Frustrating transaction!

[spendin-n-y2k]

I bought this hat (Item #: 402620893731) on December 23rd by a seller with only 3 feedbacks and on ebay since May 2019. This is his first selling transaction. I have tried paying him twice but his account in PayPal isn't accepting the payment for some reason - it says pending. When I called ebay they told me the seller has to call them to remove the hold on the payment. I don't know for sure if the seller really did. After a few days the payment auto refunded and then we communicated to send it directly through paypal. Even sending it directly it says he has yet to accept the payment. He says it's not showing up on his end. I know he isn't trying to run a scam as the hat was $31 buy it now and has no other items but he's a dufus. I don't know what more to do at this point but it's so frustrating that I just want to leave him a negative feedback if this isn't resolved soon. If it wasn't such a rare hat I'd just cancel and move on but I really want it. He says he has a paypal account but yet why does it show he needs to accept the payment first? Please help me soon, thank you.