Unlike many teccys, I’m neither in the Windows, Mac or Linux camp.  I’m actually in all three.  I love using Linux for web servers, they are simply the best operating system in my opinion for running PHP, MySQL and Apache (otherwise known as LAMP).

I also love Windows Vista.  Controversial some might say, however I have NEVER had a single issue with Vista and it works fantastically for me, it looks great as well!

Now onto the Apple Macs.  My history with macs is both relatively recent and actually quite old at the same time.  I can remember as a kid, my dad bringing one of the early Macs home from work and me playing with the drawing tools.

Now my first mac was an iMac Snow, one of the old CRT screens all in one with a CD drive, running OS X 10.2, then came an iBook G4, followed by a Mac Mini.

Then came the current iMac generation which interestingly also makes my most stable Windows PC to date due to the fantastic BootCamp.

Just before I went on holiday this year i finished my latest iPhone App, called iSki, which shows the snow fall and webcams for all the major ski resorts in the world.  I submitted it to the App Store the day before I left, knowing that it usually takes Apple about a week to two to approve initial submissions of new Apps.

At the end of the second week, the App was rejected due to minor issues and I knew could be fixed in seconds and resubmitted.  

How does this relate to the MacBook Air? Well if I had a Mac with me I could have fixed this issue, resubmitted within minutes rather than waiting a week to get home and then a further week to get it approved (which actually it was).

So the answer for me was either the MacBook or the MacBook Air?  The MacBook is cheaper and more powerful but the MacBook Air is incredibly small and very light.  I almost got a MacBook until I remembered the entire reason for the purchase… portability!  Then I remembered the Apple Refurb Store.

The rest is history, I’m now typing this on my Air and it’s a wonderful bit of kit, if I’d have wanted a desktop replacement I’d have gone for the MacBook Pro, for the portable work system, the Air wins on so many levels for me.

Now I’m not going to get into the argument of the rights or wrongs of using PayPal as a transaction processor, for me it’s simple, easy, relatively cheap and if you use eBay you’re pretty much forced to use it anyway.  Also not all of this is PayPal’s fault, but I’ll start there

OK so on 14th May 2008 I recieved an overly large transaction payment into my PayPal account, being a bit suspicious I logged in with the intention of refunding the payment, to be notified by PayPal that they had held the transaction pending an anti-fraud review. OK fair enough but that process blocks me from refunding it anyway so I have to wait for PayPal to conclude their ‘investigation’.

Next I get an email on the 15th May from PayPal saying they have reversed the transaction.  Great case closed, resolution I wanted anyway.

Now it starts to get complicated.  On the 22nd May I get a chargeback from PayPal (and they cancel the reversal) saying unauthorised transaction.  So now not only do I have to refund the month I fully intended to refund (and believed that PayPal had refunded anyway) but now I have to pay a chargeback fine for a transaction PayPal would not let me refund in the first place because they placed a hold on the funds.

On the 7th June PayPal closed the chargeback, refunded the month and charged me a chargeback fee.  OK so this should be case close right?  Think again.

Yesterday, 30th June, I get another email from PayPal stating a chargeback again!  What?  You’ve refunded the money, charged me a fine and now you issue me another chargeback?  Apparently the chargeback was initiated on the 28th but they only told me on the 30th.  Apparently the reason for the chargeback is ‘Special – Chargeback created by processing error’  What the heck does that mean? 

In the email it tells me that I should get in contact with my account rep at an email address, so I did, I get an email back telling me  I can’t email them I have to do it from within the resolution centre…. then why tell me to email you then!?!!?!

I’ve added info to it under the resolution centre but I can tell you this if they refund the money again and charge me another chargeback fine I will not let it rest as I’d consider that theft of my money by PayPal!

Now I did say that PayPal isn’t the only group at fault here.  Some responsibility must lie with the person who’s PayPal account was used to make the fraudulent transaction.  How difficult is it… don’t fall for phising scams!