Test case: has anyone here had an experience with an eBay seller who failed to supply, and when you opened a claim in PayPal, the result was that PayPal informed you that the seller only had x amount (partial refund, in other words) while also informing you that the claim was processed under the Buyer Protection Policy?
I've certainly heard of cases where the buyer was informed that only x amount could be recovered, but invariably from what I've heard this was when the claims were processed under the "Buyer Complaint Policy" (the wrong policy applied). When told by the buyer that this was the wrong policy, eventually the buyers received a full refund. However, I do stress "eventually". I know of several instances where the buyers had to be extremely insistent. In one instance, the person mentioned having to shout and get upset on the phone to PayPal, because calm reason got her nowhere. In another instance, repeated requests to speak to a supervisor were denied. The buyers did eventually get through to someone in PayPal who acknowledged that the wrong policy had been applied, and full refunds were issued.
Now, on the subject of bank transfers... the proper course would be to pursue the fraudulent business through the Small Claims Tribunal, but that presents difficulties in the instance of the teenage girl. But read through
this - interestingly, minors may be a party to, and bound by, proceedings in a Tribunal as though they are of full age and capacity.
This appears to explain the partial refund mentioned in the article.