Here is a weird story. I'm an amateur photographer and occasionally listed my cameras on ebay. This Jan. I sold out a camera for $1950. The buyer is in South Korea and asked me to send it to a U.S. address. After about 20 days, he opened a case and said my camera didn't work. It was not true. I checked the camera several times to make sure it works well before sending it out. Then, I realized he was using a freight forwarder. He was not responsive at all and reluctant to provide details on what the exact issues are. After talking to ebay many times (telling ebay he used freight forwarder and shouldn't be covered, it didn't work out), I decided to accept his return.
He failed to return it within five business days, and ebay closed the case in my favor. After about another two weeks, I got a message from the buyer saying that he has sent the package back. By that time, the package was half-way coming to me. He didn't consult or notify me when he sent it out. I guess he had no control over it since the forwarder handled it. No surprises at all, it took a long time for him to have the package sent back to his forwarder. I told him I would inspect the camera thoroughly before sending any refund. He insisted that the camera was in the same condition and didn't work well. So, I started to suspect him.
I had the package held at a postal office and picked it up in person. The camera had the problem as he described, but it had significant signs of being disassembled. The screws on the bottom plates were scratched, and the positions of the cross on screws were changed. So, I'm almost certain that he swapped some parts in my camera. I started to think about how to fight against him before replying to him in ebay.
This Monday, he opened a PayPal claim for an unauthorized transaction. While I was hesitating about how to respond to it, the case was closed in my favor in a couple of hours. He started to message me on ebay again. I haven't replied yet, and I blocked him right now.
So, what should I do next? What eBay could do next, are they going to reverse the case decision due to the package came back to me? It seems that he can appeal this case within 30 days.
Here are some options I have in mind:
1. Just ignore him and see what he could do. I called ebay twice and confirmed that they wouldn't reverse this case even if the buyer returns my item in the future. Basically, ebay won't care about this case anymore. But, many people remind me that ebay has a history of not following its own rules.
2. Tell him that I didn't get the package. I'm not sure if it works. Because I had the package held at USPS, the delivery zip code isn't the address I provided. Also, I moved during this period, so I may insist that he didn't notify me before returning, so I couldn't give him a new address. I know ebay judges delivery upon zip code. So, I'm wondering if ebay will take it an unsuccessful return. Although the package signature shows my initial, USPS would show the receiver's initial no matter who really signed it.
3. Tell him that I noticed that he swapped parts. Do I even need to bother with this? I don't want to admit that I receive the package due to #2. My worry is if ebay or paypal reopen the case, it's hard for me to convince them about this fact. I know they're not good listeners to any seller.
Anyway, if ebay or paypal reversed the decision, what strategy should I take? Eventually, any suggestion on dealing with the damaged camera? I believe it has some reamined value anyway.
Thank you in advance!
