06-16-2009, 01:32 AM
Maybe it's just me, but I've noticed that paypal tends to favor the buyer in a questionable situation. I've heard horror stories of buyers claiming something was misreperesented and "returning" the item to the seller which caused paypal to issue a full refund. The seller signed for a weighted-down box in the mail (pieces of wood), and paypal refused to be involved beyond that point. The item was shipped out of the country, so the seller didn't pursue beyond that, and just absorbed the loss.The "trick" that bad sellers use is a list of excuses which cause the deal to go beyond 45 days (I thought it was 30 days, but I haven't looked in awhile?). THey apologize, talk about their kids having cancer, the whole thing. When you see that trend starting, contact them, tell them you're sorry for their situation and let them know you're going to go for a full refund for now, and that you'll rebuy the item when they're ready to actually ship. If they claim to have shipped without getting the tracking, contact Paypal and they'll give you the refund. Then, when/if the item arrives, resend your payment. I've done that and was told that by pulling the funds, it put them in a bad position, etc. etc. They said they'd spent the money on medicine and that their bank balance was thrown into the negative. I felt like a total jerk, and kept second-guessing my decision but when the item still failed to arrive, I considered it proof that they were BS'ing me and I'd done the right thing. Don't get me wrong.. sometimes "stuff happens" and it's honestly not their fault that they're late, but it's not your fault either.Don't wait until the last minute either.. my mom was given a fake tracking number near the end of the deadline and when she tracked it, it kept saying it was in the system, but not picked-up yet. She waited too long and finally got screwed. She could have pursued it, but I guess she felt stupid or something and didn't go for it.. she even left the guy good feedback on accident, and he returned the favor.