Here’s the actual link to the tracking number of the return: tools.usps.com/go/TrackConfirmAction.action?tLabels=9510811026819340426723
And a screenshot confirming he did in fact receive it:
Not really sure what else I can do to prove I did send it back and that he received it.
Considering he hasn’t responded to my last message for 5 days now I wouldn’t expect me reaching out now would make much difference. At this point I’ve done all that I can to try and reason with him on why it’s not right to make me wait for a separate auction to get my refund but given his lack of replying I have to assume he’s not going to change his mind. Hence me coming public with the experience here and opening it up to more opinions from fellow collectors.
Did you not pay goods and services? Or does PayPal not have a policy on how long a seller has to issue a refund?
Unfortunately I did not. With his confirmation of no print line and a pretty thorough profile I decided to go f&f 
And that’s the kill shot ladies and gentlemen! Unless you literally know the person, NEVER do F & F. Considering how picky you were being over the card grade to begin with, it should never have even remotely been considered. This is all on you man.
Just a big learning experience at this point.
Yeah it’s obviously something I regret now but at the time didn’t think much of it based on the factors I mentioned. Has anyone had experience opening a case on a f&f purchase or is that not even something Paypal will bother listening to?
F&F is always super dangerous and really never worth the risk.
That being said, I don’t think that he is intentionally trying to scam you. This is definitely a case of a seller who spent all of the money before receiving positive feedback from the buyer, exactly as @cosrob said.
This really is a super unfortunate situation, but outside of a lawsuit, it looks like your only option is to wait.
(or you can fly out to the return address if you’re a good fighter)
My only worry there is what if ends up being one reason after another? Like, oh I wasn’t expecting the auction to end at such and such price so I’ll need more time, or there was a medical emergency and needed the funds for something else, etc…
@smaili, I don’t blame you, that is 100% a possibility. I’m just not sure what other options you have outside of a lawsuit or a chargeback.
I don’t think community outrage or more messages will change the fact that he (most likely) doesn’t have the money at the moment.
I think the fact he sent you the card after you paid f&f shows he initially wasn’t trying to scam you, he could have just kept your money at that point and never sent the card. Exactly why I NEVER pay f&f unless they literally are friends or family.
Hopefully he’ll honour the refund after the auction (is there a way to check it’s even been listed in the next auction yet?)
That’s a great question and honestly I’m not super familiar with the PWCC process or schedule so not entirely sure. And you’re right there could’ve been other moments during the transaction that he could’ve easily cheated me which is why I’ve tried to be as patient and understanding as I can be throughout the entire time, but once it got to the point that he started to make claims of an agreement I never once made or was mentioned and a lack of responding to messages I really started to lose faith.
All this nonsense about they weren’t trying to scam because they sent the card is worthless.
The only answer here is the seller needs to provide a refund, if he doesn’t, he is objectively scamming the buyer.
As others have set I bet is it literally just a case of him not having the money to refund you. I think your best option now is to play nice, maybe send a couple of polite messages, understanding that he may have spent the money not expecting you to return, as he holds all the cards now. Unfortunately (although I understand how frustrating this must be) I think accusing him of trying to “pull a fast one” will only antagonize him, and probably make him less likely to refund you in the long run.
I get your point but it’s not worthless, its shows the seller has a modicum of decency, and not an out and out scammer, hopefully making it more likely the buyer will eventually get his refund.
Honestly determining intent is very hard to do, because for all I know he was aware of the flaw but said f*ck it, it’s worth risking making X money if he happens to change his mind or not say anything about it after he sees it in person. Ultimately all that this boils down to is I got an item that didn’t match what I was told, sent it back, and have yet to be given a refund going on almost 2 weeks now.
How much did you pay for it?
PWCC will show you well in advance what’s being auctioned so you’ll see if the guy does mail it in.
How much did you pay for it?
I get what you are saying but it’s irrelevant. Scammer is defined by action, or lackthereof. Which is what is happening right now. It doesn’t matter if the seller saves babies for a living, he is currently scamming the buyer by not providing the refund he agreed to in writing.
I love you Gary but honestly I’d prefer to keep the specific value private so I’ll just leave it as something fairly sizable 
Do you know how far in advanced they show or when the next block is scheduled for?
@smpratte , what the seller is doing is obviously messed up, but if he literally doesn’t have the money necessary to refund (which i’m assuming is in the high thousands), then he has to take out a loan or something (which might not be possible depending on his age or credit). He 100% should have been transparent about this situation to the buyer before refunding, and he 100% shouldn’t have spent the money before receiving positive feedback from the buyer- but he did.
since the buyer paid f&f, his only options are chargeback, lawsuit, or to wait and pray.
And the seller hasn’t responded in 5 days. Not even a message explaining they don’t have the money.
I want this to work out for everyone. The buyer sounds patient and just wants their deserved refund. Hopefully the seller does what they should.