My wife and I were looking for a twin pram for our second child (due in 3 weeks!) and came across one for sale on ebay.

After losing out on 3 on ebay after the sellers ended them early due to accepting offers on them, we found one we wanted and got in touch with the seller (a women) who agreed to end the item early for £225.

I agreed to send the money via PayPal gift and did this 8 days ago.

The seller sent me their postal address for me to arrange a courier, but more than a week has passed and I'm no closer to getting the pram.

After 3 days I contacted the seller to see if I could arrange the courier and after 5 days they got back to me saying that they weren't feeling very well and hadn't organised a box yet but that they were going to get one organised ASAP!

A few more unanswered emails from my and now 8 days have passed and I haven't heard anything more from them.

I am trying to remain calm and have been careful to be polite in all my emails to this women but I'm now getting worried.

I can see from their feedback that the foot muffs they had listed at the same time have been received by the buyer – which gives me some comfort, but still…

Can anyone offer some advice as my (heavily pregnant) wife is getting increasingly agitated by the situation. Largely due to the fact that we can't afford to write that money off and buy another.

Largely due to the fact that we can't afford to write that money off and buy another.

Maybe shouldn't have ended the auction early and payed by paypal gift then, against ebay's recommendations. Sorry to be harsh.

Some people are just really bad at selling stuff on eBay, and take forever to post stuff out and/or answer emails.

I wouldn't be worried just yet, reading your post it sounds like she will post it – she's just irritatingly slow… I sold an amp to a bloke in the Netherlands for about £900 – it took him about three weeks to pay, and he never answered any emails. I would have relisted it but I was happy with the money I got for it, so I perservered. He came good eventually…

Sounds like she's stalling as she has to source a box to package up.

Presumably even though auction ended early, as you paid via paypay you are protected?

grumms right I'm afraid, you've left yourself wide open.

Presumably even though auction ended early, as you paid via paypay you are protected?

There is no protection with Paypal gift.

as you paid via paypay you are protected?

Not if you mark it as a gift.

I agree with iamtheresurrection – from the sounds of things it will probably turn up eventually. Lots of people are actually pretty ill at the moment so it's plausible imo.

Guys, of course you are right about PayPal gift. It was her idea and as I said, we'd already missed out on 3 other prams after the sellers ended them early.

I've bought and sold plenty of stuff via here and ebay using PayPal gift without an issue so didn't think this one would be any different.

Hopefully you're right about the reasons for her lack of communication etc.

If worse does come to the worse is there no criminal claim/case here? (after all I have the email correspondence and her home address.)

what part of the country does the seller live in? perhaps a helpful stw member might offer to collect it and box it up for you, if you were to cover there costs.

You've got her name and address so you can probably get her phone number off directory enquiries on the BT website. I'd try that and give her a ring and see what the score is, unless it's the other end of the country you could offer to drive over there and collect the pram, then she's can't use finding a box as an excuse.

Luke, the pram is located in Stevenage, Herts.

I'm trying to stay positive about it and hope that it won't come to that. The more I think about it the more I hope it's just the difficulty/hassle of trying to find a box for the pram that's holding things up.

Just wish my wife would see it that way. Although my mum did say there is no reasoning with a pregnant women.

Slacker, unfortunately I live in Glasgow.

"If worse does come to the worse is there no criminal claim/case here? (after all I have the email correspondence and her home address.)"

If you've got her name and address that's a huge help, trouble with paypal etc is that sometimes you don't even have that. You might want to talk to citizen's advice or somesuch, or check out the small claims court online website. The last couple of times I've had a problem like this, just mentioning the words "court action" cleared it up no end 😉 Though I think the others are right and it's a bit early for that.

By agreeing to use a gift as payment you are participating in dishonesty 🙁

From what i've seen of Stevenage she probably needs it again herself

To be honest, peoples idea of a delay is not universal.

I've given neg feedbacks recently to a couple of people who thought 2-3 weeks from taking my money to posting was acceptable. At the same time I'm waiting for some rare 1980 ish bmx cranks to come from Hong Kong, but seller warned it would be slow, so thats fine.

If someone is genuinely ill, with the flu going around, not checking email for 3 days or being able to source a box (especially if they were really hoping for someone to pick it up) isn't easy. I mean, where do you axctually buy big empty cardboard boxes? Especially pram or cycle frame size? (as opposed to easilly found 12 inch by 18 inch).

Prma sellers are unlikely to be dodgy like Rolex sellers, or mp3's from China, I'd chill for a couple for a few days longer.

OK, I'll leave it a few days and see where that gets me.

Guys, as usual, thanks for all your advice.

This place really is invaluable!

After 3 days I contacted the seller to see if I could arrange the courier and after 5 days they got back to me saying that they weren't feeling very well

mibbe dead?

You're stuffed. The only thing that might work is to start a small claims court action against her, or at least threaten it. Start with a registered letter giving her a week (complete with hard copied of the email 'contract'). It's worked for me in the past.