Scammed By Paypal

[GCAdidas13 10+ year member]

Here's what I am going to post in the forums at www.paypalsucks.com's forums as soon as I can figure out how to register.

I purchased an item over Ebay for roughly $480. A few weeks later I realized that I did not need the item as I had previously thought and I put the item back up onto Ebay. The item sold within a day to a guy with 1 positive feedback. He paid instantly, and the next day I shipped it to the address that he specified. I withdraw the funds from my paypal account and put the money into my bank account.

A few weeks later, I get an email saying that there is a chance that the payment of $480 that he gave to me may be reversed. No information was provided as to why this could happen. Naturally, within a few days, I had a balance of something like $464 that I owed Paypal. Again, no information was directly provided to me than "use of unauthorized funds".

I let it sit for a month or two, because as far as I'm concerned I just never use Paypal again and they never get my money. However after one or two months I get a little curious and do a little browsing. I look up the address, and it seems to be an apartment. The address he gave to me on Paypal was "#### Street Name, Suite #G".

I did a little bit of searching on http://www.reversephonedirectory.com and found a total of 6 different buildings at the specified address. One of the buildings was a UPS Store, and listed a phone number. I went to the UPS website, did a search on the address and the UPS website reported that UPS was in suite G of that address.

So, I gave them a call. I spoke to a woman who told me about a service they provided for a time, back when my item was shipped. If a person were to walk in and provide a photo identification saying that they are going to be expecting a package to be shipped to the UPS store, the UPS store will recieve the package and hold it for you until you go pick it up. There is also a fee for this to happen. The lady told me that at the time they kept no records of who came in for what packages or when.

When I mentioned the guy's name, Kenneth Rethmeier, she said that she vividly remembered the name because the last name stood out. She remembers checking his ID and giving him my package. My package was heavy and about 42x16x8 inches in size, cost nearly $30 to ship.

At about this time I read all about the Buyer Protection Plan. It was also about this time that I realized that he was an "Unverified Buyer". Yes, I had shipped to an "Unverified Buyer".

The woman gave me her apologies and at that time I figured there was nothing I could do, so I just let my account sit in the negative. My account eventually got frozen but I didn't mind because I had my mother's paypal address to pay anyone that I needed.

Well, this morning, about 6 months after the entire ordeal, her account got locked, and when she did the 3 steps to unlock her account, she got an email telling her that her request to be unlocked was denied because she has a relation to one or more accounts with a balance.

Is there anything I can do that does not include paying the $480 that I owe them?

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[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

Holy shit.... That is some screwed up stuff right there man. Good luck, I have no idea what you could do to get out of it...

 

[desertheat 10+ year member]

they cannot lock hers because of yours unless a card of yours is on her account or a car of hers was on your account...

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

All I can say, GCA, is I wish you the best of luck with it. I cannot see how it is possible for them to lock up your mom's account just because she is related to you. I have family all over the bloody country and I would imagine that at least some of them use eBay (and as a result, PayPal)...matter of fact, I know my mom uses both all the time. But if one of my kinfolk decided to do something crooked and PayPal wanted to hold me responsible just 'cause I am related to them that's just not right.

Makes as much sense as if the case was your brother took a gun and murdered someone but you got arrested and charged for it just because you're kin to him. I would imagine that if your mom wanted to push the issue (know a lawyer personally that would write a really ugly, threatening letter for you, by any chance?!?) she could get that reversed. Just doesn't seem proper to me....

 

[GCAdidas13 10+ year member]

All I can say, GCA, is I wish you the best of luck with it. I cannot see how it is possible for them to lock up your mom's account just because she is related to you.

I think the thing is, that we're on the same address with the same last name. :-/

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

I think the thing is, that we're on the same address with the same last name. :-/

Haha, you live with your mom...

 

[GCAdidas13 10+ year member]

Haha, you live with your mom...

Hah, i'm only 19 and its free room and board and food and clothes so //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

Hah, i'm only 19 and its free room and board and food and clothes so //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

I live with mommy as well //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif

 

[GCAdidas13 10+ year member]

haha living with mommy ftw

 

[Prowler573 5,000+ posts]

Haha, you live with your mom...

I'll say this about that remark ~ if I knew when I was a teenager what I know now? (bills and actual adult responsibilities and whatnot) I'd have never moved out of home! Shoot - to go back to 16 yrs old and the most stressful thing I had to deal with on any given day was Algebra II homework or whether or not I would have the chance on the weekend to spend some "quality time" with my g/f??? In a New York minute, I tell you. Stay at home as long as they'll allow it, GCA....trust me on this (assuming that you and the parentals get along okay, that is)

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

¿gca?

 

[GCAdidas13 10+ year member]

[No message]

 

[GCAdidas13 10+ year member]

I'll say this about that remark ~ if I knew when I was a teenager what I know now? (bills and actual adult responsibilities and whatnot) I'd have never moved out of home! Shoot - to go back to 16 yrs old and the most stressful thing I had to deal with on any given day was Algebra II homework or whether or not I would have the chance on the weekend to spend some "quality time" with my g/f??? In a New York minute, I tell you. Stay at home as long as they'll allow it, GCA....trust me on this (assuming that you and the parentals get along okay, that is)

Yeah we get along fine. Theres a lot of shit they don't agree with, like my sleeping habits and etc. and then theres freedom, such as my gf doesnt feel comfortable coming over and spending hours in my room and stuff that would be alleviated if i move out...

but i'm comfy here

 

[PhatTonyDeMarco 5,000+ posts]

What the hell does GCA stand for??

 

[skierxx5556 10+ year member]

Did you ever try calling paypal to see if you could resolve it that way?