Day 36 – Jean – The Retraining Candidate

April 12

Meanwhile, Deidre never writes back. But Jean does. Jean is not so good at being empathetic, but she is sincere. But Jean is also useless. I know that sounds harsh, but if you compare her advice to Stu’s from a mere 19 minutes earlier – Stu – the Accidental Caller – who had no time to rehearse or prepare. Or compare Jean’s answer to Matt’s who will wrote to us in a few hours time. Then Jean needs retraining.

Dear Beleaguered PayPal Victim,

Thank you for contacting PayPal.

I regret to inform you that we have no further recourse to assist you in disputing the chargeback. Please contact the buyer directly to resolve any remaining issues.

While the vast majority of online transactions are completed without complication, fraudulent activity can occur. If you feel that you have become a victim of Internet Fraud, there is help available.

If you decide to file a police report, please have the investigating officer or agent contact us at 1-402-935-2050 (US), between the hours of 6 A.M. PST and 10:00 PM PST, Central Standard Time (CST), 7 days a week. They will be provided with specific details as to where they can send a subpoena(s).

For the latest tools and information on staying protected, please click the “Security Center” link located at the top right hand corner of any PayPal website page.

Sincerely,
Jean
PayPal Chargeback Division

She “regrets to inform me that PayPal has no further recourse to assist you in disputing the chargeback. Please contact the buyer directly to resolve any remaining issues.” Jean is a little defensive. She tells me that “While the vast majority of online transactions are completed without complication, fraudulent activity can occur.” She lets us know that if we decide to file a Police report [again the fraud] then here is a phone number for the Officer to call.

Try calling that number and see if you get through to a human being. PayPal must really hate the police to put up such a wall to any officer trying to call them, such as the automated defenses that the supplied phone number has.

So why that title of “PayPal is Evil?”

If I had started this blog nearer to the beginning of this process, I would probably come up with a kinder; gentler title.

But once you hit a hundred days, with no resolution in sight; with one obtuse response after another from PayPal; and with a systemic failure to be even vaguely helpful … Oh and did I mention PayPal still holding onto a decent chunk of our money even after being reimbursed over 100 days ago ……

Well, when you go through this experience, you lean towards adjectives, that may be construed as being less than flattering. Just as the cream of today’s marketing firms try to create an “unreasonable attachment” to some brands. PayPal, is striving to create a reasonable loathing of its brand, through some of the poorest treatment a financial agent can muster.

So that’s why we ended up with the title – PayPal is Evil.com. It succinctly captures the essence of the PayPal brand in one simple, and hopefully memorable phrase.

I will not be copyrighting it, so please feel free to use it liberally. Whether amongst friends or colleagues, or even with people you have just met. It is our duty. Which brings me to my next point …

Why make this site?

When a company can do so much damage through negligence and mismanagement, I feel we have a duty to warn our fellow shoppers and ebayers of what may easily happen to them.

Often we do not have the time, the skill or inclination, and that is understandable. But I have two out of three, and I after having lived through PayPal Hell, feel it is my moral responsibility to find the time.

Day 36 – Jean – The Retraining Candidate

So why that title of “PayPal is Evil?”

Why make this site?