# PayPal forces destruction of violin



## Lunasong

Story here.

The buyer disputed the label in a purchased violin and, rather than having the violin returned to the seller for credit, Paypal asked the buyer to destroy the instrument and provide photographic evidence.









_I sold an old French violin to a buyer in Canada, and the buyer disputed the label.

This is not uncommon. In the violin market, labels often mean little and there is often disagreement over them. Some of the most expensive violins in the world have disputed labels, but they are works of art nonetheless.

Rather than have the violin returned to me, PayPal made the buyer DESTROY the violin in order to get his money ($2500) back. They somehow deemed the violin as "counterfeit" even though there is no such thing in the violin world. _


----------



## Iforgotmypassword

That is a relatively enfuriating sight. The disgusting wastefulness of our modern culture today is just that.. disgusting.


----------



## Polednice

The most annoying thing - which I didn't realise the first few times I saw this making the rounds - is that the seller ended up having the violin smashed _and_ had to give the buyer a refund. Did they ever get their money back off paypal?


----------



## jurianbai

i will not buy a grand piano by paypal then...


----------



## regressivetransphobe

Paypal: literally operated by Dr. Evil.


----------



## Lukecash12

Lunasong said:


> Story here.
> 
> The buyer disputed the label in a purchased violin and, rather than having the violin returned to the seller for credit, Paypal asked the buyer to destroy the instrument and provide photographic evidence.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _I sold an old French violin to a buyer in Canada, and the buyer disputed the label.
> 
> This is not uncommon. In the violin market, labels often mean little and there is often disagreement over them. Some of the most expensive violins in the world have disputed labels, but they are works of art nonetheless.
> 
> Rather than have the violin returned to me, PayPal made the buyer DESTROY the violin in order to get his money ($2500) back. They somehow deemed the violin as "counterfeit" even though there is no such thing in the violin world. _


I would have myself a good cry if I had made that violin.


----------



## Couchie

Shame it was a violin and not a viola.


----------



## Sofronitsky

Couchie said:


> Shame it was a violin and not a viola.


Had it been a viola, the headline would be much different...

"Paypal celebrated as hero for destruction of annoying instrument"


----------



## aphyrodite

Ugh, what the heck. I feel sad for the violin.


----------



## Lunasong

Polednice said:


> The most annoying thing - which I didn't realise the first few times I saw this making the rounds - is that the seller ended up having the violin smashed _and_ had to give the buyer a refund. Did they ever get their money back off paypal?


To answer what I think is your question, yes, the buyer gets a refund upon showing photographic evidence of the destruction of the violin. The seller gets nothing.

I reviewed the original post again on Regretsy and found this update:
_I neglected to mention in the original post that the violin was examined and authenticated by a top luthier prior to its sale._

Yahoo News posted a picture of the intact violin 








and a statement from PayPal:
"The reason why we reserve the option to ask the buyer to destroy the goods is that in many countries, including the U.S., it is a criminal offense to mail counterfeit goods back to a seller."

Even if the seller is willing to take the item back, she might not get back the same item she sold. I hear this is a common ruse by buyers to rip off sellers...then the buyer gets to keep the item AND the money!

It will be interesting to continue following this story as the case is based upon SNAD (significantly not as described).
As one of the comments posted on Regretsky states, "I can't believe someone would pay $2500 for a violin and be the same kind of person who would destroy it."


----------

