Argh PayPal Argh

So I buy some content from a member here. The advertised price was $25 ea ($75), but he wanted $35 ea ($105), via Paxum ($15 or $35 wire and then wait days to post) or PayPal.

So I use PP to send the $105, from which PayPal took $4 in fees - perfectly understandable after all of these years.

The guy goes ballistic that I only sent $101, not $105 - like it was my fault. And considering the advertised price was $75. He refunds the $105.

I go to payPal and try to figure out how much to send so that he receives $105. $109.75.

My PP statement shows $105 charge, $105 refund, $109.75 charge.

My Bank statement, however, shows both the $105 and the $109.75 withdrawals from my account.

I get my 6-digit temporary passcode and call PP for help. I fight with the IVR for three minutes trying to get a live person on the line.

In a thick accent, she tells me I have to wait 3-7 days for the refund amount to show back in my PP account, and then I can withdraw it to my Bank. Even though the transaction does show refunded on my PP statement, the ACH request to my bank preceded the seller's refund action.

I think PP could be doing better accounting and coding, to require the Seller to approve the funds before the funds are withdrawn (ACH) from the buyer's bank account.

That and Sellers could stick to the lowest advertised price for content - per US trade practices. And quote a price knowing that PP is going to take fees.

The $105 appeared in my PP account yesterday, so I did a withdrawal.

Maybe Monday, maybe TuesdaY?

A long time to be without $105... and too much time to be keeping iton my to do list.

Took 'til Tuesday to reach my Bank, and another day to post.

Today, PP send me a "survey"!!

I went far beyond just criticizing them for the number of days the $105 was out of my account. I gave them suggestions for how to avoid such a situation. "I think PP could be doing better accounting and coding, to require the Seller to approve the funds before the funds are withdrawn (ACH) from the buyer's bank account."

Not to mention the attention span required to make sure things happened on a daily basis.