Wrong items sent to two buyers

[cashmere-favourites]

Hi, I recently bought an item from a seller who mistakenly sent me someone else's item, and sent my item to the other buyer. Myself and the other buyer have both agreed to send the incorrect items back to the seller so she can send us the ones we paid for. My question is: once I've sent my item back using Ebay's return process, would it be better to ask for a refund and then buy the correct item again? I'm concerned that if I use the returns process to send back the incorrect item, then I won't have a way to return the correct item if there's something wrong with it. I'm also slightly worried that if the seller refunds me and then relists the item I originally paid for, someone else might buy it before I'm able to. Both items are jumpers. Wondering if anyone has been in this situation before or has any advice? 

[myriad*seller · Accepted solution]

Yes, open a case for "item not as described"

Return the item at sellers expense and then re-buy, unless you 100% trust the seller

[hudsonsclothes]

So I mistakenly sent two items out at the same time a few weeks ago and like you one went to one person in Scotland and one went to someone in Birmingham. I realised my mistake and apologised. What I managed to do (luckily I had understanding buyers) was, I arranged a collection from both buyers via Royal Mail, with the destination address being the opposite buyer. That way both got their item, no return process was needed and it saved time  for everyone (and costs for me) rather than getting both items sent to me then resending them out. I was lucky however that both buyers were sound, it was a headache but everyone was happy in the end.

[cashmere-favourites]

Thank you!

[cashmere-favourites]

Thanks, that's a good idea. Glad it worked out well for all involved.

[johnwash1]

---

@hudsonsclothes wrote:

So I mistakenly sent two items out at the same time a few weeks ago and like you one went to one person in Scotland and one went to someone in Birmingham. I realised my mistake and apologised. What I managed to do (luckily I had understanding buyers) was, I arranged a collection from both buyers via Royal Mail, with the destination address being the opposite buyer. That way both got their item, no return process was needed and it saved time  for everyone (and costs for me) rather than getting both items sent to me then resending them out. I was lucky however that both buyers were sound, it was a headache but everyone was happy in the end.

---

Exactly.  Thank goodness for sanity in a world of madness.  This is the way.

A couple of years ago, shortly after recovering from Covid, I made a similar mistake, brain fog I guess.  First I knew was a message from buyer 1.  Buyer 2 hadn't even opened his parcel yet.  Both buyers forwarded their parcels direct to each other, I recompensed them generously, and everyone was happy.  And perhaps quietly amused at my idiocy.

Why pull in ebay (aka "computer says no"), when a problem can be sorted by cooperation between human beings?