PPC Submitter : Friday, February 4, 2011, 9:03

Paid for authentication letter, PayPal dispute still delayed

I was sold a fake Marc Jacons handbag on eBay. I had heard that PayPal required a letter from an authenticator if you were claiming a bag was fake, but I emailed them to ask if there was an alternative, since there are no Marc Jacobs stores in Australia (where I live).

On the basis of that email – which simply asked “if I go down the path of making a complaint, what evidence would PayPal accept?” – PayPal opened a dispute on my behalf and demanded I provide proof of my claim within four days. The only proof they’d accept was – you guessed it! – a letter from a Marc Jacobs representative. If I failed to provide such proof, they’d cancel my claim. Once it’s cancelled, you can’t re-open it.

Until that point I had a reasonable relationship with the seller, who was considering giving me a refund. However, once the dispute was opened – in my name – our negotiation totally broke down. If I didn’t win my PayPal claim, I’d never get my refund.

I called PayPal and had a go at them. They had the gall to say “well in answer to your question, I guess now you know that we do require a letter of authenticity”.

So I had to pay $50 for a professional letter of authentication. Three weeks later, PayPal is still “reviewing my dispute”, and I am out of pocket by $50 on top of the $316 I paid for the fake bag. Even if I get my refund, I’ll still have to foot the cost of the letter, plus the return postage fee.

I hate PayPal.

Submitted By:: Alex

Location: Melbourne, Australia

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