Return is delayed in delivery

[jokeman84]

Buyer purchased item from me that showed some slight damage in transit. He wanted to return. I offered 25% of price back to cover for damage. Still wanted to return item. I agreed. Provided return label through eBay which I paid for. It's only been 5 business days but it is delayed in transit according to USPS tracking. My question is at what point will eBay return the money to buyer regardless of whether I receive the package or not. I'm not saying this package eventually won't get to me but I have seen packages delayed for weeks. If the buyer complains, say it's going going on two weeks will eBay just relent and give the money back to buyer or tell them they have to continue to wait.

[ebooksdiva]

You should wait until you receive the item.

eBay may extend the time for the item to arrive since it shows it is still in transit. 

When you receive the item back, first ensure it’s the item you sent. You are the one that refunds the buyer, not eBay. If eBay does refund your buyer for you, then you will get a defect against your seller account for not following through with a return for refund. 
So you really don’t want eBay stepping in.

[jokeman84]

This is getting frustrating. It is now a week since the buyer sent the item back to me. The last update from the USPS that it was delayed in transit. That was on March 11. There has been no update since then. I would like to refund buyer and re-list item but I am at the mercy of the post office. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I sent a car title as part of an estate liquidation to the executor last fall. It went from Voorhees, NJ to Philadelphia, Pa by registered mail. It took over 2 weeks to be delivered. A distance of 20 miles. It was sitting in the Philadelphia distribution center for at least 7 days. You could just have a separate community on eBay for USPS horror stories. 

[jokeman84]

The buyer contacted me. The eBay prepaid label which he printed was of poor quality and the post office scanners could not read it properly so the package was returned to him. It was returned with more damage than what I sent to him. I am now negotiating a partial refund. It's really unbelievable. I shipped in a USPS Priority Small Box which are actually pretty durable. He returned item in a flimsy box which got crushed somewhere at a distribution center in Florida. Remember the good old days when you could hand print a label and even if it was missing some information your trusty postman in whatever city would somehow get the box into your hands and 99% of the time it was in same condition it was sent in.