Please help! Sticky situation with buyers

[elevation14kft]

I made a really stupid mistake.  I accidently mailed 2 packages to the wrong buyers.... swapped the labels.  I was in a hurry, as always, had run out of packaging tape and ran into the post office to buy tape and mail the two packages.  A kind postal worker helped me quickly get them tapped closed and the preprinted labels attached. In the hurrying, as there was a line behind me, the labels were put with the opposite box.  Both items are relatively inexpensive.  A hot wheels car that sold for $1.60 + 3.50 shipping. And a Webkinz cat that sold for $18 + 4 shipping.  I was notified by the lady that won the cat (Lillie) immediately that she received a hot wheels car and wanted her Webkinz cat.  Rightfully so.  I quickly purchased shipping labels and emailed them to each buyer to tape to the box and send it to the rightful owner.  Lillie promptly did this and through tracking I can see that it was delivered.  But the hot wheels guy has been a nightmare to deal with.  Ignores my messages and when he does reply he's rude and completely (pretends?) he misunderstands what I'm asking.  He claims he only has a p.o. box and that the packages are there and not at his residence where I shipped them.  He said, "I haven't picked up my mail at the po box for at least a month.  And will get over there when i have some time off." In the meantime, lillie is contacting me daily and getting very frustrated.  I refunded her money and told her about the trouble I'm having.  It's been 3 weeks now, he stopped acknowledging my messages begging him to simply print the label, tape it to the box and put it in the mail.  Even though i refunded her money, she of course still would like her cat.  Its not his to keep!! Is there anything i can do to him to force him to mail her item? It seems like the longer he holds on to it, it's almost like theft.  Does anyone have any ideas of something that can be done?

[justafemster]

You messed up. Refund and move on.  The guy owes you nothing, in fact he can file a NAD complaint and will win as you already know you sent the wrong item.  At this point, you're harrassing him.  Stop.

The lady with the cat, well, she's been refunded.  Even though she'd like to have what she purchased, it's not going to happen.

[elevation14kft]

Sorry - What is a NAD complaint?

[tunicaslot]

As far as the lady with the cat - you refunded and as much as you'd like to make her whole - it's not going to happen.

The guy with the hot wheels can not open an SNAD as you did get the correct purchase to him and hopefully you have a record or the tracking number to prove that to Ebay if he decides to open a case. I don't think you have to worry about that as it seems his mind is elsewhere.

You made a mistake as we all have - but you did the best you can to correct it and it's time to move on.

[elevation14kft]

I guess it seems like a descent person would have complied with no problem. I guess I really screwed up. Can the cat lady file a complaint or anything as well? Sucks for her since she's not getting hurt cat that she won.

[begre-69]

What you should have done was send them a prepaid mailing label to return it to you so that you could sort it out

[gracieallen01]

Nope, I don't think there is anything more you can do except move on.

The buyer of the Hot Wheels is being a jerk - a common human ailment - either caught from  other, nearby people or a trait of birth in today's society. 

The buyer of the cat is being just about as bad by not accepting that there was a screw-up, but she has been made as whole as it is likely to get - it's the 'ohhhhh, poooor meeee, can't you do mooooore?'

You?  Well, you get the guilt trip form the cat person and the 'string-along' from the Hot Wheels person.

Cut your losses, both emotional and financial, and move on.  It sounds like you've done what you can.

Next time, pay more attention to what you are doing.  The people in the line will take as long as they need at the counter without worrying if you are back there in line and inconvenienced or not.

[vintagecraze50]

Don't beat yourself up too much over this. It is a common error when you are in too big of a hurry putiing these packages together. I did that once and learned and now I am massively OCD checking and checking and checking until I know I have not  put the wrong label onto the wrong package.  Never hurry when you are doing the packaging.

[kaelykat]

Sorry this happened to you, even if it was your mistake, stuff happens! You are awesome for doing your best to make things right. I'm a buyer, not a seller and you are the type of seller I'd like to buy from.  You admit your mistake and fix it as best you can.

NAD or SNAD means not as described or significantly not as described.

Unfortunately there's nothing else you can do. Hot wheels guy is being a jerk and keeping your item. I know people are defending him because it was your mistake but that doesn't make it right. If it were me, I'd have sent the package to the cat lady but some people are just greedy. Just block him from future sales and let it go.

Cat lady has her money back and needs to move on.

[currencyoftime]

MAYBE the guy with the occasional trip to his post office box, when he does retrieve it will use your label and send it on to the cat lady.  If he does that, and I were you, I would still leave things as they are and give the cat lady the gift of a free item for all of her troubles.    I like to leave out hope that he will do the right thing.  Anyway, at the end of the day, you have done all that you can, at this point.  AS others have said, chalk it up to a lesson learned and move on.

[m60driver]

Many of us have made that mistake.  For the small amounts involved I would have just refunded both parties.  Ya gotta pick your battles to maintain your dignity. If you don't value your time nobody else will either.

[jonathankirkland]

---

@elevation14kft wrote:

 Even though i refunded her money, she of course still would like her cat.  Its not his to keep!! Is there anything i can do to him to force him to mail her item? It seems like the longer he holds on to it, it's almost like theft.  Does anyone have any ideas of something that can be done?

---

Sorry but cat lady needs to move on. She got a refund, she can go find a similar item and purchase instead of badgering you to get it to her for free.

Theft? No? You made a mistake and by doing so actually sent out two "gifts".

It is a shame, but this seems really drawn out and ridiculous for no reason, everyone involved is wasting their time, including those of who read the OP. 

[jason_incognito]

I mixed up 2 packages once. I  had listed a large set of crystal. 2 buyers were both in San Francisco. I put the wrong label on the wrong box.  The first person contacted me that they gotten the wrong items, so I explained what had likely happened and contacted the second person. I offered to pay to have the pieces shipped to the right person. This was back when the buyer id was visible and people could contact each other.

The buyers emailed each other and decided to meet and exchange the pieces.

[d-k_treasures]

The only time I did that was when one went domestic, and the other to Canada. Ugh - cost me a lot to get it back and reship it, but I learned to never do that again!

[fab_finds4u]

Some people think you can keep the wrong item received.  FCC says it's a gift if the receiver didn't  solicit the item.  People can keep unsolicited items.   I believe they're talking about the pens, keychains, calendars, books, etc. where a company you have not contacted sends you something hoping for a donation or a subscription in return.         However,  an eBay transaction is a solicited transaction.   Some states have a law specifically making it unlawful to keep an item delivered to you in error.   However, the onus is on the sender to provide a return label or  have the item picked up.    I do know if a buyer received the wrong item they should let you know it was the wrong item and return it.  It's unjust for them to be enriched because of a shipping error.   But there's no way to force the bad buyer to return it, and they know it.