I was scammed $3500 by a seller using Square. Why won't Square take a complaint or report?

[JoyMarie]

I purchased something for $3500 from a 3rd party and a Square merchant acted as a 3rd party payment facilitator. Unfortunately the 3rd party was scamming me and sold me something defective with fake documents making me believe it was all legitimate. The Square merchant didn't have me sign for the transaction but I found out later they had forged my signature on the electronic receipt (which is incredibly weird because I probably would've willingly signed since I didn't yet know I was being scammed). The merchant keyed in my credit card # rather than dipping my card with a chip, they never offered a printed receipt and the electronic receipt didn't even say what the transaction was for. To top it off, once I got the defective item, they refused all contact with me. When the merchant refused to even talk to me about the dispute I was forced to file a claim with my credit card issuer. The only thing the merchant had to submit to fight the chargeback was the electronic receipt with a forged signature but they used documents from the 3rd party (i.e. text messages) and successfully fought the chargeback. Why didn't Square allow me to make an official report or complaint about them to save other people from getting scammed?!

All Square did was suggest I file a police report which I of course did but I guess since the police assumed I'd be getting my money back from Square and my credit card, they didn't bother to investigate. The forged signature wasn't even remotely close to my signature. The letters didn't even spell my name. I know in the past Square sellers have been upset about chargebacks from friendly fraud so I guess it's nice they fight for their clients but when their client is breaking numerous Square rules and is intentionally defrauding money out of innocent people with a scam, why doesn't Square at least take a report?!

Square and my credit card company seem to think I should "just take them to small claims court" or "just get an attorney" as if any of that doesn't take a lot of time and money. The problem with that is that both the merchant and 3rd party have stolen money from people before which I found out when I saw all the criminal and civil records on them and those kind of people don't pay judgements. It's maddening!

Thank you for any help or guidance!

[Candlestore · Accepted solution]

@JoyMarie ;

As I see this is your first post here let me welcome you and I am sorry this has happened to you.  Ususally its your Credit Card issuer that makes the descison on reversing the charges, not Square.  You are one of the few people I have heard of loosing a claim with your banks Credit card.  If the Seller Forged your Name, can't you go back to your bank or CC  issuer and say that is not my signature and you should have it on file?  Now to top it off if you were there in person the fees for Typing in a CC are higher than having you Tap or Dip your card.  Which I would also bring up with your next contact with your CC issuerer.  If you saw all the other Civil complaints and criminal records, send them to your bank also, and see if they can reopen your case to get the money returned.  There are many complaints in here from legitimate businesses that have lost because of people with documnets agreeing to buy an item that is custom for them then, after paying filing a claim, and the Square business looses and the person has a custom one off piece for free.  This is because the Credit Card company or bank said not enough evidence, again it is not Squares call, but the company you have the CC with that believed the scammer over you.  And with them doing this to numerous people, it sounds as they have a way to make it all seem they followed rules.  You should call your Credit Card Company, and send them the new evidence of all the other fraud you found, maybe they will reverse it for you.  Other than that, it would be a civil matter against the 2 party scammers that are working together.

[JoyMarie]

I appreciate the info. but since I filed a dispute with my credit card company, Square refuses to speak to me about the case, probably because of lawsuits.

[Candlestore]

@JoyMarie ;

Which is why I am pointing you back to your Credit Card company.  Square is a middle man between CC company and  businesses.  Squares purpose is to send a sales amount to a CC company, then the CC company sends back either Approved or Denied.  If a business gets too many Charge backs or bank complaints that is when Square removes or suspends the business.  But this is all done through people complaining to their CC company.  You need to find out why they approved this scammer for Fraudulent merchandise.   The item your were buying was A but you got C, you thought you were buing something worth $3500 but got something worth $3.50 for example because it was fake.  Only thing we can suggest here is to ask for higher ups at the CC company, and complain to them or tell them your cancelling the card and not paying them.  This was fraud and your not buying the 3.50 item for 3500.... you want your money back and you will gladly return the item to the scammers but they wont answer the phone when you try to talk to them.

[JoyMarie]

Thank you!!!

[Candlestore]

You're welcome.