How about this for a 'joke' ??!!

Mid June, I sent an item to a buyer in Victoria (Reg Post).

When Australia Post found no-one to sign for it, they carded it and took it back to the local PO for buyer collection.

Eighteen days elapsed with buyer bothering to collect it and after that it began its journey back to me.

Mislaid along the way, so never arrived back at this end.

First I knew about this, buyer messaged me and asked whether I had received the item back. Of course I hadn't. She had looked at tracking info and found that it said: 'Contact sender'.

I approach auspost who confirm that it is mislaid and accept liability by saying they will instigate a search for it, with an official Item search number and I'm assured that if it is not found in the specified period of time, I will receive compensation to the value of $100.

I relay all this info to the buyer, who commends me on my responsiveness and says I couldn't be doing more.

Next thing I know she has opened a PayPal dispute for item not received and her payment is put on a 'temporary hold' while dispute process is proceeding. I am 'lectured' by PayPal to communicate with the buyer to resolve.

I have been doing NOTHING BUT COMMUNICATING  via the ebay messaging system with the buyer since they first made me aware of the problem.

I ask buyer why she had taken this action, when I had informed her that I have documentary proof that the situation is not of my making, but due to her failing to collect her parcel & then it being mislaid by Australia Post on its return journey to me.

She says that she did it for 'admistration' purposes, whatever that means. She meant as an insurance for herself just in case I was lying, but the stupid thing is I can prove my honesty, due to the item search reference number auspost provided me with. They do not even instigate a search unless they have established that the item in question does not have a 'scanned in number' which all items received by auspost get when they arrive. I could not possibly have the item and be withholding it from her.

Predictably, I now have a defect on my Seller performance for 'cases opened for item not received'

I have protested to ebay (to whom I also sent all the documentary evidence) that I am demonstrably NOT TO BLAME for the item not received and should have the defect removed !!

Surely this case points to how flawed both PayPal's and ebay's dispute system is if anyone can open a dispute of this sort without a closer examination of the facts that then impacts a seller's performance rating so unfairly.

I