Seller is insisting I do a chargeback with my credit card company

[josephine]

Recently I paid someone on Reddit $89.77 USD for Shoppers PC Optimum points converted to Amazon.ca gift cards which he wasn't able to deliver (we weren't aware they changed their policy recently, we can no longer redeem gift cards with PC points). Very strange though, he insists I do a chargeback with my credit card company, rather than a refund/paypal dispute since it would affect his account. This is his explanation for it :

"Okay so if you have a business pp account, every refund in a month increases the delay between you receiving goods and services money.

I have done one refund so there's a delay now. If I do another it will be a bigger delay.

A chargeback doesn't do anything to my account at all. In fact paypal tends to just treat them as forced refunds. So go for it."

He is willing to refund the small portion of it $9.59 USD paid as 'friends and family' and in fact says he already initiated the process transferring from bank account to paypal.  So he doesn't appear to be a scammer but I'm wondering if it's ok for me to do the chargeback?   I think his Paypal account is limited (he says he was hacked a few months ago) so that's why we're running into this issue.  He's also paranoid of a double chargeback (if he sends me cash through alternative methods, he thinks I will do a chargeback anyway).

[retroman_studios]

Since you were technically buying virtual goods, there is no possibility for a PayPal dispute, as PayPal only accepts disputes for tangible goods.

I would be extremely leery of anyone who offered for sale points, gift cards etc. It's one of the most fraudulent categories that are used by fraudsters.

You can try a chargeback with your CC company but it depends what the policy they have is regarding virtual goods.

And the part where he is not a scammer? Sorry, don't believe it. If he wasn't a scammer we wouldn't be having this conversation plain and simple.

[ypdc_dennis]

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@josephine wrote:

... for Shoppers PC Optimum points converted to Amazon.ca gift cards which he wasn't able to deliver (we weren't aware they changed their policy recently, we can no longer redeem gift cards with PC points).

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No gift cards -- it has been that way since Feb/2018 when the PC Optimum loyalty points program was created by the merger of PC Points and Shoppers Optimum.

[josephine]

Thanks, we'll see what happens I have already contacted the moderators.

I had bought thousands of dollars in discount gift cards on a local site, Redflagdeals forum, haven't had much issues and everything is paid for in cash, Interac e-transfer, Paypal, even bitcoins/cryptocurrency. Saved a lot of money on that site over the years since I joined in 2002 (thousands of dollars, including all the cash back rewards).  Since the gift card supply over there is low this time of year, I thought I'd give Reddit a try.  Looking for other good dedicated gift card forums.

[josephine]

I was able to redeem my PC Points for gift cards as recently as July. Guess they made changes recently.

[ypdc_dennis]

The rules versus actual enforcement of the rules.

[tyler@ebay]

Hi everyone,

Due to the length of time that has passed since this thread began I have locked it from future replies. If this is still an issue that warrants discussion, don't hesitate to begin a new thread!