Consumer complaint received 2021-11-03
Product: Money transfer, virtual currency, or money service — Mobile or digital wallet
Issue: Fraud or scam — 
Company: Paypal Holdings, Inc (UT)

On XX/XX/XXXX, I made an offer for a trading card on the " XXXX '' app for {$500.00}. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I got a reply from the seller, XXXX XXXX. He cancelled the OfferUp purchase and insisted I instead make the payment to his brother, XXXX XXXX, through XXXX XXXX since it's " easier ''. 

So, on XX/XX/XXXX ( that same day ), I made contact with XXXX XXXX on XXXX XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I sent a payment of {$480.00} to XXXX XXXX through XXXX XXXX via the PayPal option. I selected my XXXX XXXX checking account as the PayPal payment method. When I chose the PayPal option for payment in the XXXX XXXX app, I was never warned that the transaction would be a " Friends and Family '' PayPal purchase, which I would never have intentionally used for this transaction, as I've been scammed through that by strangers in the past. 

Additionally, when you read XXXX 's Payment Terms and Policies for XXXX XXXX ( XXXX ) transactions, it does not say that PayPal purchases are done through the " Friends & Family '' option. The terms also say that XXXX transactions are not meant for commercial transactions. I consider this transaction to be a commercial transaction, especially since the communication and sale originated in " XXXX '', a marketplace app. Therefore I believe this transaction should be nullified according to XXXX 's terms. 

After I made the payment on XX/XX/XXXX, the seller, XXXX XXXX, replied the next day, XX/XX/XXXX, and promised to ship the product that Friday ( XX/XX/XXXX ). 

I sent replies on XX/XX/XXXX, XXXX, XXXX, and XXXX, asking XXXX XXXX for a status update, with no reply. 

During this waiting game, I also repeatedly contacted the original OfferUp seller, his brother XXXX XXXX, asking him to nudge his brother XXXX XXXX in sending me the trading card. After repeated contact with XXXX XXXX, he eventually blocked me on XXXX XXXX on XX/XX/XXXX. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I opened a dispute with my bank, XXXX XXXX. On XX/XX/XXXX I had not yet heard a response, so I called XXXX XXXX to follow up on the dispute. They told me my dispute was denied because they could not get the money from the vendor ( PayPal ). On or around XX/XX/XXXX, I received the paper notice in the mail from XXXX XXXX that my dispute had been denied ( time-stamped XX/XX/XXXX ). 

On XX/XX/XXXX ( the same day XXXX XXXX let me know of my dispute 's denial ), I opened a dispute with PayPal. However, the only dispute option that I could select was to claim an " unauthorized transaction ''. I went ahead and selected this option since it was the only XXXX available, but told them in my description of the issue that I was in fact scammed. On that same day ( XX/XX/XXXX ), PayPal swiftly and predictably denied my claim of " unauthorized activity ''. 

I found it unfair that I could not select a different dispute option ( other than " unauthorized transaction '' ) to accurately reflect the scam that I fell victim to. I also found it unfair that I had never been provided a clear warning that I was using PayPal Friends & Family in XXXX XXXX. Once again, if I had received clear warnings or prompts that the PayPal transaction in XXXX XXXX was going through PayPal XXXX XXXX XXXX, I would not have followed through with the payment using XXXX XXXX 's PayPal option. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I contacted XXXX XXXX support through a link in PayPal, in order to file a request for a refund. They automatically denied the request. 

On XX/XX/XXXX, I also opened a XXXX XXXX chat with " Messenger Payments Support ''. Their automated system also automatically denied any cancellations or refunds. 

I had originally deliberately chosen the PayPal payment option *instead of* one of my bank credit cards, because I trusted PayPal to be safer in seamlessly providing me a refund, should something go wrong with the transaction. Instead, ironically, it felt that that might've been the exact wrong decision. I hope you can understand how I feel mistreated and duped, and hope you can extend some compassion.