Marketplace
Short Story:
I was told by PayPal 5 days ago that I will be receiving a refund for a purchase I returned. For 5 days I've waited and had to contact them each day when the refund hasn't come through. They keep telling me that 'Today we just found in your favor and to expect the refund in xx hours". It's been 5 days of the same message and no refund and I'm sick of being being told for the 10th time that they just found in my favor today and to wait another 72 hours.
The seller relisted the item on Monday. So PayPal has been holding onto a big chunk of my change dispute every other financial institution providing instant refunds once the due diligence has been done.
I want to report eBay/PayPal to the ACCC/Consumer Affairs, but don't know if PayPal are considered a bank, private sale, or commercial merchant in my case?
Long Story:
On the 2nd of September I purchased a Sony FDR-AX100E from a private sale on eBay for ~$720. It was advertised with a bit cosmetic damage, but when I received it there was mechanical wear/damage that was causing the lens assembly to make loud click noises on some start ups, would make groaning/grinding noises when zooming and twice locked up requiring a battery pull in the first day I had it.
I took a video of the problem and asked the seller if it had this problem before it was sent:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mcJPOm_BtM
The seller replied that it didn't have that problem, and that I must be a professional scammer who used the camera for a job then wanted to return it. He did not respond to the eBay dispute, so 7 days went before eBay stepped in. eBay couldn't confirm his address with him so it was another 3 day wait before they sent me the return postage label.
On the 18th I packed and returned the camera. On the 21st it was marked as delivered. I spoke with eBay on the 21st who noted it had been returned and that I will be receiving my refund shortly.
It's now 5 days since I was told I will be receiving the refund, and when contacting eBay today I'm told "today we found in your favor, expect a refund in 72 hours". I get told the same thing the 4 days I have I contact them, that apparently that was the day, not the previous day when they said it then. So I have chat transcripts of being lied to by many eBay reps.
In the past I've had great experiences getting Ombudsmen to help me out when dodgy institutions won't play ball but this time around because the original item was a private sale, but my problem is with PayPal and not the seller - how to approach this situation.
Oh and if anyone is bidding on a Sony AX100E's on eBay be very weary of ones that are shipping from North Sydney from a seller with less than 100 feedback you won't be getting a bargain, you'll just be getting a headache.
So 4 days ago they advised 72hrs (which is 3 days), there's been a weekend in between, and at most they're late by a day?
I feel your energy and time spent on this novel could've been used better elsewhere honestly haha.
I generally expect things to take 3-5 business days, and I certainly wouldn't start being worried unless there's good reason (not here) until maybe 14 days in.
Just be patient - Paypal has a history of screwing over sellers, not buyers.