@ESP1138 You are not alone. I checked out the link provided by Tina_Als_Girl and there is another woman by the username of ArtsyHelen whose son also ordered one of these handlinks and received nothing but excuses from this seller of why the product was not ready to be shipped.
Since this thread is old, I do hope the issue was solved however just in case:
I don't know how Paypal or their support system works as I myself do not have an account. Only on the uncommon occasion that a worthwhile purchase requires it will I use it as a guest even.
I however have searched the Paypal policies and found the page that describes their refund system. This is what they had to say about situations like yours in which you attempted to request a refund by email (which is the first step) and wasn't accommodated:
If your seller doesn’t agree to refund your money, you may be able to open a dispute in the Resolution Center. You can open a dispute if you didn’t receive your item or you received something that doesn’t match the seller’s description. (You must open your dispute within 45 days of paying for your item.)
In the Resolution Center, you can communicate directly with the seller and try to resolve the problem. If you aren’t able to work it out, we may be able to help you get a refund.
Note:
If you paid with your debit card or credit card, your payment is refunded to your debit card or credit card. It may take up to 30 days for the refund to appear on your card statement.
If you paid with your bank account or PayPal balance, your payment is refunded to your PayPal account.
They should elaborate on the point of offering the refund themselves if communication with the seller via the Resolution Center bares no result as I myself am not clear on what this means. I however assume the system's time frame applies there as well.
Unfortunately if your transaction is as old as these fine people say you are out of Paypal's system's reach. The Resolution Center only takes cases up to 45 days old and even sellers who agree to issue refunds can only do so within 60 days of the transaction. Your seller would be unable to perform it today.
You could try Al_Calavicci's suggestion to contact Paypal and explain your problem by phone but I honestly would not be surprised if they no longer had any record of your transaction(if they even keep records). Honestly I would not put much stock in this attempt.
The legal route may cost more than the worth of the damage but this does qualify as fraud and would be taken seriously and in my book the amount lost is generous enough to be worth the fight.
In the future when making a large purchase (over $100) I suggest using their installment policy as the seller would not have been permitted to begin accepting your payment until the product was shipped (not that I can judge how well they enforce this):
2. Installment Plans.
Installment Plans allow you to offer your customer the ability to make a purchase from you and pay you in 4 or fewer installments. If you use Installment Plans, you must follow these requirements:
You may not charge for the first payment of the installment until you have shipped the goods purchased by your customer.
It truly pains me to see someone like this attempting to take a sh** on this community's wholesome, friendly and honest name as well as to slander Quantum Leap and you have my sympathies for your situation. As do you AlsPlaceBartender for having to deal with this a**hole. I am glad the thread has been appropriately dealt with to prevent anyone else from becoming victim.
FYI to answer another concern of ESP's, banning his account here would not necessarily put him out of business, he could take it elsewhere and even continue to attempt on our users if it's possible to display our email addresses on our public profiles. Another reason legal action is best, it may also put a stop to him.
