Paypal makes buyer destory "fake" item to get refund

GBurger717 · January 19, 2012 8:59AM

This is a bit off topic but its close enough. There was a post the other day about paypal telling a buyer to destory a "fake" item in order to get there money back... Well here is a story close enough....

I am sorry I dont know how to insert a link so you might have to copy and paste

http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-01-04/strategy/30587786_1_paypal-counterfeit-goods-antique-violin

coinkid855 · January 19, 2012 9:02AM

Absolutely ridiculous!! Shame on Paypal! They owe the seller $2500.

-Paul

derryb · January 19, 2012 9:03AM

Same story, here's your link

LanceNewmanOCC · January 19, 2012 9:29AM

.
i would agree that counterfeit items need destroyed but not like this

if a buyer is lying, if the seller has a chance to take the item back to the person they bought it from, and i'm sure some of us put 30 minutes into could come up with dozens of legitimate

reasons this is unacceptable
.

Cameonut · January 19, 2012 9:33AM

How did Paypal (and Ebay for that matter) escape the recently released "top ten hated companies" list?

Seems like both are top 5 candidates.

LanceNewmanOCC · January 19, 2012 9:47AM

<< How did Paypal (and Ebay for that matter) escape the recently released "top ten hated companies" list?

Seems like both are top 5 candidates. >>

um they are pretty much the largest employer on the planet, millions upon millions (tens of millions?) of people can work from home (world wide) whereas they may have been unemployed

and homeless otherwise

also experts and people with considerable disposable income can go there and pick up phenomenal items sometimes for pennies on the dollar from uneducated sellers from their iphones!

seems like people should support eBay and what they offer in these times. i wonder how many people with severe physical disabilities sell/buy on ebay contributing to our economy and tax

base as oppose to being a drain on their friends, family and our country. and they are probably happy to contribute because of what eBay offers. remember they only offer opportunity.

there are always going to people that disagree with certain business practices of every single business entity on the planet without exception and saying that the 2 companies you

mentioned are candidates for a hated companies list is unacceptable
.

messydesk · January 19, 2012 10:03AM

I wonder if a picture of a pile of ash would have been acceptable to PayPal.

savoyspecial · January 19, 2012 10:55AM

>> i wonder how many people with severe physical disabilities sell/buy on ebay contributing to our economy and tax base.....>>

interesting thought but if they have physical disabilities then they are probably drawing something known, oddly enough, as a disability check......if this is the case they probably dont report 'supplemental income' from Ebay (or anywhere else).....this is contrary to your theory that it helps expand the tax base

OPA · January 19, 2012 11:08AM

<< How did Paypal (and Ebay for that matter) escape the recently released "top ten hated companies" list?

Seems like both are top 5 candidates. >>

Only to a tiny discontent minority

notwilight · January 19, 2012 12:13PM

Any time you are destroying a disputed item, someone is going to be unhappy. I can't think of a good way to manage the destroying of a disputed item such as a coin without leaving room for error. All you would have to do is get a dishonest dealer to write a letter saying a coin is counterfeit and you get your money back and get to keep the gold it is made from. Or an incompetent dealer says your coin is counterfeit and paypal tells them to destroy it.

Don't know the right answer but don't like this one. I understand paypal is trying to do the right thing but too much room for error.

--Jerry

LanceNewmanOCC · January 19, 2012 12:16PM

<< >> i wonder how many people with severe physical disabilities sell/buy on ebay contributing to our economy and tax base.....>>

interesting thought but if they have physical disabilities then they are probably drawing something known, oddly enough, as a disability check......if this is the case they probably dont report 'supplemental income' from Ebay (or anywhere else).....this is contrary to your theory that it helps expand the tax base >>

i am referring to the ones that do not qualify and/or choose to abide by tax laws

if someone collects a check of lets say 500-800 bucks a month, i am pretty sure they can still earn a certain amount over that without effecting their qualifying benefits, but i really don't

know much about the specifics.

my point being is that eBay provides opportunities for people that may assist them to get back on their feet/improve their lives via the eBay medium and saying that the company that

provides this opportunity should be placed on a top 5 hate company is a strange thing to say. I can go on with this much longer but i really didn't want to get into it this deep as i figure

most of the details go without saying, but maybe some people don't think that deep; i really can't say as i can't read minds, YET!
.

ricko · January 19, 2012 10:25PM

This seems extreme... a product of that valuation should at least have been submitted for arbitration prior to destruction. Cheers, RickO

libertydude · January 19, 2012 11:15PM

Wow, that's absurd. They're enabling fraudulent activity with that lax policy. (i.e., how do they know he smashed the alleged fake violin and not some $5.00 violin he bought at a flea market?)

ajaan · January 19, 2012 11:33PM

<< i.e., how do they know he smashed the alleged fake violin and not some $5.00 violin he bought at a flea market?) >>

Exactly what I was thinking.

segoja · January 19, 2012 11:34PM

Simply amazing.

airplanenut · January 19, 2012 11:58PM

This is nuts. I just sent the story to my account manager and asked what protections are in place so a dispute like this with a coin doesn't have the same ending.

segoja · January 20, 2012 12:00AM

Jeremy,

let us know what they say

I'd be curious to see their reply

rec78 · January 20, 2012 12:28AM

Since when is paypal the judge and jury and expert in all fields, to determine if something is counterfiet? I do not think that paypal has the judicial right to such determination. If the buyer (perhaps a new collector) says "it is a fake!" Does that make it so? I do not think that paypal has a right to do this and hope this goes to trial. I could be wrong --- Perhaps a legal expect can give an opinion here?

And this is a BS statement:

UPDATE: PayPal sent us its official statement on this issue:

“While we cannot talk about this particular case due to PayPal's privacy policy, we carefully review each case, and in general we may ask a buyer to destroy counterfeit goods if they supply signed evidence from a knowledgeable third party that the goods are indeed counterfeit. The reason why we reserve the option to ask the buyer to destroy the goods is that in many countries, including the US, it is a criminal offense to mail counterfeit goods back to a seller.”

Read more: http://articles.businessinsider.com/2012-01-04/strategy/30587786_1_paypal-counterfeit-goods-antique-violin#ixzz1k0pKFYnr

Bob

ebaybuyer · January 20, 2012 5:13AM

once sued over this, paypal may change thier "tune" (i couldnt resist) that company is begging for a lawsuit.

derryb · January 20, 2012 5:42AM

The publicity will force paypal to make the seller whole.

ziggy29 · January 20, 2012 5:51AM

<< “While we cannot talk about this particular case due to PayPal's privacy policy, we carefully review each case, and in general we may ask a buyer to destroy counterfeit goods if they supply signed evidence from a knowledgeable third party that the goods are indeed counterfeit. The reason why we reserve the option to ask the buyer to destroy the goods is that in many countries, including the US, it is a criminal offense to mail counterfeit goods back to a seller.” >>

Fine, so don't use the USPS and you aren't "mailing" it back to the seller. Unless the real question is *any* transportation of counterfeit items across state lines, anyway.

Paypal makes buyer destory "fake" item to get refund

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Paypal makes buyer destory &quot;fake&quot; item to get refund

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Paypal makes buyer destory "fake" item to get refund