I bought an item on Ebay with a buy it now last night, and this morning I have in my email inbox (but not on Ebay, which is odd) an email purporting to be from the seller saying:

Sorry, a guy just paid before you so I will refund to you again very sorry !

Is this even possible? I’m not sure how 2 people could buy the same item – if you pay with buy it now i would assume it’s taken off the system straight away.
Anyway, the email was sent at 10.30pm last night and no refund has been made.
Even if it is a scam, I’m not sure how it might benefit him? If he doesn’t refund me, I’ll just raise a dispute and PP will refund me.

I’m guessing any emails I send should be through Ebay, so I have proof on their system of communication.

Probably advertised elsewhere, and if he sold to you he’d be bummed for fees.

Raise a dispute anyway, all comms through ebay. Just in case.

I had something similar, I bought a door for my car once on Ebay and had to pick it up, it was proper cheap a bargain in fact.

I arranged the pick up and when I got there a guy was talking to the seller waving the cash. He had contacted the seller after seeing the winning bid and arranged a pick up time. I had emailed him and I must admit got a rather odd response which on hindsight was because he had just emailed out the same answer to the other guy.

I thought that was proper cheeky as I had a good drive to pick it up, so I told this clown what I thought of his plan, but not much more you can do when picking up and paying cash, the seller isn’t going to check is he?

Probably advertised elsewhere, and if he sold to you he’d be bummed for fees

this’d be my guess. Sold more locally for cash so much better off. I’ve bought and sold stuff on ebay, realised we were local to each other and met, paid cash, and the seller has cancelled the auction/sale. No doubt means I live in a moral cesspit as we’ve deprived eBay and PP of income and I’m sure they’re about to collapse. Was his message to you via eBay or privately? As you say you have so much PP protection as he won’t be able to send you the bike it so seems it would be a pretty inept scam.

The message came through to my email, but not sent through Ebay. I have now emailed him back through Ebay stating that as he took payment via PP for the item we have a contract, and I’ll expect it in the post 😉 we’ll see what he says.
I doubt it was a local/cash sale as I pressed the button at 10pm, and he emailed me at 10.30pm.
Not a bike btw, it’s a guitar pedal – though quite an expensive one!

I doubt it was a local/cash sale as I pressed the button at 10pm, and he emailed me at 10.30pm

so that’s half an hour for someone else to email him with “I’m just down the road and I’ll give you cash tomorrow”.

I have now emailed him back through Ebay stating that as he took payment via PP for the item we have a contract,

well, it might get you a turd through the letterbox, but doubt it’ll achieve anything else. If he’s sold it elsewhere he’s sold it, neither you nor eBay are going to pursue him for breach of contract.

I know, just thought it might put the wind up him.
He’s now come back and said that he’d sold it on Gumtree, but forgot to take the Ebay auction down. Hmm, likely story.

Told him to cancel the order and refund me. Will enjoy giving him negative feedback for his troubles.

If he’s sold it on gumtree he won’t get his ebay fees back either. Ebay now know when a seller lists on gumtree also.