Have you ever been Ripped Off / Scammed?

Discussion in 'Legal Issues' started by FatherChristmas, Apr 30, 2008.

  1. #1
    Have you ever been Ripped Off / Scammed?

    When I first got on the net in 2001 with my first website, I got scammed over $5000 USD with paypal reverse payments. I have a traffic hits website which supplied traffic to people, they paid me via paypal, I delivered the hits, the a few weeks later they would write an email to paypal saying someone had fraudulently used their paypal account ... in other words "they would pay me for the goods, I delivered, then they wrote to paypal and got their money back and the goods for free!"

    I learnt the hardway! Be very wary guys!
     
    FatherChristmas, Apr 30, 2008 IP
  2. HowHotels.com

    HowHotels.com Peon

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    #2
    How did you delivered traffic hits to websites, and were they targeted hits or just random?
     
    HowHotels.com, May 7, 2008 IP
  3. me4you

    me4you Well-Known Member

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    #3
    still i scamed but somoone else, one i told someone else to pay 25$ to a site. petty sure he paid but the payments is Voided by paypal.

    I use paypal with less than 400$ balance & receive only 500$ height payments.
     
    me4you, May 7, 2008 IP
  4. chtdatweb

    chtdatweb Well-Known Member

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    #4
    Question is i think, at which point is the funds considered safe in paypal? 24 hours? 24 days? 24 years?
     
    chtdatweb, May 7, 2008 IP
  5. FatherChristmas

    FatherChristmas Peon

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    #5
    Targeted hits.
     
    FatherChristmas, May 7, 2008 IP
  6. TextAdMarket

    TextAdMarket Peon

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    #6
    Good question, when are the funds safe in paypal? How can you protect yourself against buyer frauds like this. I've heard that designating the item as a "service" will allow for more protection, but as I understand it, the buyer is the one that chooses whether it is a "service" or a "good" when sending funds.

    I did 25 hours of programming work last year, then a few weeks later the guy tells paypal he never received his "power drill". And paypal demanded I ship him a power drill. Having no power drill, paypal assured me he would have to prove his claim. Somehow he proved he bought a cordless power drill from me, and they took DOUBLE the money out of my personal bank account. Yup, he got all his money back....double.

    The whole situation made me so mad, I can now laugh about it...somehow...lol. But, I still don't know how to protect myself as a seller.
     
    TextAdMarket, May 7, 2008 IP
  7. godsofchaos

    godsofchaos Peon

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    #7
    Just don't use paypal and rather use other similar services. If your intentions are right and their intentions are right as well, people will buy from you regardless of the medium.
     
    godsofchaos, May 7, 2008 IP
  8. Anders Ekström

    Anders Ekström Peon

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    #8
    Hehe, Havent you heard the phrase? - "The Customer is always right"

    =D

    It must be possible somehow to prove the work done? Email/chathistory?
     
    Anders Ekström, May 7, 2008 IP
  9. TextAdMarket

    TextAdMarket Peon

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    #9
    That is what I thought, too, going into the dispute. I told paypal I could offer them all the proof they wanted, but they never asked for anything from me. Heck, they wouldn't even let me see the buyers "proof" that he bought a power drill from me. I'm so damned curious, even to this day, how he managed to pull that one off. PayPal claimed they wouldn't show me how I sold him the drill because they needed to protect his "privacy".....lol.
     
    TextAdMarket, May 7, 2008 IP
  10. chant

    chant Well-Known Member

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    #10
    I have heard six weeks is the longest before the funds are free and clear.

    And it would be an easy fix for Paypal to implement. All the site needs to do is keep an email on record between the two parties outlining what the seller is selling and what the buyer is buying. If one party disagrees about what the product was they have that email on reference stating the facts.
     
    chant, May 7, 2008 IP
  11. Anders Ekström

    Anders Ekström Peon

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    #11
    But did you receive money for service or goods? If goods, why?
     
    Anders Ekström, May 7, 2008 IP
  12. TextAdMarket

    TextAdMarket Peon

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    #12
    In my case, I believe it was for goods. The buyer got to choose whether it was a good or service when he sent the money. Which, really, left me no option. Plus, I didn't even notice until the dispute came up. It was the first time in years anyone has asked for a refund on programming work. I asked him after the dispute was over, why he checked it off as "goods", and he honestly told me it gave him more security as a buyer in case he wanted his money back.

    Also, I assume that is why PayPal sided with him in the end. Because he simply checked the "goods" button instead of services. Fantastic system they have there!
     
    TextAdMarket, May 7, 2008 IP
  13. Jakey

    Jakey Active Member

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    #13
    I got scammed multiple times by Luke Dyson.
     
    Jakey, May 7, 2008 IP
  14. exodus

    exodus Well-Known Member

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    #14
    Yep, it has gotten so bad that now I ask for a money order instead of paypal. Out of the last 10 transactions I have had 6 chargebacks because the other person turned out to be a scammer. If was not a dispute, then it was a charge back from the CC company and there is no getting past that at all.

    If you sell php software they end up getting your stuff for free. That is the main reason I am creating a license software that I will start to use. It isn't 100%, but it will at least make it harder on scammers.

    As for paypal, they could choose anything as it. You have to still provide a tracking #, even if it was a service or virtual goods you provided (coding, downloaded software). So, make sure you only take from verified paypal accounts. Unverified ones do not provide protection to Sellers. If you can get them to admit it was virtual goods or a service and it's for item not as expected dispute then you can win the dispute, because paypal doesn't handle virtual good disputes, but if they do unauthorized or credit card company charge back then you SOL.
     
    exodus, May 7, 2008 IP
  15. jimmybloggs91

    jimmybloggs91 Peon

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    #15
    what happends though if say i was selling something on ebay and the person chose to have it delivered by standard mail (so no tracking id). can they turn round once they receive it and say they never got it so demand their money back.

    And also if someone fraudulently accesses their account why is that my fault as the seller?
     
    jimmybloggs91, May 7, 2008 IP
  16. ЄxDeus™

    ЄxDeus™ Well-Known Member

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    #16
    when some one did a charge back on me, they said it was for real goods so i just wrote back to paypal and said i have legal advice for free and asked what i should do in this case and they told me to ask you (paypal) to prove the goods are real before any payment is taken Back from my account. Paypal then asked the buyer if he could send a link to prove the goods are real and because he could not prove a vaild link for what he had bought i won the case. Paypal seem to be alot more helpful when you tell them you have legal aid =)
     
    ЄxDeus™, May 7, 2008 IP
  17. exodus

    exodus Well-Known Member

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    #17
    #1: Only accept verified address / accounts.
    #2: Always ship with a tracking number.

    Paypal offers 100% protection in this case to the buyer. It isn't your fault, but you as the seller will give back the amount paid and if they are a scammer they will get the product.
     
    exodus, May 7, 2008 IP
  18. jimmybloggs91

    jimmybloggs91 Peon

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    #18
    that is just ridiculous i never knew this
     
    jimmybloggs91, May 7, 2008 IP
  19. Sir Rusty

    Sir Rusty Guest

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    #19
    Well, I never got scammed. I could tell what site is a scam so I dont us it. I need good proof.
     
    Sir Rusty, May 7, 2008 IP
  20. shahab6

    shahab6 Well-Known Member

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    #20
    all u had to do was write virtual item, on other shipping on paypal. And you would been able to keep your $500.

    now you know.
     
    shahab6, May 10, 2008 IP