Item lost in post due to buyer's mistake. Do I refund them now or make them wait?

[snorris]

I sold 2 items to the same person on 25th September & posted them 2nd class recorded the next day. The buyer did email me and asked for them to be sent to a different address which I agreed to but it turns out the postcode is incorrect (it is actually from their original address), both addresses are within a few miles of each other. I put my return details on the back and it hasn't appeared here either. I have suggested that they check with their sorting offices in case it is being held there. As it is the buyer's error should I make them wait until I get a refund before reimbursing them or for the sake of goodwill do I do it now? I did say I would refund if it didn't get delivered but that was before I knew the address was incorrect. All communications have been through ebay messaging and this person does have 100% feedback. TIA.

you didn't send to the address in paypal then? If that is the case then you won't be covered with seller protection and you should refund them now.

How did royal mail accept the parcel if the postcode was wrong?

That's what I thought although the postcode is the one held by paypal just the address doesn't "belong" to it IYSWIM so it is a valid p/code. I posted 11 parcels that day & none of them are validated addresses according to my receipts but all the others have been delivered! Given that it hasn't been returned to me I think it probably would have vanished into the Royal Mail's black hole whatever & I'll just refund now to avoid any hassle.

make sure you claim for the lost item with royal mail too.

DH used to buy stuff from a company regularly and he gave them the wrong postcode - the rest of the address was fine. Its possible that his parcels were delayed by a day or so - but not for any longer, so it does seem odd that yours have not got there or been sent back to you yet.

Snorris- you couldd still have the items returned back to you, it can take ages, unless of course they were delivered and signed for and then kept by someone else.

I had a retuned parcel last week - I had posted it 54 days prior!

royal mail are quite good with wrong postcodes couriers are hopeless