 New buyer opened case, paypal funds frozen
Hi all, I am new here to forgive me if there is a thread already like this.
Basically I sold an item for £105 including p&p which was £5. Buyer paid immediately, I sent the item well packaged, first class recorded with parcel force, which I was told was the cheapest and quick option. Cost me almost £13! But fair enough, i'll take it out of the £100 for the item I sold, not a problem.
I sent the item on a Saturday and was told it would not be sent until Monday as parcel force don't work weekends, told the buyer this, he was fine with it. I gave him a tracking number aswell, which for some reason didn't work.
Now this guy was a new buyer, only had 1 feedback before me, but he paid immediately so it wasn't an issue. However he started messaging me saying he hadn't received the item after 1 day! I got his email address and sent him a picture of my proof of postage as he clearly didn't believe i'd sent the item, as a seller with almost 400 positive feedback, it was clear I'm an honest ebayer.
Anyway he then had my private email address because i'd emailed him the picture. Then came more messages, I haven't received it, when did you send it, the tracking number isn't working, when did you send it, it's still not here. At least point I had emailed parcel force asking why the hell the tracking number wasn't working when i'd paid so much for the pleasure of having it. Got an email back on Wednesday (remember it had only been picked up by them Monday), saying the package had been signed for and was left with a neighbour on the Tuesday. The guy obviously hadn't bloody checked with them! So he messages me saying he'd received an item, but didn't know if it was the one i'd sent.
At this point I was thinking 'who am I dealing with here? Honestly' so I asked if it was the item in question, yes it was, I asked if it was packaged in brown paper etc the way I'd packaged it, yes it was. But he then says it's the wrong item and isn't the one i'd listed. It was, I know it was, he's saying I sold him the original version of this item, when i'd listed the upgraded version and that's the one he wanted which was why he'd bid.
I'm not one to argue, so I agreed to refund him, but only when I had the full amount in my paypal as I was selling some items and I would have the refund by the time the day was out. He wasn't happy with this, he wanted an immediate refund, told me he wasn't sending me my item until he'd got his refund. That the item he'd paid £100 for was only worth £40. Um....that's not the way it works my friend. I said he could send me the item and once I'd got it I would refund him. He started going on about me scamming him, when he's the one with 1 feedback.
He then had a change of heart I guess after a few messages and said to save the bother he would keep the item. Fine by me. However he then started saying it had no installation disc, which it did, so I found him some links online to the software he needed. Also if the item was only worth £40 why keep it if you feel you've paid over the odds? Day or so passes, I ask him if that's ok with him, he then opens an 'item not as described case' on ebay. So my funds get frozen on ebay.
I had transferred some money from paypal and had £50 in there when the funds got frozen, giving me a negative £55. So I sold some items and made enough for the refund. Now it's been almost 8 days, I've been told that after 8 days I can escalate the case, as this guy hasn't responded to it, and aside from 2 messages spaced 5 days apart asking for my address to send the item, both of which I have replied to, I still haven't received my item.
My question is, if I escalate this case to ebay, am I more likely to lose or win? I'd rather not escalate but this guy hasn't really given me an option. And like I said, he only now has 2 feedback (I gave him positive feedback because he paid instantly, that was before he messed me about) and I have almost 400. Will the case be decided in my favour because i'm clearly an honest seller? If so will I get all the funds back from paypal? Or will I have to wait even longer for this guy to respond to an escalated case?
I have sold so many items on ebay and not had a problem, if someone really doesn't like the item or it isn't what they thought, I will refund them, if they aren't happy, why not? But I am now £100 out of pocket and as I am currently unemployed, I really need this money to pay the bills!
I do apologise for the long post, I just wanted everyone to know all the details.
 | 
