Issue with claim

[JeanneAlbin]

Good evening,

I've sold a pair of boots on the 18th of December 2016.

On Saturday the 28th of January, I received an email from Paypal stating that the buyer opened a dispute, claiming that the item

"item is not as described." The buyer is claiming that they received only one boot instead of the pair. They are also claiming that they tried to contact me "several times on ebay" but that I didn't answer.

I know I obviously sent both boots, so I was going to answer asking the buyer if they were certain that the package hadn't been opened (they told me that they contacted Royal Mail, who said they couldn't do anything as the package hadn't been opened). I did not even have the time to answer, as not even an hour later, the dispute was escalated to a claim.

Now I really wanted to believe this was an honest issue, and so really wanted to help the buyer.

My problem is: I don't really believe it is as I know I did not only send one boot, and what the buyer has stated in the claim is not true (as far as I know anyway): I never received any message from them after they bought the item.

As far as I’m concerned, it was sent on time (less than 24h after I received the payment), properly (both boots, protected as well as I could - I am not a professional, and just wanted to get rid of a pair of shoes I do not use). If any issue happened, it clearly did between the time the item was sent and received.

On top of this, before buying the item, the buyer contacted me on eBay and told me that they were interested in these boots for a Secret Santa Christmas present - I thus fail to understand how it’s taken them a whole month to contact me to let me know that there was an issue with them. 

I have obviously disagreed to the claim, and stated all of this. I’ve also included screenshots of my eBay “messages” pages as “additional evidences” (including the recycle bin, which doesn’t empty for 6 months, proving that I did not delete the pretended messages the buyer sent me).

That being said,  there is no way I can prove that I sent both boots: I never thought this would happen, so I did not take any pictures of the package before sending it. This case is basically my words against the buyer's, and I'm hoping that Paypal will see that the buyer is stating false facts (about contacting me regarding this issue), but I've never been in this sutation before and so I'm a bit worried.

I was thus wondering if anyone had been in this kind of situation before, and/or knew of something else I could do to prove my case?

Thank you very much for your help!

Kind regards, 

Jeanne.

[kernowlass]

@JeanneAlbin

In the event of an item received but not as described dispute it is always one persons word against the others.

So paypal tend to find in favour of the buyer BUT the buyer has to send the item back to you first before you have to refund her.

[JeanneAlbin]

Hi @kernowlass

Thanks a lot for your answer.

My issue is, the buyer is claiming they received only ONE of the shoes (even though I obviously said a pair. One shoe wouldn't be very useful, I'll give you that).

So even if the buyer has to send the item back, they obviously will not send both back (either there has been an issue between the time I sent the item and the time they received it, and in that case they only have one shoe, or they are lying about it and so won't send me both back).

This would mean that not only I would lose £40, but also I would not be able to send these shoes again, even though they were brand new when sold, and costed way more than what I sold them for in the first place.

I think you can understand why I'd like to avoid this situation. I have proof that the buyer is lying about at least one part of their claim (except if there's been a very big issue with ebay not sending me these several messages they supposedly sent me on ebay before opening a dispute and a then a claim on Paypal), so I'm trying to do everything I can to try to be one of the (apparently rare cases) when Paypal is not in favour of the buyer!

[kernowlass]

@JeanneAlbin

Yes, i understand one boot would be pointless, but it would be as equally pointless to the buyer keeping only one so that may make her change her mind and not bother sending anything back.

As for the rest, short of phoning paypal with the info that you want to give them i am out of ideas, even if you phone them it is still your word against the buyers unfortunately