Resolved Problem Transaction with Bellforge - Resolved via Paypal

I'm sorry to have to post this, but I feel strongly compelled to do so since I have been having a highly disappointing buying experience with @Bellforge that has been unresolved for over a month now. Here are the facts:

On July 20th 2017, I contacted Bellforge through a private message to ask about purchasing a late 2016 Volks NS SD16 girl body she was selling in the Marketplace for $350 (USD) + shipping. She was initially very responsive to my questions and told me that she could ship the body out to me on Monday or Wednesday of the following week (so on the 24th or 26th of July). On July 20th, I sent my full payment to Bellforge via PayPal for $369. I asked for confirmation that she had received my payment but didn't hear back.

On July 26th, I still hadn't heard anything from Bellforge; I hadn't received the body; and PayPal had not been updated with any tracking info. I sent another message to Bellforge asking if she could confirm whether she had received my payment and let me know whether the SD16 girl body had been shipped. Still nothing.

On August 1st, I sent an additional message saying that I "would really appreciate an update on the status of my purchase ASAP." Still nothing from Bellforge.

On August 6th, I sent yet another PM saying that I had tried several times to contact Bellforge, in good faith, and had received no response. I stated that I was disappointed with my experience as a buyer and that if I did not hear from her within 72 hours, I would need to escalate the issue and take necessary action. I still didn't hear anything from Bellforge, but I saw that she had been on the DoA website since I had sent most of my PMs.

On August 12th - a full six days later - I called PayPal customer service and told them about how I had paid for the doll body in full yet had heard absolutely nothing from Bellforge since before the purchase was made, on July 20th. The PayPal agent said that no tracking information had been submitted for my item and that I was protected under PayPal's Buyer Protection. He said that I had been more than patient with Bellforge and urged me to file a claim. He told me that PayPal would try contacting Bellforge. He told me that if Bellforge failed to respond to the situation, I would receive a full refund after 10 days had passed, on August 23rd.

On August 16th, I finally heard from Bellforge for the first time since July 20th. She sent me an e-mail apologizing and saying that she had been traveling on business for two weeks (mind you, the transaction had taken place almost a month earlier). She claimed to have shipped the item; said that I should have had it by then; and said she would go to the post office the following day to inquire as to its whereabouts. I found it odd that she failed to supply an alleged shipping date, any tracking info, or any further details to support her claim that she had in fact shipped the item. I can only speculate as to what happened. She then asked me whether, if the package had been lost or damaged, I would prefer a "full refund and apology" or a 2017 Volks SD16 girl body with free shipping. I replied that same day letting her know that I preferred that a new body be sent to me (with tracking).

By August 20th, I hadn't received any reply from Bellforge. I sent her an e-mail saying that unless she had already sent the new doll body to me, I actually wanted a full refund instead because I did not feel comfortable as a buyer engaging in any more transactions with her. I also asked if she could confirm "within the next couple of days" that she had received both of the e-mails I had sent her. I still have not heard back, and it is now August 22nd. According to her profile, she has not been on DoA for 2 1/2 weeks, since August 4th. According to the PayPal representative to whom I spoke, I should receive my refund tomorrow under PayPal's Buyer Protection Policy

This is my first ever dispute with a member of DoA. I believe my feelings of disappointment and frustration are fully justified given the multiple occasions on which Bellforge could have responded to any one of my multiple PMs or e-mails but instead chose to ignore the situation until it escalated to a PayPal claim. She handled the transaction very poorly and, at this point, really has no excuse for her failure as a seller. I hope that no one else is subjected to the same poor and disrespectful treatment that I have experienced for over a month now. I look forward to a resolution.

 

As an update, PayPal sent me an e-mail today, on August 23rd, informing me that PayPal's investigation has been decided in my favor and that I have been reimbursed the full $369 I paid Bellforge for the Volks SD16 girl body.

 

I can confirm that this transaction has been resolved through PayPal's Buyer Protection Policy.