Transaction Gone Bad - Advice Needed

[pipesmokingtom]

Back in April, I sold off some of my aged bulk including a 4oz jar of bulk 2002 McClelland #27 on a Facebook group. The fellow who purchased it was previously unknown to me. He PayPal'd me the asking price and I payed for shipping. He lives in Malaysia and I shipped to a family member of his who then forwarded it on to him in his home country.
Fast forward to now, 5 months later and the fella messages me and says he opened the jar and was met with the smell of latakia. He smoked some and he says it confirmed his suspicion that the blend contains latakia and he was obviously expecting an aged straight Virginia.
He's asking for a full refund, at which point he'll send the tobacco back.
I'm at a bit of an impasse here, because I have no previous experience with this guy and would be trusting his pallet that the blend isn't what it's supposed to be, and trusting that he'll ship the tobacco back after I refund the money.
Should I treat this as a retail return and expect the product back before I issue a refund, refund partial to cover shipping back and then send the difference upon receipt, or tell him tough kitty paws?
Obviously the stuff was jarred 16 years ago and I can't be 100% confident some sort of mixup didn't happen back then, but at the same time I don't want to be left with nothing but my **** in my hand if this guy is pulling something.
5 months seems like an awful long game to scam someone out of 50 bucks and 4oz of tobacco, so I don't know!
What say you?

 

[crashthegrey]

Smells fishy. I'd ask that the jar to be returned prior to refund.

 

[weedsnager]

Why would anyone expect a refund without having the return in your hands first ?

 

[ben88]

Is he asking you to pay for return shipping as well? If not - he has to intention to send it back.

My advice - cut your losses. You will loose PayPal case, if he opens one and PayPal will ride your a.. for selling tobacco.

 

[mso489]

I'm suspicious, but if you decide to refund him and hope for the best that he returns the tobacco, use some kind of international money order that gives him zero information on your credit card or banking or anything else about you. For financial purposes, assume he's a crook. If he isn't, all the better. But that's your working assumption.

 

[warren]

Sometimes the customer isn't right! Five months? If you have a reason to mess with this, insist the product be returned before you would even consider a refund. I'm customer oriented but, he's pushing the envelope.

 

[ashdigger]

I absolutely agree with Warren. How do you know the intermediary didn't do something?

 

[weedsnager]

He pay with PayPal friends and family or goods and services?

 

[pipesmokingtom]

He pay with PayPal friends and family or goods and services?

Goods and services. In April, he told me F&F wasn't available from PayPal in his country. He paid the additional 1.80 to cover the expense at the time.

 

[woodsroad]

He needs to return the product first,

 

[briarbuck]

No idea why you would take it back unless it's sealed container after this long. Y'all have WAY more trust than I do. I have visions of changing diapers and then reaching for something to smoke. No thanks.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

No idea why you would take it back unless it's sealed container after this long.

Well, it was a mason jar with tobacco with a Sharpied label on the top. Some risk is taken on by the buyer as well to trust me that it contains what I say it contains. I'd be upset if what I received wasn't what I expected, but still don't feel 100% good about refunding money without the tobacco in my hands.
It's been in a jar for 16 years so it doesn't surprise me it took an additional 5 months to open. I have jars I purchased many years ago that still may or may not be what they're labeled. I get it to an extent and just want to reach the most amicable solution possible.

 

[admiral]

Well, how do you know that he wont just smack whatever tobacco in the jar and send it back?

 

[pipesmokingtom]

Well, how do you know that he wont just smack whatever tobacco in the jar and send it back?

Haha, I don't know if he'll send anything back. I think sending enough money to cover shipping back and the rest upon receipt is probably the most fair solution. Assuming I don't end up with a jar of BCA or something, of course.

 

[crashthegrey]

I feel like you are being played, and that is a shame.

 

[jguss]

I guess I’m in the minority here. I’d be inclined to trust him and send the refund. You might ask that he ship immediately upon receipt of the money and send a tracking number. Not that that will prevent you from being screwed but it may cut the time period you’re stuck wondering what will happen.
As for the five months, yeah it’s a long time but most of us here have accumulated more tabacco than we can readily smoke. Many of my tins and jars are cellared for years before I pop them open. So it’s really not surprising that it could take a long while before sampling a purchase.
Hell, I bought a pipe two months ago that I just got around to unwrapping and found that there was a problem. My fault that I waited so long? Sure. But the seller was still nice enough to fix it for me. And I appreciated it, and will remember his response.

 

[pipesmokingtom]

As for the five months, yeah it’s a long time but most of us here have accumulated more tabacco than we can readily smoke.

Agreed - I have no issue with the length of time it took him to open the jar.

 

[scloyd]

Maybe refund half and upon receipt of the tobacco...you refund the other half.

 

[mau1]

I assume there was never a discussion regarding returns/refunds prior to the sale, otherwise we wouldn't be discussing this. He should have asked, I usually do when making a purchase. And why would he wait 5 months to check it out; I know I would have cracked it open the same day I received it. Caveat emptor. Folanator makes a very good point as well.

 

[saltedplug]

Absolutely no refund unless the goods are in your hand.

He's a n00b with an inaccurate palate or a scammer. 5 months down the road he has no case. Don't you inspect goods on receipt? At least smoke some and then consign it to a jar.
95% of those I did business with in my tobacco sales were gentlemen,. The other 5% were unreasonably demanding, and no sooner did I accede to the first demand came the second and third. I refunded this guy his hundred dollars rather than go on trying to satisfy him. Most others I told that we were not going to do business. I'd shut this guy down.