Consumer complaint received 2020-06-06
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc
State: NC
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service
Sub-product: Domestic (US) money transfer
Issue: Fraud or scam

Complaint:
RE : Attempted Financial Fraud - Ms. XXXX XXXX via PayPal I am an owner of a timeshare week ( mid XXXX ) at the XXXX XXXX  in XXXX. My wife and I go there almost every year. In early XXXX of this year I learned that I needed XXXX  XXXX XXXX as a result of a XXXX  in which I lost XXXX XXXX. Consequently we decided that we would not go to XXXX this year and decided instead to rent out our condo week, as we have done once before in the past. 

My wife listed our mid-XXXX rental on a XXXX  page that is specific to XXXX owners at a price of {$540.00} ( less than half of what one would pay if dealing dircectly with the resort. ) Ms. XXXX, an owner herself, bought the week and paid us through PayPal. 

As you well know, a virus suddenly erupted in XXXX and spread thoughout the world. Consequently, I believe in XXXX, XXXX closed its airport down completely and as a result, XXXX was forced to close as well. 

Ms. XXXX then contacted us and asked if we would consider giving her our week next year instead of this years which cant be used, or in the alternative, refund to her half of what she paid. We told Ms. XXXX that she could not have next years week as our granddaughter is XXXX  from college and we are taking the whole family down at that time. We also said that we would think about giving her a partial refund. While we are sympathetic, the virus was certainly not our fault, nor are we legally or contractually required to refund anything. As an owner herself she knows that when the resort opens again, all of the owners in good standing who lost their week this year will be compensated with alternative accommodations. Nevertheless, my wife and I agreed to refund 1/2 of her payment ( less half of our unit transfer fee ). Thus on XX/XX/XXXX, we refunded {$250.00} thought PayPal. An attorney friend of ours felft that we were being generous and confirmed that we were under no legal obligation to do what we did. 

That is when the financial fraud scheme began. On XX/XX/XXXX, more than a week after receiving the {$250.00} refund, Ms. XXXX filed a request for a FULL refund from PayPal through her bank. In support of her full refund request she alleged the following according to PayPal : The merchandise was damaged or defective. As an owner she know that is a lie. The resort is very well maintained. It was neither damaged nor defective. 
The merchandise was not as described. Another lie. The unit number was provided in our listing and is a very desireable unit as it is ground-floor walk-out to poolside. As an owner herself, she knows that. 
Services were not rendered. Another lie. I paid the resort to transfer the unit to her. And finally, Item not received. Another lie. I sent her the written confirmation from XXXX that the unit was hers for the mid-XXXX week. 
I guess at that point she ran out of potential lies to further support her fraudulent claim. 

As soon a I received notice from PayPal of Ms. XXXX FULL refund request, I informed PayPal of what was taking place and on XX/XX/XXXX, requested an immediate refund of my charitable {$250.00} payment to Ms. XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX, PayPal informed me that it has refused my request to return the {$250.00} and closed the case. PayPals Case I.D . is XXXX. Apparently, PayPal also decided - despite having been informed of the facts - that it would charge my account for the FULL refund and include an extra {$20.00} fee for the chargeback. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I received an email from PayPals collection department informing me that I had a more than {$500.00} negative balance in my account and that this was an attempt to collect a debt! It said that I should add money to my account as soon as possible. I called PayPal and spoke with a colleciton agent whose ID number is XXXX, and the FULL refund claim is Case ID : XXXX. I told the agent what is detailed above and that this FULL refund claim is an outright fraud attempt. I also said that I would not add money to my account and if PayPal decided to honor the FULL refund request, they would be complicit in an obvious attempted fraud. I was told that it was up to the buyers bank whether or not to require the refund and PayPal had no control over that. I told the agent that sounds rediculous - of course the bank will want the refund to keep its customer happy. If PayPal is required to refund by the bank, then use its own money - not mine. And for the record, I still want my charitable {$250.00} refunded to me. I dont like dealing with dishonest conivers. 
I have owned an XXXX  store for more than 20 years and have used PayPal ever since it first became affiliated with XXXX. PayPal has made thousands of dollars on my XXXX sales over the years. 

Any assistance you can provide to stop this attempted financial fraud, stop PayPal from charging my account and recover my unnecessary charitable refund would be most appreciated and save me the cost of legal counsel which I will employ if I have to. Incidentally, the PayPal account is in my wifes name, XXXX XXXX XXXX Respectfully, XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX XXXX, North Carolina XXXX XXXX cc : XXXX XXXX

Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation