Awarded refund and seller claiming to have now sent item

[notsomumsymum]

Morning,
I bought and paid for an item, waited two weeks for it and had no communication from the seller. I opened a case last week and Ebay refunded me the full amount this morning.

Less than an hour later I’ve had an email from the seller saying that they’ve had devastating personal circumstances leaving them without internet (convenient ) and they’ve now sent the item. They’ve also said that they can see I’ve had a refund and want me to either pay for the item or pay to send it back.

I no longer want the item and I’m certainly not leaving myself out of pocket to send it back.

If it does arrive is there a way I can send it back without a loss to myself? Can I just stick in back in the postbox a return to sender?

Maybe give what a phone to check they won't just charge your PayPal account? And you can refuse to accept delivery (if it's a signed for), otherwise stick it back in a post box if it will fit and write return to sender... they should send it back and they will get a card through their door to come collect it due to their being fees to pay - so they will need to pay the postage cost and not you. If that's still how it works!

Just refuse the package. I got a refund from PayPal then two weeks later the parcel arrived. PayPal said the case was closed by the refund and the seller wouldn't be able to charge my account as it would be classed as a new sale and that needs to be actioned by the buyer not seller. As the return postage to China would have been huge I donated the items to a charity.

TBH I think you're totally out of order
The seller has apologised, given you the reason AND sent it out of courtesy without being paid.

Either refuse to accept it from the delivery man, in which case it will be returned to the sender. Or accept it and either return or buy.

I take my hat off to the seller, clearly it was genuine, otherwise he would have asked for payment first.

Shame on you if you decide to screw him

I presume the Op has probably sorted it now, seeing as the thread was started 11 days ago.

Yes, I paid the seller as I received the item the next day.

I dont think it’s unreasonable to question something after waiting a month for an item. I had no intention of keeping it without paying for it.

In future for anyone, if this happens again, & you don't want it, either ask for a return paid postage label, or, take out a return case for item not as described. They will have to send a reply paid label.
Now I know that people are going to scream at me, but, if they only posted it AFTER you were refunded, I don't believe that anybody in this day & age is without the internet for a month. You would have to have travelled to Outer Mongolia, or, the wilds of Borneo. There is even wifi in hospital. They could have rung somebody to send a message etc. Basically they couldn't be arsed to send it.
You can walk into any Library for free internet etc. No excuses.