EBay help is a joke

[ODFOx]

I haven't used eBay for ages but I heard about the new collection codes and risked it.
I had one positive purchase but now the second one has gone wrong and eBay help is blood hopeless. I've been round and round with every link and nothing is relevant to my issue . I'm so fed up!
I bought and paid for an item of furniture for collection and the seller just isn't answering my messages, so I have no address to collect from. It's been 2 weeks. I tried to cancel the order but the seller declined. EBay tell me that the item must have already been dispatched, which cannot be true as I'm supposed to collect.
Does anyone have any advice? I have tried every way I can find to tell eBay about the problem but it just doesn't fit into any of their boxes for advice: they just tell me to contact the seller (again)...

Anyone?

If you paid with PayPal raise with them.

I've only ever gone through paypal who have been good. I think it is a big mistake to pay in advance of collection, cash on collection is the only sensible way to do it with no risk to either party. I don't know about the 'collection codes' is that meant to make it safer to pay in advance? How did you pay and can you stop or re-claim the payment due to fraud.

Edit: I see the system has totally changed, seems like a nightmare, good luck!

Just to say that cash on collection is now not allowed under eBay rules. I had a sale last week and couldn't accept as the buyer wanted to collect and pay in cash. Sadly he cancelled as I couldn't accept cash under eBay rules. When collecting an item, eBay send a collection code which is given by the buyer to the seller who then enters it to show collection. On the good side the new prepaid postage labels you download when posting something via Royal Mail are absolutely brilliant. 22 years with eBay and counting.....I really enjoy when someone is delighted with what they have bought and is kind enough to let me know.