The item i sold was a Brioni cashmere overcoat - sold to a person in Gatehead (NE England). I was suspicious of this person, right from the start, as he paid via a business cheque to start with. I refused this payment, and said that he needed to pay via a confirmed paypal account. I further asked for a scan of a utility bill and a landline telephone number.
The guy would only give me a mobile number, and when i called it, it went to voicemail. Anyway, he paid with a credit card (via paypal), and it was a confirmed address (much to my surprise). He also sent me the scans as I had requested (with a pile of abuse!). Amazingly the paypal account was confirmed, so I posted the item to him. 2 days later, I had an email from the Police, advising me that the person I posted the item to was fraudulent, and my item was being held as evidence. Apparently the guy had committed identity theft....
7 weeks later, paypal returned my money, as the seller protection was valid. The key elements you have to follow with seller protection is:
- post your item within 7 days of payment
- ensure the buyer has a confirmed address (if they dont - ask them to pay via another method, or say you will post the item after 14 working days - giving enough time for the credit card company to realise the fraud).
- Use recorded delivery (trackable online); and ensure you keep the slip (or use a royal mail docket book - that gets stamped by the post office)
- Read paypal's rules on seller protection - and follow it to the letter...
John.
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