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Bad Fraudulent website; useless PayPal

Brummie

Brummie

Feedback: 187 / 0 / 0
Joined
Jan 13, 2007
Messages
2,780
I was looking at some Flytanium products the other day, and as I was searching, I came across the Flytaniumknife.com website, which I took to the company's website. I made a modest purchase on the website via PayPal.

I didn't get a proper order confirmation via email. A few minutes later I discovered Flytanium's real website - Flytanium.com - and it rapidly became obvious that I'd been scammed.

I immediately raised a dispute via PayPal, believing I should have been covered for the purchase. After being sent round in circles by PayPal's automated system, and not getting any real response, I finally got through to an on-line chat agent today, and they told me that the transaction wasn't covered, because it was a "personal transaction".

But here's the thing - There was nothing to tell me it was a personal transaction at the time. I was referred from a commercial website to PayPal's pop-up payment box, and it looked like any other online purchase. Even when I view the transaction in my PayPal account, there's nothing to show it was a personal transaction - I only found that out today.

It looks like the fake website has now been shut down, but, PayPal - What is the point of providing purchase protection, if there's no way of telling when that protection might be deemed invalid?
 
Personal Transaction via Goods & Services? All my transactions are personal; I don't have a business account.
 
Hey Brummie, we're so sorry to hear you got scammed. As soon as we came across that site we started the process to get it taken down, and we're happy to say we were successful! I swear they pop up like gophers sometimes. Really sucks that PayPal threw you under the bus with the "personal transaction" loophole. What did you try to buy? We'd love to get in touch and help you out!
 
If you used a credit card as the basis for the PP transaction, contact them and ask for a chargeback.
 
Did you select proper transaction type, Goods & Services, when arguing with PayPal?
Did you collect all the evidence from the scam site, order details?
After all, file a case with undelivered goods, plus a bit patience should get your problem solved.
 
FlytaniumOfficial said:
Hey Brummie, we're so sorry to hear you got scammed. As soon as we came across that site we started the process to get it taken down, and we're happy to say we were successful! I swear they pop up like gophers sometimes. Really sucks that PayPal threw you under the bus with the "personal transaction" loophole. What did you try to buy? We'd love to get in touch and help you out!
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Good stuff.
 
Danke42 said:
Personal Transaction via Goods & Services? All my transactions are personal; I don't have a business account.
Click to expand...
I only have a business account, which I hope protects me from scams.

Prior to reading the OP's post I thought all it did was keep people from sending me F&F - it still allows me to send money out as F&F.
 
FlytaniumOfficial said:
Hey Brummie, we're so sorry to hear you got scammed. As soon as we came across that site we started the process to get it taken down, and we're happy to say we were successful! I swear they pop up like gophers sometimes. Really sucks that PayPal threw you under the bus with the "personal transaction" loophole. What did you try to buy? We'd love to get in touch and help you out!
Click to expand...
I would click the love button, if there was one. I hope you can help him out for real.
 
FlytaniumOfficial said:
Hey Brummie, we're so sorry to hear you got scammed. As soon as we came across that site we started the process to get it taken down, and we're happy to say we were successful! I swear they pop up like gophers sometimes. Really sucks that PayPal threw you under the bus with the "personal transaction" loophole. What did you try to buy? We'd love to get in touch and help you out!
Click to expand...
I much appreciate your reaching out. The order was for CF scales and a titanium ball cage for a Manix XL.

But look - this was not a must-have purchase for me, more something I thought it would be fun to try out, and neither was it a crippling amount of money to lose. I'm a big boy, and it was my mistake for not checking that this was the genuine website before making the purchase. I don't hold you guys in any way responsible - in fact, I'm sure this type of thing is a much bigger headache for you than it is for me. I'm most annoyed with PayPal's lack of transparency and accountability.
 
golden_dragon said:
Did you select proper transaction type, Goods & Services, when arguing with PayPal?
Did you collect all the evidence from the scam site, order details?
After all, file a case with undelivered goods, plus a bit patience should get your problem solved.
Click to expand...
I didn't initiate the transaction from PayPal, it was through the seller's (fake) website that directed me to a PayPal pop-up for the payment. There was no option to select between G&S or F&F, and there was nothing to indicate that it was not a G&S transaction, either before or after sending it. It looked just like any other on-line retail transaction processed through PayPal.

There is no option to file a case, because PayPal have labelled it as a personal transaction.

That's why I'm annoyed with PayPal. They should not let that happen - they should make very clear when you are making a personal transaction that is not covered by Buyer Protection, and there's no reason for that to be available at all when you're transferred from a commercial website. During yesterday's back-and forth with the PayPal Chat agent, they said "We're sorry the merchant's website was set up incorrectly." Oh, come on! This was not a mistake - the scammer knew exactly what they were doing, and PayPal's systems shouldn't let them do it.
 
ratstuph said:
If you used a credit card as the basis for the PP transaction, contact them and ask for a chargeback.
Click to expand...
It was debited directly to my checking account, not to a credit card. I can check with the bank if there's any coverage (I'd be happy if they had some way of clawing the money back from PP), but I'm doubtful.
 
Brummie said:
I much appreciate your reaching out. The order was for CF scales and a titanium ball cage for a Manix XL.

But look - this was not a must-have purchase for me, more something I thought it would be fun to try out, and neither was it a crippling amount of money to lose. I'm a big boy, and it was my mistake for not checking that this was the genuine website before making the purchase. I don't hold you guys in any way responsible - in fact, I'm sure this type of thing is a much bigger headache for you than it is for me. I'm most annoyed with PayPal's lack of transparency and accountability.
Click to expand...
We get it! Shoot us an email though, we'd love to hook you up anyway. Manix 2 XL scales are discontinued and sold out - I even checked my archive - but we have some cool Manix Cages with Tritium, it'll give your knife a nice pop! There's a contact form on our website, or email direct at info @ flytanium .com
 
FlytaniumOfficial said:
We get it! Shoot us an email though, we'd love to hook you up anyway. Manix 2 XL scales are discontinued and sold out - I even checked my archive - but we have some cool Manix Cages with Tritium, it'll give your knife a nice pop! There's a contact form on our website, or email direct at info @ flytanium .com
Click to expand...
Big Thumbs Up!
 
FlytaniumOfficial said:
We get it! Shoot us an email though, we'd love to hook you up anyway. Manix 2 XL scales are discontinued and sold out - I even checked my archive - but we have some cool Manix Cages with Tritium, it'll give your knife a nice pop! There's a contact form on our website, or email direct at info @ flytanium .com
Click to expand...

Good on you :)
 
I am not familiar with Flytanium, but I will be going to their site right now to see what I may need! What a gesture and what a company! We need to support folks running a business this way! Above and beyond, WOW, FLYTANIUM! Regards, Steve
 
Flytanium wow big kudos! Didn’t even have to do that! I love my scales on my Bugout, you guys do great work.
 
FlytaniumOfficial said:
We get it! Shoot us an email though, we'd love to hook you up anyway. Manix 2 XL scales are discontinued and sold out - I even checked my archive - but we have some cool Manix Cages with Tritium, it'll give your knife a nice pop! There's a contact form on our website, or email direct at info @ flytanium .com
Click to expand...
This is a fantastic offer. Not sure why I can't Like or Love, but 😻😻😻
 
FlytaniumOfficial said:
Hey Brummie, we're so sorry to hear you got scammed. As soon as we came across that site we started the process to get it taken down, and we're happy to say we were successful! I swear they pop up like gophers sometimes. Really sucks that PayPal threw you under the bus with the "personal transaction" loophole. What did you try to buy? We'd love to get in touch and help you out!
Click to expand...
Great job 👍🏼 👏🏼
 
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