Hello Mr. Schulman My name is Neal <removed>, I hope this message finds you in good health and spirit. I am writing concerning the protracted discussion through text messaging concerning the referenced PayPal Case number. Me feeling good about giving someone my money shouldn't be this hard and I want to make you aware. I think some things needs to be addressed or fixed but it is hard to fix something if you do not know it is broken and I do not believe you know. I would encourage you to seek out my lengthy text strings for this case and read them. I have asked a lot of questions. I have not had any answered...None...Zero. I get a different agent with each response. They cut and paste the same canned answer over and over again without taking the time to review the entire text string to see that three others have pasted the same message...frustrating. They all seem to have a brilliant understanding of how I feel, but they really need to stop saying this if they are not offering any meaningful solutions to the problem. I have been repeatedly told how it is not fair to the seller to refund my money without the return of the goods they sent me. I can understand this policy for domestic shipments. This policy for international shipments is too oppressive for your PayPal customers and is perpetuating the perfect environment for the scams that litter Facebook and the internet in general. The victims of these scams are pleading for help in your own PayPal Community Forums, but apparently these pleas fall on deaf ears at PayPal because you never respond. I am reaching out to you, for the official PayPal explanation of fairness. So please, consider these facts presented and answer the question below with such acumen that I will completely understand your policy and wholly embrace it. 1. I ordered two(2) pairs of Merrell hiking shoes, men's size 11.5, from a Facebook ad and a company named Adoreby on July 14, 2020, using my PayPal Cash Plus funds. 2. They arrived on August 10, 2020, a total of 27 calendar days for transit. (This transit time is important, please note). 3. I did not receive the Merrell Brand hiking shoes I ordered. I do not know what brand they are. They are extremely low quality shoe with no indication of manufacturer. I confirmed with Merrell that they are not Merrell brand footwear. I shop at Goodwill a lot. These shoes would retail there around $7, at most, in their new condition. 4. The shoes are also women's shoes. They are about a 9.5 in men's shoes. I can not wear them. 5. I contacted the merchant to share the discrepancies between what was ordered and what was received. I was told that they "make substitutions", "not to worry", "they are the same quality", blah, blah, blah... 6. After days of communication with the merchant I escalated my claim with PayPal on August 14 to which I received the following offer from the merchant: "The seller has agreed to issue a full refund for $89.99 USD. To receive this refund, you'll need to ship the item (s) back to the seller by August 26, 2020 at 5:35:14 AM EDT." 7. I have been repeatedly told that it is only fair, to the seller, that I return what I ordered to the seller to qualify for my refund. 8. Allow me to say this aloud, "I DID NOT ORDER SOME PIECE OF **bleep** GENERIC SHOE THAT CAN'T BE GIVEN AWAY IN A SOUTH SUDAN REFUGEE CAMP. I ORDERED MERRILL MOAB HIKING SHOES". 9. The company admitted in an August 13, 2020 email that they made a substitution..."It might not 100% match...we hope you could understand...Maybe it is not as perfect as you thought, not meet your expectations. Sincerely hope you could keep it". These, no name, substitute shoes are junk. Complete junk. 10. So what PayPal is telling me to do is beyond the pale and possibly impossible. Why are you requiring me to return something I didn't order? Have you requested that the seller ship me the correct product? It was a poor business decision on the sellers part to make the substitution without my knowledge or consent. If I had received a box of rubber dog **bleep**, would you make me return that in order to receive my refund? Answer this please! 11. This scam is intentional. I know it and so do you. Allowing it to continue is the same as condoning the behavior and it makes PayPal complicit in the scheme. It is bad business to do that to your customers. 12. PayPal's offer to return the $2 shoes for $30 appears suspect also. Perceptions are reality and the perception is that this return shipping service is a revenue stream that further perpetuates the problem. Why would PayPal want to stop a scam that makes them money? 13. It took the seller 27 days to get me the product, but I only get 12 days to return it to them or I forfeit my refund. How is that fair to me? 14. The United States Post Office, Montverde FL 34756, informed me that the return address provided by the seller is incomplete and guaranteed service could not be offered. This further compromises my ability to receive a refund. 15. The PayPal Community Forums are also filled unhappy customers, because their return shipments are "lost". I have legitimate concerns about a successful return. 16. PayPal's own Community Forums are full of unhappy customers pleading for help from you. The general internet is just as wrought, which makes it hard to believe that PayPal is unaware of this massive problem. So, my question is: "How is requiring me to return to China, at a cost of $30, an item that I did not order, in order for PayPal to honor their Buyer Protection Program, fair to me?". How is it fair to me? How? I didn't order what was sent to me. I do not want what was sent to me. Federal Trade Commission rules state that I do not have to return something that I did not order. I will be happy to return it, but not at my expense. This problem was created by the seller. It is their expense to make it right. Why should PayPal expect me to pay for the seller's mistake? I want to ask this again... Why should PayPal expect me to pay for the seller's mistake?...Why? What was sent to me was done so purposefully and intentionally by the seller with the nefarious intent of defrauding me. The bottom line is that I did not order what was sent to me and I have not received what I ordered. I am looking to you for a solution focused answer that acknowledges I have done nothing wrong in this transaction and I should not suffer any repercussions as a result. Please note that it is also not fair that my PayPal Buyer's Protection ends if I do not accept the sellers offer. The demands of their offer is logistically impossible to meet, and until the matter is settled, I am respectfully requesting my 180 days of buyer protection remain in place. I have had no questions answered by PayPal Customer Service in order that I can make an educated decision on this matter. Attaching this deadline is not fair to me. I also would appreciate this communication being taken seriously and each bullet point be addressed specifically. I hope you take this to heart and address the plague of scams that infect PayPal and the internet in general. Do the right thing for all of us that have been disenfranchised through an unscrupulous sellers and ill conceived policies. Thank you for your time. I am looking forward to your solution focused response. Neal <removed>
