How to get my money back after a fraudulent buyer has already collected my item?

[GentlemanPotato]

One of my sold eBay items has been cancelled because the buyer was thought to be fraudulent and they have requested a refund but someone claiming to be the buyer has already collected the item from me therefore I no longer have it and have no way of knowing where it has gone. How will I go about getting my money back after refunding the buyer?

[kernowlass]

@GentlemanPotato

You should never use paypal for an item that is to be collected or personally delivered as you have 0 seller protection.

Your buyer can collect the item and then file a dispute for non receipt of item. As you would have no tracking number to prove delivery of the item to him then you would lose the dispute. You would also lose an unauthorised transaction dispute for the same reason ie you could not prove you sent the item to the registered paypal address of the account holder.

That is why Ebay give you the option of 'cash on collection' and you can state in your decription that that is the only payment you will accept. If a buyer pays with Paypal then you are allowed to refund that payment and re-state 'cash on collection'.

That way you have cash in hand / no wait / no fee / no risk of a dispute.