I really hate getting ripped off and I bet you do too. Like many people, I use paypal for the buyer protection feature. Heck - if a seller stiffs you, paypal will make you whole - unless… they don’t.

I recently hired Steve Rodrigue of FE Coding, http://www.fecoding.com to build a website. Steve had been aggressively pursuing another project, so I figured that I would start him off with something basic, then scale up from there. The terms: Half down ($950 USD) with balance due upon completion. After missing deadline after deadline & offering up excuses like he broke his toes (no kidding) I finally got him to commit to either deliver the project by a final deadline or issue a refund. As you may have guessed, he did not deliver & agreed to issue a refund.

Just one small problem - Steve Rodrigue says he doesn’t have the money. FECoding, apparently is broke. He is now ignoring my emails, so I have to communicate through my blog:

Hi Steve - when will I get my money back? (In the event that Steve does the right thing, I will write a follow up post).

So… since steve.rodrigue1@gmail.com won’t pay, I am forced to turn to my protectors at paypal. I filed a claim, waited for the investigation and of course, they found in my favor. I guess that means they will replace the money that Steve Rodrigue stole, right?

Not quite - read on Bucko:

Dear Charles Price,

After careful review, we have concluded our investigation of the Buyer Complaint described below.

We have decided in your favor, however, we were unable to recover any funds from the seller’s account. As stated in the PayPal User Agreement, recovery of funds associated with a Buyer Complaint cannot be guaranteed.

Please know that we will make our best effort to recover the funds in question if they become available in the seller’s account in the future and will take appropriate action against the seller. Such action may include issuing a warning, a temporary restriction, or terminating the account.

Keep in mind that PayPal uses a number of factors to determine when to take action, including member complaints. Due to privacy laws, we cannot discuss the details of any action taken. We hope you understand our policy and that it assures you that you are safe using PayPal.

-----------------------------------
 Transaction Details
 -----------------------------------

 Seller's name: Steve Rodrigue
 Seller's email: info@fecoding.com
 Seller's transaction ID: 

 Transaction date: Jan 23, 2009
 Transaction amount: -$950.00 USD
 Your transaction ID:
 Case number:
 ———————————–
 What to Do Next
 ———————————–

 This case is now closed. No further action is required by you at this time.
  ———————————–
 Other Details
 ———————————–

 To make sure future transactions proceed smoothly, we suggest you visit the
 PayPal site and click the Security Center link located at the bottom of any
 page. There you will find tips on how to avoid fraudulent sellers in the
 “Fraud Prevention Tips for Buyers” section.

 Sincerely,
 PayPal
 Protection Services Department
  Please do not reply to this email. This mailbox is not monitored and you
 will not receive a response. For assistance, log in to your PayPal account
 and click the Help link in the top right corner of any PayPal page.

 BC:PP-643-182-468:R2:USD950.00:02/26/2009:8LX24915PB015163L

 —————————————————————-

 PayPal Email ID PP805

What kind of buyer’s protection is this: “recovery of funds associated with a Buyer Complaint cannot be guaranteed.” (Yeah, I know that electronic goods fall under a different standard, but why?) Thanks a lot

“So… have you been ripped off by an unscrupulous seller? How did you get your money back?