Problem Solved: Can PayPal keep my refund and my broken Acer Chromebook?

The screen on Laura Eichenhorn’s new Acer Chromebook is warped. But when she returns it, PayPal keeps her money — and the merchant keeps her computer. Is that allowed?

QUESTION: I bought an Acer Chromebook through eBay recently. When I received it, I saw that the screen was warped, so I returned it to the seller.

Christopher Elliott, the Travel Troubleshooter

I filed a report with PayPal that the item was not as described and requested a refund. However, during my discussions with PayPal, a representative suggested that I also file a credit card chargeback to get a refund for my shipping costs.

PayPal then closed my case and allowed my bank to take over. My bank sided with the merchant who had sent me the warped laptop, and now PayPal has my $190 and the merchant has the damaged laptop computer. Can you help me?

— Laura Eichenhorn, Southfield, Mass.

ANSWER: You shouldn’t have filed a credit card dispute. A credit card dispute, or chargeback, is your last resort for recovering your money. I describe how and when to use it in my free guide to credit card disputes on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org.

The PayPal representative you spoke to gave you incorrect information. But are you out of luck?

It sure looks that way. The merchant has the computer. PayPal has your $190. And you have nothing.

Parenthetically, you might reconsider your relationship with your bank. It should have either asked for more information on your claim or sided with you in this dispute. In my experience, the best banks will try to resolve this outside the formal dispute process — by contacting the merchant directly and finding some middle ground — mostly because it’s less expensive for everyone. Also, in my experience, it leads to a fairer outcome.

You needed to get the attention of someone who could fix this. I publish the names, numbers and email addresses of the customer service managers at PayPal on my consumer advocacy site, Elliott.org. I think you had to get your case in front of a supervisor who could listen to the calls and make sure PayPal didn’t mislead you — and if it did, to fix it.

This is one reason why I never trust anything an employee says unless it’s in writing. It’s just too easy to say something and then forget it. The newest version of Apple’s iOS allows you to record and transcribe your phone conversations. But state privacy laws make it difficult to use the feature, so it’s just better to get any promise in writing.

I asked PayPal to take a look at your problem. It reviewed your phone calls and it apologized to you for “any incorrect information you received from our team.”

PayPal credited your account the full amount of your purchase, including an extra $21 to cover the cost of shipping.

Christopher Elliott is the founder of Elliott Advocacy, a nonprofit organization that helps consumers solve their problems. Email him at [email protected] or get help by contacting him at https://elliottadvocacy.org/help/