Desperate for help - dealing with maniac buyer

[Bakingnovice]

Hi everyone. I sold an item, buyer said it wasn't right so I asked himto return and 4 weeks later he did and I sent refund direct via PayPal to address supplied by him. Notified ebay and recouped selling fees.

2 weeks later he emails nastily saying no refund. I ask him to verify his email and as suspected its incorrect and my original payment is sitting unclaimed in PayPal. I resend refund to correct address. 3 weeks later I get another nasty email saying I've not refunded. The transaction has completed in PayPal and it has his name on as account holder. I've told him to check his account properly. I'm at the end of my tether, this guy is threatening to get my address and come visit me. Can I ask PayPal to verify to him his money was sent? What do I do? Will they refund him again? I didn't click the eBay refund button as I ebay on my phone so used the PayPal app to refund. It's been a total nightmare and now he's talking of paying a visit. Incidentally the second refund I sent him £8 extra to cover his two postage costs. Any advice?

ok - you refunded him incorrectly

you go to paypal click on the unclaimed payment and cancel it - then you go into the buyer's original payment he made you you in the first place, click on it - scroll down and hit the refund button. (you need credit in your account first to do this) This is the only way you should refund him - sending the money as a separate payment the way you have done it is incorrect.

Buyer isn't a maniac - they just want their money. They can't access it if you sent it to the wrong email address anyway.

and for the payment sent to the correct email address you will need to file a not received claim with paypal in the resolution centre to get your money back.

I don't know the rights or wrongs of how to refund correctly, but any suggestion of coming to visit me would really unnerve me. Can you contact ebay, explain what has happened, including this, and ask them to deal with it all directly so you no longer have to have involvement with him? I would also ask them to block him from being able to contact you on ebay, if such a thing is possible. He might just be very frustrated but he could easily have contacted ebay politely- threatening to pay a visit is not on.

I know it's my mistake. If I refund again it puts me massively out of pocket. The PayPal payment shows as complete.

I will try and contact PayPal now and cancel it. I assumed that any monies sent by PayPal would show in the buyers account. Why can't he see them there?

which is why you need to file not received on the incorrect payment and get that refunded - you log into paypal, and at the top click resolution centre and then dispute a transaction. You file not received, escalate in 24 hours then paypal will refund you in about a week.

You sending him money is not a refund - he probably doesn't have his paypal set up to receive funds so the money may not have been received by him at all. He should have opened a dispute weeks ago to get his refund really. All he had to do was give tracking and paypal would refund him correctly and immediately.

Have just rung PayPal and they checked and confirmed the money has gone into the buyers account? They advised not to issue any more money. They said that if buyer opens dispute they will be able to see the refund I made. As it was over 60 days from original payment this was the only way to refund - directly via PayPal.

I hope they don't refund him anyway? Can they do that or will they check first and see I've sent payment already?

no, if it is 45 days or more since he purchased then he can't open a dispute. you will have to screenshot the payment to him and email it to show he has had the money.

Yes I will do that. I've emailed him and told him to ring PayPal and check his account again. Paypal said they will confirm his end that the money went.

Thanks for your help Lilly. Also, eBay said they don't give out personal details. Thank god.

well he would have had your details when he purchased the item, so they do give out your address at the time of purchase.