Buyer is returning a different item & claiming a refund, but his item arrived

[zombie.god]

Hi,

I sold 2 items to 2 different ebayers.

Unfortunately I had a lot of parcels to post this particular day, and addressed 2 packages to the same guy.

The wrong package arrived first, and he immediately claimed a refund. Sending the other guys parcel back to me (still pending arrival).

A few hours later his actual item arrived, which he is happy with and acknowledged via email.

He now has an open refund case, which he is waiting for to be paid in full (return item pending arrival).

I can only see an option of refunding him, then begging and praying he pays up again. What are my options for my own protection?

Thank You.

[m25jet]

@zombie.god:  Given that the buyer to whom you sent both items appears to want a refund for his own item what you could do in order to kill two birds with one stone would be to agree to refund the buyer once he returns the item to you, and ask him via the case if he could also send the other item back at the same time that he received in error.  Issue an eBay Returns Label that is sufficient to cover the total postage costs of both items if they were both sent back in one go, as that way not only can you refund the buyer when you have received his item back again, but you can then just remove the misdirected item from its original packaging, put it into a new package with the correct address on it and then post it to the rightful owner via expedited postage, as I explained earlier.  By supplying an eBay Returns Label that will cover the total cost of both items being sent back together then the buyer who is asking for a refund of the item that he has received has no excuse for refusing to send back both items back in one go, as the cost of doing so will have been met by you, and if you can get both items back again then you may well be able to avoid a situation whereby the other buyer loses his/her patience with you and opens an Item Not Received case in relation to the item that was sent to the other buyer in error.