dyanni:

Sorry to hear of your woes with this. Just a thought, after looking back over all the postings and responses on this thread. If you have not already done so, you might want to print-out alot of this dialogue.

#1 it tracks with your experience and you have some very clear descriptions of what's gone down. As well as other testimonials and responses.

#2 this thread dates all postings, so it provides an official record of the chronology of events.

This is for everyone. I've not had much time to listen to the local Clark Howard Consumer Action Show on AM 750 in Atlanta, but occasionally I do hear him rant about PayPal & EBay getting worse at handling fraud. For example, this item comes from his radio braodcast this past Monday (http://clarkhoward.com/shownotes/2003/01/06.html):

"Phony escrow services scamming you!
Over the last 18 months, Clark has warned people about doing business with Ebay, the world’s dominant auction site. People who use ebay and other auction sites get ripped off repeatedly by bogus auction sellers. As a safe zone, Clark has recommended that you use an escrow service. These services hold your money for a fee, and when you receive the merchandise the escrow service releases the money to the seller. Well, these services could be just as dangerous. The latest crime in the auction world is phony escrow services. The number of phony services has topped the 200 mark, according to the Chicago Tribune. One teenager in Alberta, Canada set up one of these services and took an average of $3,000 from people who sent him money. His parents thankfully have set up a restitution plan to have their son pay people back. But he’s just one of many. You need to know the rules of the game. If you are a buyer, you are covered up to $200 usually with most auction sites. But if you use the auction site’s own escrow service, you will have more protection. Just make sure they are legitimate according to the Better Business Bureau. If you are a seller, verify addresses before you ship merchandise to someone."