Scammed???

I placed a want-ad for a Feathertouch focuser and received a response from a user in Ariz. His emails were always prompt and he sent photos to my personal email as requested. We agreed on a price and the seller sent me a payment request invoice thru PayPal. I sent the funds, $500, within a couple of hours. The seller acknowledged the payment was received and indicated that the focuser would be shipped ASAP and to expect the tracking info. That was three days ago. My requests for shipping status go unanswered and now I see that his user profile is gone. I filed a request for full refund with PayPal, but they are insisting that I keep trying to contact and resolve the issue with the seller. Users name is Tyler Sichelski. 

Yep - he is no longer with us

Glad you paid with PayPal 

Herb

AMEN! 

Thank you Herb

Hi Lynn, would you mind telling us whether PayPal refunded your money and how long it took to get a resolution?  I’m unfortunately in a similar situation with another scammer. 
Scott

Here is an update:

I opened a dispute with PayPal after four days of repeated emails to the seller went unanswered. PayPal told me that I had to wait 7 days before escalating my dispute to an actual case. When I asked why such a long wait, PayPal said “I needed to allow the seller a reasonable length of time to ship the purchase”. I got fed up on day 6 and politely but firmly requested the case be escalated to a full refund ASAP. PayPal then told me that they would “take over attempting to contact the seller”. That didn’t exactly leave me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. If the seller doesn’t respond to PayPal in five days, my $500 will be refunded to my account. The money could take up to 30 days to be processed and appear in my account.

I am glad and relieved to be getting my $500 back- just hope I am still alive when it shows up.

Thanks for the reply, Lynn.  After 6 days, all I’ve received from PayPal was the initial “we’ve received your case” email that I received from them within minutes of filing the claim.  And I don’t see any way to contact them again with additional supporting evidence.  I hope they don’t suggest that I keep trying to contact the seller, as it’s already been established that he’s a scammer.  He’s been banned from Astromart, and he’s admitted in his emails to me that he hacked another AM members’ account to falsely represent himself as that member, and has no plans to send me the scope that I bought.  I just hope that I’m not out of luck here.