Edited the title of this topic because my personal issue will probably turn out just fine, but the topic has turned into a more general topic for eBay and Marketplace deals gone wrong.
~*~
Somewhere in the beginning of April of this year I bought a Little Pullip Seine from a particular seller on eBay, to turn her into my first Little Pullip hybrid. At some point it took so long for the buyer to have them in stock - she'd promised by the end of April but it became May, still nothing - that, luckily, I bought another Little Pullip somewhere else, so I could start on my project earlier.
When the auction info changed in May, saying that they had Seine in stock, there came no message from the seller, so I contacted her myself. She said she'd had a very rough time, stuff going on in her family and she'd had to send out big stuff like a car, which was why she'd been very busy, but she'd send my doll away soon. After about a week the info on my bought auction changed to 'shipped'. This was on May 9.
On May 20 I sent a message to the seller asking for a tracking number because I'd like to know what to expect, but I got no reply.
Last night (May 28) I contacted her again, asking if I could please have a tracking number because I was wondering if my package was being held my customs.
At this point I started reading her latest feedback. 9 negative in the last month, all talking about how they got no product, but they did get a refund they didn't ask for. On the other hand, her positive feedback was pretty consistent as well: 'it took three weeks, but thanks for the item'. That kind of stuff. I also read a lot about how she got rude to people. I started to doubt her a bit.
This morning I had several messages from her stating the same: she had concluded that the package *must* have gotten lost and she made a refund. Wait, wut?! So fast?! I don't want the refund..! I only asked for a tracking number, I didn't even state I was worried that the package might be lost, I only said I was worried it was being held by customs. I never asked for a refund.. I want my doll!! She wasn't being rude, sounded a bit sad actually, but still.
I sent some messages back, saying that I didn't want the refund and that I thought she was offering (and giving! damn it) a refund way too fast, that I could wait a bit more for the package to arrive... so I paid the amount back through PayPal, with extra cost (damn it again. lol).
Now my gut feeling says the package is out there somewhere, and I believe that even without a tracking number it'll get to me, I'll just have to be patient. Her negative eBay feedback is a bit worrying but her positive eBay feedback is reassuring me because it sounds so familiar. But WHY ON EARTH would someone make a refund so fast when nobody's asked for it?? It does make you doubt her motives doesn't it..?