Damaged items and returns

[realityhorsesheila]

So, I had a buyer who bought 5 items. I shipped them via FedEx because the buyer wanted top least expensive combined shipping. FedEx lost the packages fiirst ( they were missing for a week, long enough that I was forced to file a claim because that is what the buyer demanded) after I filed a claim, they magically appeard the very next day and were delivered. IUn fortunatley, hen you **bleep** off a fedex driver they can and will destroy your package,a nd that is exactly what happened. S @45.00 cast rion dutch oven was impacted so hard that it was irreparably damaged. I reamined oin contact with the buyer every single day via eBay mail, sometime several times a day, to try to get this deal done. When it was time to file a damaged good claim with FedEx, I asked the buyer to please do so, since she had the packaging and the damaged item, and I even contacted FedEx to be certain that that was allowable...it is. She opted to contact ebay, open a case against me, and eBay decided to freeze payment for all 5 items ( that she has possession of) and force me to pay for the return of the damaged item, telling this woman that it is ebay policy to handle it thia way. The way I see it, she has around $600.00 of my merchandise, my paypal account is now frozen because they have revoked ( they call it "held") a paymentfor items that are no longer in my possession, and they are holding me hostage to pay for the return of an item that was damaged after it left my hands! How is this fair? How does EBay have the right to force me to pay for the damage that was done by FedExduring shipping ( that the buyer actually paid for as part of the sale) , and which the buyer can claim on since she has possession of the damaged item? Since when does eBay offer zero protection to sellers and have the right to freeze paymenbts for items that are not part of a dispute?