Item returned to Sender, PayPal refused my dispute

[Thoth_Dhwty]

Hi all! I need a bit of assistance with a situation I'm in. I am based in the UK.

I pre-ordered two items from a well-known merchant in France back in August. Items were due to be delivered in October. This is not the first time I ordered from them, but it's first time when I have issues. 

Specifically, the total of the items ordered were £95.98 inc. VAT, which is below the £135 threshold for import duties. I've ordered many times before and never had to pay import charges for anything under £135. Anyhow, in October, when items got dispatched from sender, I received an email and text messages from DPD UK asking me for paying due to import charges. Knowing that my items should not incur any import charges, I have called DPD to ask further questions, to which I was told that sender has miss-declared the value at £199. After my call with DPD I contacted the seller to raise a query regarding this to which they told me to hang tight as they need to investigate. Few days later, with DPD not receiving payment, they have started the process of returning the items back to sender. Fast forward a couple of more days, items were returned to sender and now sender stops responding to my queries. I even opened a new query which just got ignored. So I proceeded with opening a dispute through PayPal and have uploaded evidence of tracking with items being returned to sender and sender ghosting me. Few days after I opened the dispute, sender "uploaded tracking information" but when I check in the case details, says "null" under tracking details uploaded by sender. Today, PayPal has closed the dispute in seller favor.

So right now I am without items and without money. What is my best course of action?

Is it worth ringing PayPal at all? I've read so many other cases where people escalated a dispute and got nowhere. Should I just straight away file a chargeback with my credit card company, and would this affect my PayPal account?

It's really disappointing how this has been handled when the evidence is all there pointing to items being returned.

[kernowlass]

@Thoth_Dhwty 

I gave up my time to help you twice previously, neither time did you even bother to say thank you let alone leave a kudos/solution.

I even told you about a scam email you had received, ...no reply or thank you. Doesn't encourage folks to give up their time again.

https://www.paypal-community.com/t5/user/viewprofilepage/user-id/9609868

[Sandran551]

I’m going through the same thing now. My dispute has been denied twice. I returned the items sent tracking information several times even reached out to the seller who never responds. The tracking information says there were two attempts to deliver the items and the seller wasn’t there. It’s currently sitting at their local post office waiting for them to retrieve it. PayPal has asked me for the tracking information several times and I’ve given it to them each time. What happened to buyer protection? I did everything that was required of me. Oh and each time I spoke to customer support I got a different answer and instructions. They’re clearly gaslighting people. I’m done and I’m out of over $100, it’s been a nightmare. I didn’t mention all the details the post would be too long. I’m done with PayPal.