Fraudulent Products

[KLo59]

I ordered a product via a Facebook sponsored AD for Bomba socks. Somehow this chinese company was able to link or make their site look exactly like a legitame Bomba website. I finally received my socks after 15 or so day and it is clear these are not real Bomba's. These are counterfeit and don't even feel like real bomba's. In addition they do not have the logo "Bee Better" inside the top cuffs of the socks. When I contacted the company they said it was mistake. I went to the website they game me and it is clear they do not sell Bomba's nor are they an authorized reseller of Bomba's. The most aggravating aspect is they somehow hijacked the bomba website via facebook.

Now they are trying to extort me for even more money!! I thought PayPal offered protection for the sort of fraud I have been a victim of?  What else can I do? Thankyou.

[kernowlass]

@KLo59 

You would normally see that they were not the real thing as the price would have been really low and not the same prices Bomba normally sell their items for. 

It is legal to sell fakes in China so unfortunately its buyer beware especially on Social Media sites where most of the websites are China based.

If you file a dispute for item received but not as described and put in what has happened and escalate a dispute to a claim then you may get a refund but Paypal normally expect you to return the items back to the seller (trackable to prove delivery) before you get a refund.

That is unless you get written proof from a shop that sells the genuine item or the firm that makes them that they are fake, then you may not have to return them. 

However paypal will help with return costs if you can't do that as long as you have activated the 'return shipping' link at some point before you made the transaction (you can't activate it now unfortunately as its being phased out).

You may however lose the claim if you don't provide that written proof of the item being fake as claims for not as described goods have to be significantly other than as described, so if you bought sox and got sox then you may lose as paypal do not get involved in quality issues (unless proof of being fake is supplied).

Lastly if you funded your paypal payment via a credit card then they may help you with a chargeback?

[sharpiemarker]

@KLo59 

Open a “Significantly not as described” dispute for counterfeit merchandise in the Resolution Center. Be careful of how you state your case though because you need to show that the listing you saw was convincingly legit but received knockoffs. If you showed PayPal a site that sold knockoffs as knock offs, it is as described and it’s on you. Just sayin’. Plus, you’ll have to return item tracked as part of getting a refund.

[Anonymous_User]

I didn’t have to show any proof that the website I had bought counterfeit items from to PayPal when I filed a Not As Described Item dispute. I just called the agent told them they were used nail salon tools, that it’s a health violation and she opened a case for me. I had to do this twice, but I never had to show proof that the site was supposed to be legit.

[Anonymous_User]

I had bought counterfeit nail salon tools first from I now realize was a third party company. I called and filed a dispute. I had to return the items to that company. They had emailed me a paid return shipping label. Then PayPal needed the tracking number and which shipping company I had returned the items too. I checked the postal site with the tracking number and the package was delivered. I uploaded screenshots of it saying it was delivered. But that case was still under review. The first agent told me that it would be dropped in 16 hours, dude didn’t know diddly… called the next day and the agent looked into the case saw my uploaded photos proving that the company had received my package and she refunded me immediately and closed the case. The second time I ordered the same items from the “official” US company’s website. Got them, and boy they were also all used and counterfeit tools. Infuriating! I had to open another dispute, because the items were not as described. Apparently this company was lying to PayPal because they were telling me something different than what they told PayPal. I found out when I called. So they asked the company for more info and they needed to respond before a certain date. Well and behold I was immediately refunded because they never responded before the date. Call PayPal keep saying operator with the automated call then say dispute, but then say operator again. It might tell you ok and then you’ll get connected. Or lately they have been saying that an agent isn’t available but they could send a text link to chat and ask if that would be ok..say NO and you will be directed to a live agent. You really just need to keep up with them doing their jobs. So I would keep checking in and keep calling the agents. Good luck!

[kernowlass]

@Anonymous_User 

The point both @sharpiemarker and I made is that you get a refund as long as you return the goods to the seller if you win a dispute.

HOWEVER if you can provide proof the item is fake then you often do not have to do that return.

You returned for a refund, fine, but we are advising the original poster that if she gets proof item is fake she won't have to do that.