Who's to blame - me or buyer?

[WhistlingNun]

Hello.

A few weeks ago i put a load of items (my clothes/bags/etc) for auction. I was due to go on holiday a week after auction ended, so i wrote at the bottom of each listing that i required payment within 4 days of auction ending to ensure everything was dispatched before i left for my holiday.

Anyway, everybody paid within the first day or two except one buyer. I sent two reminder invoices, and received no reply.

The item was for less than £5, so i just thought i'd deal with it all when i came back my holiday.

When i arrived back home this weekend, i saw that the buyer had paid last monday the 8th - 8 days after the auction had ended.

I sent an email saying that i was sorry for the delay in dispatch, explained that i had been on holiday and politely put that she should have paid within 4 days anyway, as this is what i had written in my listing.

I posted it this Monday the 15th - a week after she'd paid, over two weeks since auction ended.

I sent her an email to confirm i had posted her item and gave her the tracking number.

She replies that she no longer wants the item as it was for a holiday and she no longer needs it as her holiday has passed.

I don't accept returns. So what do i do?

She isn't at all happy and will definitely give me neg feedback if i don't accept her return (and pay p and p).

It was buyers fault for not reading, think I would take the neg seeing as you have already posted the item. You could possibly get the neg removed anyway with it being unfair.

How many days lead time did you give for despatch from receipt of payment in the wee box at the top?

I know it's too late now, but what you should have done is open an unpaid item case as soon as two days with no payment and no communication had passed.
You would have had time to close it and retrieve your fees before you went away and could have re-listed on your return.

Even though you communicated that you were away, if the buyer opens a return case or an item not as described case then Ebay will ask them to return the item and you'll need to refund them. They will need to pay the return costs though unless you state otherwise.

In your position I would accept the return - even though you say you don't accept returns if the buyer opens a case you won't have a choice.

When does she think she had her holiday I wonder? She paid on the 8th but had already returned from holiday by the 15th .

It's rubbish like this that made me stop as an eBay seller. You can't win whatever you do.

Not helpful I know.