Does using a mail forwarding service as a buyer void MBG/buyer protection

[davus-bntazm]

Hi, so I'm in a dispute between a buyer for this $24 Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 and the buyer first admitted in the chat to using a forwarding service to ship the CPU to even though he's located in Quebec, Canada, But now he is claiming that they don't reship his items, but instead he comes to them and does local pickup. Sort of like he's using the forwarding service as his PO Box/middleman. Would doing this void his MBG and Buyer Protection for this case? I don't know because this is a very odd situation that I am in and this is also a pretty grey area in eBay's policies. 

[davus-bntazm]

I'm mainly afraid of the buying pulling off a bait and switch where he sends back his bad CPU and keeps the good one. Then even if I have the ATPO and FPO numbers on the CPU and file an eBay appeal, it would take weeks for it to possibly be approved and if it doesn't then I'm stuck with a stained record and all my efforts were done for nothing. Either way I lose. And the most ironic part about is that I done nothing wrong to be thrown into this predicament. I read and heard from other people that thier eBay seller appeals almost always fails, so that seems like a dead cause as well. 

[kattinsanity]

Ebay is not the place for paranoia or what ifs.  If you get something else back ebay isn't going to consider numbers, pictures, videos or anything else.  You have proof of what you listed but no proof of what you actually sent.  The buyer has no proof of what he actually received or what he sent back to you.

You can sit and ponder on the "what ifs" all day long but it isn't going to solve your problem.  You only have a limited amount of time to either send the return label or refund the buyer.  Those are your 2 choices.  If that time expires you WILL lose your money, the buyer will get to keep the item AND you will have that dreaded defect on your seller account. 

What you decide to do depends on how much you value your seller account.  If it isn't worth 20 some bucks go ahead & fight the buyer but be aware you will lose.