada too BTW).

CONUS only.

I also would like to know which site the fraudulent buyer used and the user name of that person.

 

[PFP_Dad]

Unfortunately this happens all the time; or the buyer claims the product didn't arrive. Either way the seller ends up SOL. Sorry to hear you got the short end on this one, hopefully it doesn't discourage you from selling in the future.

 

[Clovis Man]

Where is the scammer located? One of us might be within driving distance -- shuck, we might KNOW the guy. Peer pressure can be a very strong motivator, if you see what I'm getting at.

 

[rxonmymind]

Sorry to hear that. That sucks. This is why I have tracking and proof of signature for hi value items. No if ands or buts. Once it approaches $100 an extra couple bucks is pittance.

 

[tubaguy]

If the card is on the paypal account then the owner of the account committed the credit card fraud by placing the card on their account. Paypal can cancel the offending account and they should cover your loss as it was there system that was used to commit the fraud.

If the item was shipped through the USPS then you should contact the postal inspectors office and file a charge of mail fraud

I NEVER sell or ship over seas (this includes over seas to Canada too BTW).

CONUS only.

I also would like to know which site the fraudulent buyer used and the user name of that person.

+1! Either a postal inspector, or Office of Inspector General; more likely the second one. If the OIG is involved, they WILL figure it out; I've heard stories about that! As long as you have a tracking number, it should be good.
And on PayPal should claim more responsibility...
PM me if it was something that the post office should have some to do with it.

 

[blzrfn]

I would think a call to PayPal is in order. They are supposed to be the safe way to accept payments and should be the ones taking the hit in this fraudulent situation. Of course that is just my opinion and they very well could have a disclaimer on their user agreement license that prevents them from assuming any liability.

 

[gegarrenton]

I would think a call to PayPal is in order. They are supposed to be the safe way to accept payments and should be the ones taking the hit in this fraudulent situation. Of course that is just my opinion and they very well could have a disclaimer on their user agreement license that prevents them from assuming any liability.

I will say Paypal has had great customer service when I have had to deal with them. Just takes a phone call.