Sorry for the long story - I sold a fire pit on Ebay, stating collection only. The buyer bought it and asked is she could organise her own courier and did so - parcelforce. I packaged the item up and it was collected. Over a week later she requested a refund through Ebay saying the item was packed badly and smashed - it was not and left me intact. I advised I had wrapped and packed the item sufficiently and to contact her courier, as they would have insured it. Ebay stepped in and advised that as she organised her own courier I wasn't liable.
She then went through paypal who 'investigated' it and said I was at fault so to refund her on return - this took 8 weeks without any contact to me other than the initial response back in June. The item was repairable (stone fire pit and the foot was cracked off) so I begrudgingly thought I would get it back, repair it and take the hit on selling it for a lower amount. I have returned from holiday yesterday to the item being back in my porch through DPD, that I assume paypal organised, and it is smashed up beyond any use or repair - looks like it has been thrown around or a hammer to it.
Obviously I'm pretty angry so have the following questions:
1 - It still says under review on the resolution centre - how do I contact paypal about this as on live chat previously I've been told it is being investigated
2 - can I contest the outcome, as eBay found that since she organised the courier she needed to take it up with them - I know paypal is separate, but paypal seem to have ignored this fact, along with all the other supporting information (email between me and her saying she is organising her own courier, along with all conversation and outcome email from Ebay)
3 - The item has been smashed up - what can I do, as DPD seem to have smashed it up.
Ultimately I am £92 down, plus whatever I am going to be charged for postage and am pretty angry that it is now only good for the bin. Lesson learnt, stick to collection only, but I have lost out massively now and paypal seem to have not investigated the full situation
