Startling Insincerity
From time to time, eBay transactions go bad and I have to file a dispute with Paypal. I’m usually in direct contact with the vendor, and the Paypal claim is there as backup; only once has Paypal actually intervened to get my money back.
This time around, Paypal said they couldn’t accept my dispute, because I filed it after the 45-day window. I checked my calendar and realized that it was, in fact, Day 50. So I sent Paypal an email saying, essentially, “Come on! I’ve been talking to the vendor since Day 30. Don’t let five days stop you from helping me out.”
I didn’t expect Paypal to take my side. That would have been reasonable. I expected a form letter reminding me of all the deadlines that I had missed and acknowledged in my initial email. Like the automatic response from a clerk who starts talking as soon as you step up to the counter and won’t look you in the eye or acknowledge what you’ve just said, this kind of letter is the first line of customer disservice.
That’s the email I got, but I was mightily amused that the letter opened with this paragraph: “Thank you for contacting us. I am sorry to hear about (briefly repeat member’s situation).” [emphasis added]
It’s good to know that Paypal is supposed to pretend to care, but they’re just too lazy.