Paypal Issues

NeVeR

1st not sure is this is the right area, But someone might be able to help out.

I'll give a quick overview of what has happened.

I do web design / graphic design etc as a hobby.

Over the past 6 months I got a contract for 4 news sites from a guy in the US paying about $2k per site ( $8k total ) He paid via paypal.

The site where running great and I'd hired writers and SEO people/ graphics etc, The sites had over 100 articles each written for them and then the guy issues charge backs via paypal for everything.

At the time there was about 1500 in my paypal account but the rest had gone on paying the seo / writers and also some money for me.

Luckily I was able to get full back up's of all the sites before he took them down.

Paypal claim they have tried to resolve this with the customer bank that issued the charge backs but they say this has failed and now i've to pay about €5k which i don't have.

I've asked Paypal for all the banks contact details and any ref numbers or names of people they where dealing with in the bank so I can try contact them. Also asked for any emails/messages they sent to the bank.

But it looks like Paypal are not talking to me anymore. I've emailed them 3-4 times over the past 2 weeks with no replies.

This customer got his sites built with 100's of hours work from me and others ( which i've already paid ) and then he just issues charges back and gets everything back.. If he didn't take the sites down he would have had the site / work and his money... Makes me sick.

Does anyone have any advise on what I should do ?

Thanks in advance

Trick of the Tail

Sorry man, you can't get legal advice here, please read the charter.

In your situation I would send a registered letter to PayPal, if you get no joy, see a solicitor.


A.

NeVeR

Thanks.

Apart from legal advice - What are people's views on what happened ?

thanks.

Pat Mustard

I realise that you have emailed PayPal and they say that they have attempted to resolve the situation, but have you formally raised disputes in respect of the chargebacks according to PayPal policy?

NeVeR

I think i have.. How would i know if i have ?

I was talking to them today on the phone and they game me the bank that issued the credit card / the customers bank, So i'm in the process of contacting them.

Procrastastudy

NeVeR wrote: »

Thanks.

Apart from legal advice - What are people's views on what happened ?

thanks.

I think you've been ill-prepared and been stung. The fate of many a small business I'm afraid.

Strawberry Fields

When you say contract, what type? Oral or written?

NeVeR

I'm sending an email to them at the min.. they are in the US.

Pat Mustard

NeVeR wrote: »

I think i have.. How would i know if i have ?

I was talking to them today on the phone and they game me the bank that issued the credit card / the customers bank, So i'm in the process of contacting them.

As you know, we can't give legal advice here, but maybe we can ask questions or make practical suggestions.

You could:

1. Check PayPal policy.
2. See if you have complied with it.
3. If you haven't, then see if you can do it now.

I would also gather relevant info on the customer in the States. Is it a man or a company? In what State is said customer based? Do you know or can you find out if there are assets against which you may be able to enforce your claim?

Zillah

That's bizarre and horrible. Did the US guy express any dissatisfaction with you or the work before he issued the charge back (which is a ridiculous mechanism to exist in the first place, to be honest)? You say he took down the websites - were they his or was he the middle man for people that commissioned him for those websites? I'd imagine maybe he got screwed over by them and decided to pass the loss on to you, possibly. I'd contact a solicitor. You said PayPal are not contacting you anymore - meaning they were in contact at some point. What did they say?

professore

I think you'll find that you have no come back I got screwed a few years ago for 100 euro fraudulent transaction. Buyer used a stolen credit card. Buyer also said they were in the US. Paypal froze my account. Look at paypal sucks.com.

Paypal only protect the buyers.

Sorry for crappy grammar, predictive text gone mad!

NeVeR

Thanks for the replies.

I'll post where i am now.

I phoned paypal and was talking to them for a while. They don't really care at this point.. they just want there money back.

They did give me the name of the credit card company which the customers card was linked with and it was Greendot.com ... a fecking pre-paid credit card company.

So i tried and tired to get an email address from there chat suppose person but they where not helpful at all. I finally just emailed all the email addresses i could think of before getting one that worked.. Which was fraud@greendot.com

All they said was ring this number.. I've been trying to ring the number they gave me but it's not working.. Not sure if it's because i'm in ireland or not.. I did put in country codes and all but i just get an engaged tone all the time. the number i was given is 1888 267 9413 - but with codes thats 00 231 1888 267 9413

So they won't / can't deal with this over email and I can't get there phone number to work !!

Paypal say soon they will be sending debt collectors... which is no good. I've a great credit rating and wanted to try buy a house next year.. this is the last thing i need.

Would going to garda and reporting it do any good ? .. would reporting it to some Fraud department in the US do any good ?

Thanks for your replys.

Jarren

Try this phone number here

http://www.nasdaq.com/markets/ipos/filing.ashx?filingid=6802325

http://whois.domaintools.com/moneypak.com

Kenny Logins

Why did he take the sites down? Do you think this was this a deliberate attempt to defraud you? Could he have the sites up again under new domains?

Strawberry Fields

Have you contacted here chargeback-response@paypal.com
This page has info on querying chargebacks https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=xpt/seller/ChargebackRisk-outside

I'd also like to know what way did you agree the price and product. Was it done orally or is there documentation.

NeVeR

Thanks for the replies.. I do more in the morning.

I'm not sure they he did what he did.. maybe he needed money.. no idea really.

everything was done via email.

NeVeR

NeVeR wrote: »

All they said was ring this number.. I've been trying to ring the number they gave me but it's not working.. Not sure if it's because i'm in ireland or not.. I did put in country codes and all but i just get an engaged tone all the time. the number i was given is 1888 267 9413 - but with codes thats 00 231 1888 267 9413

231 is the international access code for Liberia. For the US it would be 00 1 888 267 9413

BostonB

Can you trace him through his emails/IP etc.

monkeypants

NeVeR wrote: »

All they said was ring this number.. I've been trying to ring the number they gave me but it's not working.. Not sure if it's because i'm in ireland or not.. I did put in country codes and all but i just get an engaged tone all the time. the number i was given is 1888 267 9413 - but with codes thats 00 231 1888 267 9413.

You have to remove the 1 from the 1888 when using a country dialling code.

Why are you calling Liberia though?

Fey!

Did paypal contact you before trying to take your money back? Ask them for any and all correspondance relating to this issue; surely if the guy did a chargeback thy should have contacted you before agreeing to it.

dahamsta

Paypal say soon they will be sending debt collectors... which is no good. I've a great credit rating and wanted to try buy a house next year.. this is the last thing i need.

I don't think this is an issue, PayPal don't appear to be members of the Irish Credit Bureau, in which case they can't affect your credit rating.

http://www.icb.ie/membership.php

Compared to many, you seem to actually in a relatively strong position here. Most of the time PayPal just takes people's money and asks questions later. I never leave a penny more in the account than I have to.

NeVeR

Fey! wrote: »

Did paypal contact you before trying to take your money back? Ask them for any and all correspondance relating to this issue; surely if the guy did a chargeback thy should have contacted you before agreeing to it.

No - I was out and checked email via my iphone and seen emails from paypal. When i got home my account was in a negative balance, they where asking for ID / Address etc and asked about the charge backs. I supplied all the info / proof they asked for and they said they would dispute the chargebacks with the credit card company.. few more emails and then after about 45 days they came back saying the dispute fails.

I did ask for all the details but they refused to give them out... said i'd need to get the Police to request them.

monkeypants wrote: »

You have to remove the 1 from the 1888 when using a country dialling code.

Why are you calling Liberia though?

I went to a site and it gave me that dailing code lol.. I'll try the correct one this evening.

dahamsta wrote: »

I don't think this is an issue, PayPal don't appear to be members of the Irish Credit Bureau, in which case they can't affect your credit rating.

http://www.icb.ie/membership.php

Compared to many, you seem to actually in a relatively strong position here. Most of the time PayPal just takes people's money and asks questions later. I never leave a penny more in the account than I have to.

Well the amount that was in my account and the amount it's in negative now is a lot different. I had about €1500... it's -€5200 now !

NeVeR

BostonB wrote: »

Can you trace him through his emails/IP etc.

I've got his addresss. Well who know's if it's a real address. It was on his paypal account.

But what can i do with it ?