Consumeractive

How can I get back my Paypal money for missing goods?

Q

I’m having trouble filing a dispute with Paypal over air coolers I ordered in June from a company called Dealboom ( http://dealboom.net). I’ve been charged for two although I only ordered one, and neither has turned up. The company doesn’t respond to emails and when I try to raise a dispute with Paypal I can’t complete the form. Do I have any other rights? Alan Edge

A

Alan’s covered by both Paypal’s Buyer Protection Scheme ( www.snipca. com/28736) and the Consumer Contract Regulations (CCRS), which let customers cancel a purchase bought online for 14 days for any reason (not just because the item is faulty). But because Dealboom is based in Estonia, it won’t be easy for Alan to make a claim under the CCRS.

However, Estonia is an EU member state and a member of the trans-european European Consumer Centre Network, so he could approach the Estonian Consumer Protection Board for help ( www.snipca.com/28746). But there’s no guarantee this will be successful.

Given these hurdles, we’d have assumed the easiest way to get redress would be through Paypal - and so it has proved. The company told us it is guiding Alan through the process of filing his claim against Dealboom, and it “should soon be resolved”.

If these coolers ever turn up – even if he’s still going through the claims process with Paypal – Alan must refuse delivery. Dealboom has breached the contract by not delivering them on time and if he doesn’t refuse delivery he’ll be responsible for paying the return costs, which won’t be cheap.

CASE CLOSED