Quick advice -is this a 'thing'?

[IllMetByMoonlight]

Won auction yesterday for lovely dress by a brand which generally holds its value very well when resold as used, so I was pleasantly surprised to pick it up for a fairly small sum.
This evening there's a message saying that the seller has noticed a paint-mark on the dress, they are refunding me, and can I please send them a message instructing them to refund me on account of newly discovered mark. They mention in passing that they'll have to re-list the item.
This is the third time this has happened to me; I have won an auction for a low winning bid, the seller has suddenly discovered a fault with the item, and cancelled the sale.
I have responded saying that I probably still want it and asked for a picture of the paint-mark. Paint-mark or not, surely it should be up to me to decide whether I want something or not?
Am I being paranoid, or is this a way of cancelling a sale in order to re-list in the hope of a better sale at a later date?

send a message? No chance. I would neg them for refusing to sell as they didn't get the price they wanted.

I'm not sure. I once sold a dress and then thought I'd wash it before posting it, so that it would smell nice and fresh (it was clean but had been in the wardrobe unworn for a year or more) and I managed to shrink it, so had to refund the seller.

I'd have been quite upset to get negative feedback for what was a genuine mistake.

Yes it's a thing, it'll be interesting to see if you receive a photo of the supposed paint mark.

Ask to see a photo. Say you will probably want the dress anyway because you were so happy with the price.

It is a thing. Very very occasionally it'll be genuine but its a well known tactic for getting more money. Another one is the item suddenly going missing then miraculously being found and relisted.

Jive sold something gone to wrap it and spotted little imperfect/mark etc.

It's easier to let buyer know and cancel then all the hassle if you just post it. eBay is a nightmare these days and after tricky buyers I wouldn't take the chance and would do the same. I've had stuff that was perfect and the buyer has lied about its condition to get money off cause they know eBay will refund anyway... So wouldn't dream of chancing it

If you get anything less than a photo of the paint mark, I'd be opening a case with eBay immediately, before they manage to refund you somehow. If it's not going to be recorded postage, I would also offer to pay extra for that too - otherwise it will probably mysteriously "get lost". You will still get your money back, but you'll have lost the dress. And yep - negative feedback them if unresolved (may be worth sending a message to that effect). The only way to stop them. Makes me so cross!

Definitely ask for a photo, tell her it may be something that you'll be able to clean off yourself....then ask for a discount for being so gracious about accepting a paint marked outfit!

Sorry but asking you to message then mentioning that they are relisting - this has scam all over it. This is not an innocent found a mark so can't send you the item, this is a seller not happy with the price they got, trying to get their fees back so they can relist to attempt to get more cash.

They are not going to send it so no point asking for a signed for service anyway - and that is for the sellers' protection anyway so bit of a moot point.

Hm, got a message saying 'not too good at posting pictures (a seller with over a thousand transactions...), so will send dress anyway, and take it from there'. I wonder whether it'll turn up, or 'get lost in the post'. So annoying, I think I would love that dress!

I'd pay for her to send it recorded delivery. She sounds like a chancer eith that last excuse.

This is a total scam. Send her a message and tell her that you want her to send recorded delivery and you'll need her to keep the receipt in case it doesn't show. Explain that you will be forced to leave negative feedback and open a case against her if you feel it has "accidentally" got lost.

Really spell it out and be rude. It doesn't matter, you will never have to see him/her face-to-face and it will show the seller that you know what their game is and that they won't get away with it.

If they have nothing to hide, they'll think you're a rude cow but won't have a problem with doing as you ask!

It is too late to ask them to send recorded, unfortunately, as the message came I also got a notification that the item had been dispatched...
Thanks for your input, everyone, I will post an update to let you know whether it turned up or not, or whether it was all a storm in a teacup!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you moonlight that we're (mostly) cynical on this thread and all will be perfect!

don't say you will be forced to neg as that can be seen as feedback extortion.

Just to clarify, I would only say that I'd be forced to leave negative feedback IF the item didn't show up or the seller refused to sell even though OP has said she wants the stained item heavenly! I would never try to get anything I wasn't entitled to by threatening negative feedback, it was just that this situation seems seriously dodgy and I think the seller needs to be aware that OP is suspicious of their actions. If they have nothing to hide, they don't need to worry as the item will show up just as described and she won't leave negative feedback.

Waiting with baited breath for your update OP (I feel over-invested as I was in a similar situation to you last week... managed to get my item but the seller was obviously really hacked off!)

Ha! Dress arrived today with a smear along one side, as if the previous wearer has brushed past something freshly painted. I think I might be able to wash it out. And considering the low price I paid, I think I am going just keep it, as it is lovely, and given the age of my DCs and my job, chances are that it will end up marked very soon anyway
Thank you for your input, everyone.

Aw brilliant, I'm so happy for you OP! (And a bit jealous that you got an awesome deal!)

Sorry for the thread hijack but I've had a similar thing happen to me today. I saw an item ending today that I was interested in but some pieces weren't photographed. I asked a question about it and the seller got back to me with minutes to go on the auction. Based on the answer I decided to buy and made a bid. It was early this morning and I had to go sort a few things out but an hour after the auction ended, I got back online and saw I had won because I was the only bidder. Just as I was about to pay, I got an email telling me the seller cancelled the order based on the item being out of stock or damaged.

But I know it wasn't out of stock. The seller had specifically checked the item and sent me details about it just before the auction ended. Is it likely they are disappointed with the price and hoping to relist? It's so annoying and a case of the seller very much over valuing their product because despite the price I bid being quite a bit less than than it would have been new, it's just not something with a huge resale value.

I wish people would just start their auction at a minimum price they would be happy with, messing people about, it's just not on.

I got an email telling me the seller cancelled the order based on the item being out of stock or damaged

They've given themselves a defect for that.