Buyer not collected very expensive item - how long do I need to keep it for?

[Wheredoistandwiththis]

Hi. I sold a very expensive item online 6 months ago (approx £8,000). The buyer paid for the item with a bank transfer and planned to collect ASAP. A courier was arranged on the buyers behalf, but there was an issue with customs and the item was returned back to me. I have checked and there is nothing ‘dodgy’ here - the item that was returned to me is the exact item that was collected.

I have been in regular contact with the buyer who keeps making excuses as to why the item cannot be collected. Says he is really busy, not had chance etc. He is located abroad else I would have just delivered the item myself (even though he is responsible for collection of the item).

Where do I stand legally? I am annoyed that I am essentially providing free insurance and storage for this item when this would usually be £££.

I have sent an email stating that the item must be collected by x date else it will no longer be available for collection. Would I then be obliged to return the money even though I have tried numerous times over the past 6 months to get this sorted?

thanks.

Google the Torts (Interference with Goods) Act (I think it's section 14). Go on to one of the landlords forums, which will explain in detail what you need to do.

You'd need to get a receipt the money was successfully returned, that is for sure. I can't see how you wouldn't have to pay him back, less insurance costs maybe.

Can you arrange delivery for him and get him to pay for it? Or tell him he needs to arrange storage and that you'll deliver it to the storage space?

That sounds well dodgy. I would tell him if it's not collected within 7 days you're classing it as unwanted and will no longer reply to correspondence about it.

I would refund minus storage and insurance costs and resell tbh

Ps put us out of our misery and tell us what it is!

Why are there 2 threads on this subject?