... The credit card companies don't play the role of insurance. ...
Sigh. See Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Most people are not using section 75. They are using chargebacks. The credit card company is not jointly liable for a chargeback so the money is being recovered from Alpha's bank or possibly their paypal account (if it has indeed been frozen).
Section 75 may not even be applicable in this case as the payment was made through a third party ie paypal.
http://www.findlaw.co.uk/law/consumer/consumer_credit/500520.html"You must also be careful when third parties are involved as a credit card company will not be liable to pay in these circumstances. A common example would be purchasing something on your credit card through an internet payment facility such as PayPal. As there is no technical direct relationship in these circumstances between the credit card company and the supplier you will not be covered by section 75."http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/section-75-of-the-consumer-credit-act#link-5"If you use your credit card to pay for something through PayPal and the funds go direct to the seller, then as long as the company you're buying from has a 'Commercial Entity Agreement' with Paypal you may still be able to claim under Section 75 for any misrepresentation or breach of contract." What's the betting Alpha doesn't have a "Commercial Entity Agreement"