Buyer claiming fake item

[kickoffprogrammes]

Advice please. 

We have sold an item which we believed to be a genuine signature, and have just received the following "This is a blatant case of you paasing off as genuine a photocopy signature. Unless you immediately provide refund will report you to ebay and Action Fraud"  I first off told him to return it and we will refund, then within 5 minutes sent a further email telling him to raise a case via ebay. I have no problem with refunding (even though the item has 2 signatures and one of the them is definitely NOT a photocopy) I have no problem with him reporting us to Action Fraud, What I want to avoid is refunding him and him having the enjoyment of keeping the item! 

Thanks 

[thedemon2014]

Insist the buyer opens a case in the Resolution Centre and respond through that.

https://resolutioncentre.ebay.co.uk/

No case, no refund.

[*guinevere*]

If he opens a case he will have to return the item for a full refund, and you will be made to send a prepaid label.

If he refuses to return it, you don't refund. That's it really.

AIf the item doesn't get returned any negative feedback he may leave should be removed by ebay.

[red_magpie]

EBay's policy on disputes is to support the buyer unless they can determine that the item was correctly described. As they never even see it, cases are almost always found in the buyer's favour unless it's obvious that they didn't read the listing correctly.

The correct way to refund a buyer is to ask them to open a case under eBay's money back guarantee, through the resolution centre. This won't count against your seller performance rating, provided you click on the option to refund the buyer on return.

EBay will give you the option to buy and send send the buyer a prepaid return label. When it's returned eBay will process the refund, and you will receive a credit for your final value fee. (PayPal fees are no longer returnable.)

Don't even think about contesting the case as you're almost certain to lose. In this case, eBay will enforce the refund. You would then also forfeit any return of fees and be penalised with a damaging defect on your account. The buyer probably wouldn't even have to return the item.

[kickoffprogrammes]

Thanks for that input guys, I appreciate it. I've no problem with accepting the return & refunding. He has not, as yet raised a return request, where do I stand if he claims he has sent it back, and it does not arrive?