Paypal and eBay mislead people into thinking that buying with checks and money orders are unsafe. They say that if you buy with Paypal then you are "protected" up to a certain dollar amount.
Well, here is a note I received from Paypal this morning about my claim against a scam seller:
Dear XXXX XXXX,
After careful review, we have concluded our investigation of the Buyer
Complaint described below.
We have decided in your favour, however, we were unable to recover any
funds from the seller's account. As stated in the PayPal User Agreement,
recovery of funds associated with a Buyer Complaint cannot be guaranteed.
Please know that we will make our best effort to recover the funds in
question if they become available in the seller's account in the future,
and will take appropriate action against the seller. Such action may
include issuing a warning, a temporary restriction, or terminating the
account. Keep in mind that PayPal uses a number of factors, including
member complaints, to determine when to take action. Due to privacy laws,
we cannot discuss the details of any action taken. We hope you understand
our policy and that it reassures you that you are safe using PayPal.
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Transaction Details
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Seller's Name: XXXX XXXX
Seller's Email:
XXXXXXX@gmail.com
Seller’s Transaction ID: 4SS741786P008XXXX
Transaction Date: 7 Aug 2008
Transaction Amount: -$63.58 USD
Your Transaction ID: 7BB38951N26653XXXX
Case Number: PP-539-418-XXX
Buyer's Transaction ID: 7BB38951N2665XXXX
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What to Do Next
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This case is now closed. No further action is required by you at this time.
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Other Details
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To make sure future transactions proceed smoothly, we suggest you visit the
PayPal site and click the Security Centre link located at the bottom of any
page. There you will find tips on how to avoid fraudulent sellers in the
"Fraud Prevention Tips for Buyers" section.
Sincerely,
PayPal
Protection Services Department