[Leica] EBay Paypal sting - off topic

[cummer at netvigator.com (H&ECummer)]

Hi Luggers
Since some of you, perhaps many, buy things from and sell things on  
Ebay and use Paypal. I thought you might benefit from my cautionary  
tale.
Over the last two years I have been liquidating my model train  
collection and selling the occasional unused lens (some Leica - to  
slip back on topic).
In just under 100 transactions and over $16,000 in sales I have not  
had a problem until now. In early August I sold an N gauge model train  
to a buyer in the south of France. He elected to have cheap sea  
shipment as the engine wasn't very expensive, paid his money to Paypal  
and I shipped the train, including a Canada Post tracking on August 5.  
By August 19 the tracking number didn't show any movement from the  
post office and the buyer put a hold on his funds. On August 24 the  
tracking picked up again and showed the parcel had left Canada. I  
asked the buyer to release the hold and he said he would after the  
goods arrived - not cricket but what can one do? On Sept 6 he advanced  
the hold to a claim. I gave all the info I had to Paypal, including a  
scan of the Post Office receipt and on September 9, despite the  
information about the length of time a sea shipment could take, they  
reversed the funds in my account and gave him his money back! So, in  
the next weeks he will receive his train for free and I have very  
little recourse because I only get 10 days to dispute the pay back and  
the only proof I can give is delivery of the package which may not  
have happened in that time. I have complained loudly to Paypal (IN  
CAPITALS) and they have answered with anodyne lawyer approved boiler  
plate.
To add insult to injury the buyer has left me negative feedback for  
non delivery and there goes my 100% positive rating! That hurts more  
than the money!
So, some words to the wise. Don't deal with anyone who uses a hotmail  
address. Don't deal with anyone with several neutral ratings (funny he  
didn't have any negatives in nearly 600 transactions but several  
neutrals with complaints) and take out your money for every  
transaction as soon as it is deposited. Paypal is not the seller's  
friend.
Older (day by day) and wiser (only once in awhile).
With regret,
Howard