Can a seller refund payment when a INR case is open?

vicx

I ordered an eBay item from a Business Seller 2 weeks ago. Item was marked as dispatched the same day as payment but still has not arrived. I contacted the seller to ask if the item has been dispatched, seller replied stating yes and asked me to check with neighbours and my local delivery office.

Although someone has been home daily to accept delivery, I still checked with neighbours and the delivery office prior to contacting the seller which I told him and gave him the telephone number as requested.

After several messages he still never offered to refund me so I played dumb and asked if I should claim my loss from Royal Mail to see what his response was. He never replied so after 2 days I opened a Paypal dispute, after 24 hours and still no reply (yet he had the time to leave feedback for others) I escalated the dispute to a claim. He then replies with a false tracking number, 6 digits long and sent me this message:

Hiya
Can't issue a refund as a claim is in progress so you'll have to respond to that, I have told paypal that I am willing to refund and have given them proof of postage
regards


I can't respond to the claim as I only have the option to accept the tracking number and close the claim or take no further action to let Paypal review the information.

I do know Paypal will recover my payment because the tracking number supplied is not a correct tracking number but I am just wondering if the seller is correct in saying he can't refund me because a case is open? I thought he would still be able to refund me voluntarily. I will never understand why sellers supply a false tracking number, it is not the first time I have noticed this happen, maybe they do it so the refund process takes longer rather than refund voluntarily.

He has been a Business seller for 12 months with around 400 transactions so surely he should know how to handle INR claims by now instead of dragging it out.

Now what feedback would you leave? I have been using eBay for over 7 year and only ever left positive feedback bar one negative for one seller, although a few other sellers did deserve negative feedback too I always feel it's best to leave it than feel like it was too harsh. However, other buyers rely on feedback comments to see how the sellers dealt with other transactions so we should all leave feedback to reflect how we feel the transaction went.

Would a neutral be more suited? Something along the lines of 'Item never received and no refund given voluntarily'.

ThinkingOfLinking

I'm not a business seller, but I had my one and only INR case opened against me, and I was able to refund during this period with no issues at all. The item turned up the day he opened the INR, which was 5 days after I dispatched it with proof of postage, so he did repay me in the end.

Mrs.W_2

OP, if you close that case and your seller does not refund, you cannot open another one. And you've lost all come back.

Jakg

Yes you can refund (I haven't done it - but the option is there).

He's just stalling. If you close the case you can't open it again. Escalate to PayPal.

vicx

The case is open in Paypal (not eBay), I have escalated the dispute to a claim.

Since he has entered an 'invalid' tracking number I have the option to close the case (which I won't do) or wait until Paypal review the tracking number since the seller is unwilling to refund voluntarily.

I was just wondering, since he has entered the tracking number if he still has the option to refund me as his message states he can't refund me because the case is open. He seemed unwilling to refund me so maybe he is dragging it out or hinting on for me to close the case.

Kite2010

Probably trying to trick you into closing the case knowing that you can't re-open the case.

ThinkingOfLinking

Kite2010 wrote: »

Probably trying to trick you into closing the case knowing that you can't re-open the case.

I'm inclined to agree with this.

pseudopensioner

Just a thought, could you ask the seller to check that they've put in the correct tracking number? I've been gulty of keyboard error, luckily I sorted it before there were any problems.

It may be a 'false' tracking # but a genuine error and not a deliberate attempt to deceive.

soolin

vicx wrote: »

The case is open in Paypal (not eBay), I have escalated the dispute to a claim.

Since he has entered an 'invalid' tracking number I have the option to close the case (which I won't do) or wait until Paypal review the tracking number since the seller is unwilling to refund voluntarily.

I was just wondering, since he has entered the tracking number if he still has the option to refund me as his message states he can't refund me because the case is open. He seemed unwilling to refund me so maybe he is dragging it out or hinting on for me to close the case.

If the number is an obvious fake phone paypal and tell them, they tend to close the dispute in the buyers favour immediately then.

plumface

When i had an INR case opened against me,i couldn't see anyway of refunding the amount as the 'funds' from the transaction were on 'hold'. (i can't even remember how i did repay the buyer in the end!!!!)
But then again,it was my first case and i might of been missing something.

vicx

pseudopensioner wrote: »

Just a thought, could you ask the seller to check that they've put in the correct tracking number? I've been gulty of keyboard error, luckily I sorted it before there were any problems.

It may be a 'false' tracking # but a genuine error and not a deliberate attempt to deceive.

The listing stated the item would be sent by Standard Parcels so wasn't expecting the item until around a week after dispatch. After the end of the 2nd week I asked the seller if the item was posted and what delivery service was used. He told me the item was posted on the day of payment and sent by 1st class standard. Standard delivery does not have a tracking number. The tracking number he entered was something like '123CCF'. Maybe that was the reference on his receipt but it is not a tracking number as required by Paypal.


The case states Paypal will review this information by 18th, which is tomorrow so hopefully the case will be closed then - if not I will phone Paypal on Monday.

The seller did seem unwilling to refund me prior to opening the case so I do believe he is dragging it out instead of refunding me voluntarily.