Two orders mixed up and sent to wrong buyers. Questions on unscrambling the egg.

[mu-ks]

I mixed up two orders and sent to the wrong buyers. The addresses were the same U.S. city, bought within hours of each other, shipped at the same time, same size boxes, not replaceable. I need both buyers to return the packages so I can send them to the correct buyer.  One buyer notified me of the mistake.  I notified the other buyer, who has not received his package yet since he is an international buyer who had it shipped to a U.S. address (delivered two weeks ago, he left me positive feedback) , then shipped to him in another country. He has agreed to return the package after he receives it. Both buyers have registered addresses in other countries, not the U.S., though they had the packages shipped to a U.S. city. One, any maybe both, items have been re-shipped out of the country, making it difficult for the buyers to return them.

Question 1: Do I only need to refund the return shipping charge from the U.S. address that I shipped it to?  I did not ship it out of the country. 

The buyer who notified me of the mix up has submitted an "Item not received refund request". (Also says he still wants the item that he bought, when it gets returned.)

Question 2: Does he have to return the wrong item before I give a refund, or ebay gives him a refund using my funds? In his message he acknowledged receiving the wrong item, even though he submitted an "Item not received refund request". Will ebay note that he received the wrong item and require him to return it before he gets a refund?

Question 3: As the seller (not a business, member for over 25 years, a few hundred transactions total), does the ebay Money Back Guarantee policy protect me from a buyer not returning an item? I have seen many comments about ebay policies favoring buyers.

My issue involves two intertwined orders. The ebay system seems to only let you deal with one order at a time. I need both buyers to cooperate and return the items, to fix the problem. The one buyer very much wants the item he bought, and I would like to get it to him, rather than have him suffer from the consequences of my mistake.

Question 4: Is there any way to chat/talk to a real person at ebay? The online stuff seems to send me in circles and not deal with the specifics of my case.

[wooden_flower]

@mu-ks 

You must pay for the shipping from their country, not just from the US delivery address - the mistake was yours.  You can not provide a return label, so you will need to get each buyer's paypal address to send them the money to pay the return shipping. If you don't, they can ask eBay to step in - eBay will probably refund from your money and let them keep the item they received.

The buyer who opened the not received opened the wrong request. Explain to him that he must close the not received and open a not as described return. Buyers do not have to cooperate to fix your mistake.

Do not refund the buyers until the returns are received, other than sending the money for the return shipping. 

You have no protection on the buyer not returning the item you sent in error - if it was a better item than they bought, you may have given them a gift.

You must deal with each order individually. Event though they are connected, it is 2 mistakes made with 2 different buyers. There is no way to treat it all together.

[disneyshopper]

I am guessing you mixed up the two train pieces you sold earlier this month.  Both listings use the ebay International Shipping, so I can see how you accidentally switched shipping labels since they are both going to the ebay hub (I assume Glendale Heights, IL, but there are others).  If both buyers file a Returns Request for Item Not as Described, ebay will refund the buyers and not require return of the item.  You get to keep the payments.