Case #1

Money was confiscated for wrong reason.
Paypal never said sorry.

We had payment from Russia, and for whatever the reason, the buyer had to split the payment in two. Both payments had the regular "ok you can send the goods now" green mark in it, and indeed I send the goods the same day.

The next day, both payments were grabbed out of my account, because the buyer was suspected by Paypal to be involved in money laundry activities. Now that is curious, because I know him since years, it is a totally down to earth, normal engineer with a day time job, and we are on the phone sometimes. Just look at the legal aspects of this. Making accusations about ("possible") fraudulent activities, isn't that accusing people? Apart from the accusation of possible illegal activities, FOR SURE they are in conflict with local laws over here, saying you may not exchange personal information about people without permission. So paypal must be discrete to third parties about what they know about you. So even if they possibly suspect my customer of something illegal, they are not supposed to email that to me. But they did.

So what to do now... Instead of calling Paypal, I just called this person, since I know him anyway.

And now we have the truth coming! All they wanted from him, was a copy of his electricity bill, and he didn't give it, He said it was non of their darn business what is on his electricity bill. Now I work a bit longer with Paypal myself, and I know you have to give your electricity bill, and many things more. They seem to have a list, and when you haven't given them something for a while, then just out of the blue they want an item of that list. For myself, the first thing on that list was indeed also the electricty bill. Later I even had to tell the name of my father, and also of my cat. (This is not joke! I have no cat, but I just gave them some name, and it was ok)

Anyway.... I advised him to give Paypal a copy of his electricity bill, and indeed that solved the problem.

So now, he was not suspected any more of money laundry activities, and Paypal gave me back my money a week later. The only "shit" that resulted from this, when Paypal took back the money from my account, they used my credit card, and the credit card charged my bank, and my bank account became negative because of this (pirate) action. I decided NOT to waist my time with Paypal about the costs of this, but you see this created banking costs we me, just because on another part of the world, Paypal wanted to force somebody to give a copy of his electricity bill.

MY ISSUES WITH THIS ARE MANY:

1. When Paypal says: "All is ok. You can send the goods now" they EXPECTED me to do this, and so I did. Then they remove the money one day later out of my account because they discovered suddenly the buyer is a fraudulent person, possibly involved in money laundry. This is an illegal activity in many countries, and they just say so. In reality they took the opportunity of this larger payment, to put pressure on him, and the one who is going to have to do so is... ME. This issue is not, they want a copy of his electricity bill, since that is none of my business. The issue is, they put me in front of their wagon as the donkey.
2. Accusing my customer being possibly fraudulent.
3. Paypal says nothing to me what it is REALLY about.
4. Suppose my customer would have refused the copy of his electricity bill. I had already send the goods. So the payment may have gone lost.
5. Such things damage customer relations. I would not blame this person if it was the last time he bought something from me. (p.s. I revised it here with this text two years later, and yes it was the last time)
6. Paypal did not treat my customer's personal information confidential. (just inform third parties about possible illegal activities by email). Imagine they write this about YOU, to a long time material supplier of you, just because you refuse to give them a copy of your electricity bill. How would YOU feel?

Disclaimer: I am aware paypal is fully honest to me and the rest of the world. The above texts is only my personal opinion about an issue that I did not like.

Case #2

The person who send me money, had his account was blocked for wrong reasons. Paypal never said sorry.

We had a normal payment, and I had this green check box in Paypal saying "ok you can send the goods now".The next day, the payment was GONE. Paypal grabbed the money out of my account AGAIN. The green check box was gone, and a paypal email arrived, saying the buyer's account was hacked, and he may not have authorized the payment.

Too bad for PAYPAL was my initial thought. Don't they always say the payments are SAFE, and Paypal takes the risks with the credit card, as long as you ship to the official buyers's address? Doesn't that sound kind of familiar, from reading your paypal messages? Well I learned here this is definitely not so. Now they have a case here, they think my CUSTOMER'S account was hacked, and first thing Paypal does, was make it MY problem.

Look what they did:

1. They let me send the goods. The green check box appears on their website. The one you need to check.
2. Then one day later (same as previous case) they write me, they have reason to believe the buyer has not authorized the payment. But now look here.... If the buyer's account was hacked, does that mean I DID THAT? And YES that is what they accuse me from, indirectly. Read next line:
3. Paypal files a conflict between me and the buyer, and Paypal takes the money out of my account, because that's normal with a conflict. So the idea is now, I can continue with the "conflict process". Later on, we will see the account hack was a lie.

So what do I do? Again not what they expect (dispute, conflict, use their process, etc). I just took the phone and called the buyer. Ha ha, now that was a good idea! He was in the phone book. It was a totally normal man, living in Stockholm. Saying hey.. how are you doing? He was as surprised as I was, and he told me: don't worry, I just put the conflict on resolved. But what could he do.... After trying to go into his account he found it blocked! He was NOT ALLOWED TO RESOLVE IT.

THEN... it appeared had to go through and "enhanced" address verification. By itself no problem and a normal request by paypal. The conflict against me, about the "so called" hacked account vanished into the air. The dirty part here, they deleted it from the conflict center! However, since I made screenshots of the whole mess, I can prove it. This was really dirty.

So to compact the situation:

• Paypal says, the buyers account was hacked. Makes it look like I did that, by filing a dispute by the BUYER against me.
• My money is gone.
• The buyer needs to do enhanced address verification, and then..
• The conflict with me does not only get solved, the history about this gets erased. ( I have the screen shots though)

MY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS:

1) Why do they wait until I have a payment here, and then say "all is ok"? WHY?

2) Why do they file a conflict with the buyer one day later? This is misuse of my integrity and personal data. I never had a conflict with the buyer! The buyer could not even set it on resolved since his account was blocked? WHY?

3) It appeared all the buyer had to do, was go through "enhanced" address verification. By itself no problem and a normal request by paypal. The conflict against me, about the "so called" hacked account vanished into the air. I can not see it any more in the conflict center. All I have is the emails about it.

Here is a extracted translation of what paypal send me in German

"We have reason to believe that the buyer has not authorized the Payment. To make PayPal payments for all participants as safe as possible........ We ask you to provide further information until 22.12.2011. Log in your PayPal account and click on conflict resolution...We will keep your money until the investigation is closed".

Here is the original text in German

Disclaimer: I am aware paypal is fully honest to me and the rest of the world as well. The above texts is only my personal opinion about an issue that took place.

Case #3

Paypal never said sorry.

THIS IS THE CRAZIEST AND MOST DISSAPOINTING PAYPAL CASE I EVER HAD. IT ALL BEGAN WHEN I WAS ASKED BY THE BUYER TO FRAUD MY INSURANCE COMPANY, AFTER HE RECEIVED THE GOODS IN GOOD ORDER.

Now, some may even go for it. Not me. So I replied to the buyer. No, I will not fraud my insurance. I have copies of all of this, and even SEND THAT TO PAYPAL. You would think that clears the case, right? No sir! You are mistaken. Paypal IGNORED that information, I send it THREE times. Three times it was igonored.

Here is the email of the fraud proposal But it's better to read the whole text here, so you get a better picture of how PAYPAL in the end tried to make me pay.

So now what happens.... At first I say: No sorry, no insurance fraud please.

DIRECTLY after this, the buyer files a complaint at paypal that I send him broken products. Mind you, he send me emails before, the goods arrived in good order. And yes, I send that to Paypal. Guess what... Do you think they read it, or they ignore it? Do I have to tell you?

THE RESULT WAS, PAYPAL SAID THE BUYER WAS RIGHT. THEY MUST HAVE MAGIC VISION AT PAYPAL, BECAUSE THEY DID NOT ASK ME AT ALL, AND YET KNOW THE FULL TRUTH BY MAGIC VISION POWER. EVEN HARRY POTTER NEEDS A CRYSTAL BOWL, BUT PAYPAL CAN DO MAGIC WITHOUT IT.

I TRIED EVERYTHING, BUT THEY SAID I SEND BROKEN PRODUCTS, PERIOD. AND WHEN PAYPAL SAIS SO, THAT'S HOW IT IS. NOW THAT IS CURIOUS, BECAUSE I HAVE SEVERAL EMAILS OF THE BUYER SAYING TEH GOODS WER RECEIVED WELL. . THEN THE WHOLE DISPUTE MACHINE (SOFTWARE) STARTED, AND EACH TIME I ENTERED AN INFORMATION, LIKE FOR INSTANCE THE "OK" EMAIL OF THE BUYER, IT GETS MORE PERVERTED! EACH TIME I ENTER SOMETHING (IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT) THE SYSTEM DECIDES AGAINST ME WITHIN JUST SECONDS, AND WANTS TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP, UNTIL AT THE FINAL STEP MY MONEY WAS PERMANENTLY GONE.

SO NOW I TOOK A LAWYER.

HE TOLD ME IF THE BUYER DID NOT PAY, IT CAN BE BROUGHT IN COURT, AND A NORMAL JUDGE WILL NOT FOLLOW PAYPAL'S DECISION, BUT MAKE HIS OWN. SO THE LAWSUIT IS AGAINST THE BUYER, NOT AGAINST PAYPAL. TO HAVE A BEGINNING FOR THIS, HE ADVISED ME TO SEND A FORMAL OBJECTION TO PAYPAL AND TO THE BUYER, AND GIVE WHATEVER REPLY TO HIM, AND NOT ANSWER IT MYSELF.

AFTER THIS I WAS SEND A RUDE EMAIL BY THE BUYER, HE WILL NEVER PAY ME. NOW THIS WAS WHAT JUST WHAT MY LAYWER WANTED HIM TO SAY. THANK YOU, Mr. LAWRENCE:)

THE SURPRIZE CAME FROM PAYPAL. I ASKED FOR A FORMAL REPLY BY EMAIL, AND THE REASONS. THEY MUST HAVE SMELLED IT. A WOMEN FROM PAYPAL CONTACTS ME AS SWEET AS A PUSSYCAT. SHE RE-OPENS THE "PERMANENTLY CLOSED" CASE. SIX WEEKS LATER I HAVE MY MONEY BACK, BUT ONLY PARTIALLY THE SHIPMENT COST.

HEY.... LOOK INTO THE DOCUMENTS I SHOW YOU HERE. A CHILD CAN SEE I WAS FRAUDED BY THE BUYER.

Paypal never said sorry.

As we all know, Paypal is not only protecting honest buyers against fraudulent sellers. The also claim to protect honest sellers against fraudulent buyers, right? Well I thought so until now. Just look what can happen to an honest seller, who gets in contact with a fraudulent buyer!!!

The buyer, Mr. Richard M.L. from the USA bought quite fragile items from me. They were of the kind you need only one pair of. Then interestingly after half a year he reported they were so excellent he wanted to a spare set. Wow.... 600 Euro to store a spare set on the shelf, and never use it? Hard to believe. The way he wrote his emails made my stomach feel funny. He was so nice, his words so well choosen, too nice. had this strange feeling about trouble coming up. Perhaps you sometimes have this also. An alert lamp inside my head started to burn. So, I prepared from the beginning to make no mistake. I triple boxed it, with the outer box being a SIX-layered box. The box was so strong, I could stand on it! To prove this, for in case I had to, I have pictures of this!!!! So nobody can claim bad packaging. In there was the second shipment carton of a normal kind. And in there was a factory carton with the products, and in there were thick foam cushions. All of this nicely pictured before shipment and well documented. So you think I was safe? Read the rest, and be amazed!

	Right after receiving the delivery, problems began. The buyer wrote me, the box showed extreme signs of mistreatment. Never ever in his life he has seen something terrible as this. Curiously, he did NOT report this to the carrier company. So I retro-reported the damage over here in Germany, which is the wrong place on earth since the boxes are in the USA. Well they were generous to me, I have a platinum acount with them. We were advised to open the box anyway, since it was virtually impossible to damage the contents. And INDEED :) the second, internal carton came out undamaged, as reported personally by the buyer, by email. FROM NOW ON, STRANGE THINGS STARTED TO HAPPEN Screen shot of the good receival confirmation here
	So... The contents came out undamaged. BUT..... the buyer still wanted to send it back. The objection was, he didn't trust the parts to be good with the outer box damage. So he had a specialist look at it. After the testing, he confirms the parts work perfect. Screen shot of a specialist's "ok products" report here
	But... the buyer dis not give up. So the box was elephant proof, and the goods were confirmed ok. Now read this! He suggest to me, we fraud the insurance company. With the money that he puts in my pockets that way, he will make a deal with me. Unbelievable, he plain writes me that by email, leaving written pro of. Too bad for him, I refused his deal. Screen shot of this fraud proposal here I REPORTED THIS TO PAYPAL.
	So we are in a situation now, where the buyer received the items. He confirmed good function himself. He reported a positive test by a specialist. If you think the case is closed now, you are mistaken! THEN: FOR TWO WEEKS HE USES THE ITEMS. NO PROBLEMS ARISE. Then, more than two weeks later he reports the items to Paypal as non conforming products. Meaning he did not receive what he bought. A long and MOST REMARKABLE PROCESS AT PAYPAL STARTS, AND THIS IS WHAT THIS CASE IS ABOUT. Screen shot of problems reported here.
	THE PAYPAL COMPUTER CONTROLLED DISPUTE PROCESS WORKED LIKE THIS:
Step1:	First, the money is grabbed out of my acount. The useual Paypal behaviour. Of course I object, and file some of the above screen shots ar Paypal. Directly after I file the last screen shot, (same as you can see above here) I expected somebody to contact me, to give me the money back. Instead of this, the program automatically continues with Step2.
Step2:	The program writes me the buyer may send back the goods. When I receive the goods I should confirm.
Step3:	Glass items arrive here 48 hours later, totally crushed, simply in a book package. Crushed Glass pieces fell out after opening it. Mind you, I send it myself in a HUGE box of 60x40x40cm, triple boxed. I object at Paypal against this silly packaging method. I say it was deliberately send this way, to have it damaged. All Paypal did, was use my objection as receival conformation. So the logic was, when I complain about a bad package, I must have received it. NOW READ THIS. Immediately after I file this objection, with large size pictures of the excellent the way i send it, and crazy the way I received it, AGAIN THE PROGRAM TAKES THE NEXT STEP, NOT REPONDING TO MY INFORMATION. The case is now closed. They say: OK! You confirm to have received the goods, and SO the buyer gets his money back, and they say this decision is final.
Step4:	I posted this case on a forum, and also asked my lawyer. He tells me: Object by normal Email to Paypal.
Step5:	Interestingly.... Now here in Germany someone adopts the case. A woman from Paypal Germany called the center in the USA, to ask for a case re-open. Paypal re-opens the " permanently decided and closed" case.
Step6:	I have to send the items to the USA. On my own cost.
Step7:	After the goods arrive, I received my money back. However 50 Euro shipment cost are lost, and l lost are many hours of email writing to paypal. Also lost is my confidence in the sellers protection process. Disclaimer: I am aware paypal is fully honest to me and the rest of the world. The above texts is only my personal opinion about an issue that I did not like.

Disclaimer: I am aware paypal is fully honest to me and the rest of the world as well. The above texts is only my personal opinion about an issue that took place.

Case #4

My own account got blocked just to force me to send a document, while
they never asked for the document before.

	At Dec 31st 2011 my account got blocked without any warning. Wouldn't it be better to say: please sir, send us some required information within three weeks, or we have to block you account. No they didn't do that. It was simply BLOCKED just like that. I can't get have my money any more, and AFTER that, they tell me what things to do, and what to send them, in order to get my money back. Screen shot
	This is a screen shot of some of the things they may want to know. Like Paypal wants a copy of your tax declaration, or a copy of the profit calculation when you are a company. Oh, and it has to be by a certified bookkeeper. If you don't give it, they keep your money. It my case the document was a copy of my passport. Screen shot 1 Screen shot 2 SURPRIZE, SURPRIZE.... The dialog that generates the above screens has suddenly anished from my acount. So not even possible to prove in court, if you would have to. But don't worry, I made enough screenshots :)
	Jan 2nd. After solving only three of the four tasks they gave me, suddenly my acount is reactivated again. So in short: All the wanted was a copy of my passport. I immediately took out all the money. That worked. First task completed was: Change my password Second task completed was: I needed to give Paypal my cat's name. (This is not a joke!!!!!) and the name of my father. Third task completed was: Send a copy of my Passport. My issue with this: WHY NOT JUST TELL ME SO, if the need the name of my Cat? This is all no problem to give. By the way, I have no cat. Her name is imaginary, because paypal wanted to have the name of one of my pets. They accepted the name of my virtual cat. (AGAIN... THIS IS NOT A JOKE) A copy of my passport, they also wanted to have. Now any decent bank wants a copy of your passport from the beginning. It is really curious Paypal worked without it at all since 10 years, and now suddenly make an issue about "not having this". Why out of the blue, suddenly block my acount, as if I refused to cooperate with that? IF YOU KNOW THE ANSWER, YOU KNOW MORE THAN I DO.
	Jan4th SURPRIZE Today my acount is suddenly "limited" and I am not verified any more. Screen shot
	Jan4th Well this was easy to fix, by entering the control code they used to remove 1.50 Euro from my credit card. Screen shot Mind you, they do this with a 10 years old acount and a flawless record.
	Conclusion1: They DO NOT ASK in a normal fashion for what they need. The simply give you access to your money, and take it from there. Conclusion 2: Paypal just opens a conflict between seller an buyer, which conflict is not existent.

Disclaimer: I am aware paypal is fully honest to me and the rest of the world as well. The above texts is only my personal opinion about an issue that took place.