What to do when buyer opens false return item case

[dsnyfn1]

Buyer mistakenly thought Corona vurus pandemic would cause Australia Post to shut down and filed an "item doesn't match description or photo" case a few hours after it was mailed from interstate. (How on earth can eBay let a buyer open such a case when only Superman could have delivered the item in the available timeframe to allow a genuine case to proceed?)

Meanwhile eBay notified me that buyer had filed the claim.  I clicked on case thinking I would have an opportunity to send message to the buyer.  Instead, eBay told me I had just agreed to send buyer a postage label so buyer can return the disputed item (even though he hadn't yet received it).

Australia Post then delivered the item and buyer emailed to say he was keeping the item.  I emailed buyer asking him to close the case.  He has not done so.  Case is still open and I have not yet sent a return label.  I am naturally worried that with eBay's mishandling of this case, I might suddenly find that eBay refunds the buyer leaving buyer who opened a false case with "free" goods and the seller almost $50 out of pocket.  

eBay seems to have left me no way to seek help on this.  What to do?

[lupercal]

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@dsnyfn1 wrote:

Buyer mistakenly thought Corona vurus pandemic would cause Australia Post to shut down and filed an "item doesn't match description or photo" case a few hours after it was mailed from interstate. (How on earth can eBay let a buyer open such a case when only Superman could have delivered the item in the available timeframe to allow a genuine case to proceed?)

Meanwhile eBay notified me that buyer had filed the claim.  I clicked on case thinking I would have an opportunity to send message to the buyer.  Instead, eBay told me I had just agreed to send buyer a postage label so buyer can return the disputed item (even though he hadn't yet received it).

Australia Post then delivered the item and buyer emailed to say he was keeping the item.  I emailed buyer asking him to close the case.  He has not done so.  Case is still open and I have not yet sent a return label.  I am naturally worried that with eBay's mishandling of this case, I might suddenly find that eBay refunds the buyer leaving buyer who opened a false case with "free" goods and the seller almost $50 out of pocket.  

eBay seems to have left me no way to seek help on this.  What to do?

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Have you actually spoken to an ebay rep in person?  This sounds like the sort of thing they ought to be able to intervene and fix up in your favour, given the evidence chain you've described.  Would have been best to have done this at the outset, but they should still be able to remove a strike on your account when it's clearly absurd. They've done this for me at least once in the past, though the circumstances weren't identical.

[digital*ghost]

The call centre is shut down at the moment so your best option is to contact eBay via live chat - there should be a link at the bottom of the help page.

Once you get on to a rep, advise the events as clearly and succinctly as you can in plain English - the rep will be able to view the messages exchanged between yourself and the buyer, and by the sounds of it they should not have a problem with immediately closing the case in your favour. Double-check that no postage label was actually created that you've been charged for as well, as that will need to be canceled and credited.