My experience is worse than yours. I got $ 2000 Can in my Paypal and they locked my account for three years because I traveled to different country and I am not allowed to use Paypal while I am traveling. I have to stay in for ever.
Indeed, if I contact a supplier for some products who runs more risks is buyer, however, because the supplier will ship items only after payment. for both the supplier does not run any risk, one that runs many more risks is the buyer and must be protected. I think that if there was better control to verify a seller alibaba.com website would be the best in the world for business. bye-bye to all
Danilo is absolutely correct in his assessment that it is the buyer who is at risk than the seller, however this applies only in cases of advance payments by TT or other means like Western Union.
In case of a credit sale, the reverse becomes true!
Also, in cases of Letter of Credits, there are several instances of the seller not being able to get the funds, since the L/C opening bank refused payment at the behest of the buyer, citing some add documentary irregularities which the inexperienced seller could not understand earlier.
Thousand of leather product manufacturers in India went broke due to refusal by buyers of goods exported to Germany and Russia on Credit.
The modus Operandi was that, since it was a huge sale on credit,if the gods were rejected and returned, the seller would be forced to negotiate a throw away rate to avoid the shipment being dumped or returned without delivery.
Even old buyers have done this. Because they know that after a few years, they can again return to the same market and same suppliers!
It's always a two way game, but yes, for small buyers,it is always better to be careful of sellers because advance payment cannot be taken back.
Sanjay Somani