Ebay does not need your permission to issue a refund when an item is not as described.

Did you ask for a photograph of the damage before refusing the refund?  Sometimes if a buyer is trying it on you will not hear any more from them.  They just want the item for nothing but will not deliberately damage it to get the refund.

If ebay was bought in to enforce the refund then you are unlikely to ever get the item returned.....the buyer has what he wanted....a refund and to keep the item.