UPDATE -- long -- includes seller's response to PayPal's inquiry.
PayPal was able to contact the seller (with an email address I didn't have) and I heard back from the seller as follows:
"I have just received a complaint notification from PayPal. Since you have previously contacted us to say you are happy with your purchase, & added to the fact that you paid for 6-8 week surfacemail & in fact received you cards by 4-day airmail (at our cost), please can you reply to this email stating exactly how you feel we have misrepresented our goods & cheated you.
As stated in our eBay returns policy, if you return the goods to us we will shall refund your money in full including all postage costs to return the goods to us. Please obtain proof of postage certificate & email this to us as soon as you have posted the goods back to us. As soon as they arrive back here we shall refund your monies without question."
I promptly emailed him back and explained that I did try to email him first, but both the email addresses I had for him were no good any more, therefore I felt I had no other choice but to contact PayPal. I told him up until I received my package I was happy with his communication and was prepared to leave him favorable feedback until I found it wasn't exactly what I thought I was getting. I recognized the fact that he did send the package the most expensive way, however, I pointed out that I did not chose the more expensive method because I didn't want to pay the cost (it was $20 more). It was his choice to mail it in that manner. I told him I didn't wish to send back my whole order, I just wanted what I thought I was bidding on. His response was:
"Thanks for replying to us. The email addresses you had for us were deleted just this week as we have sold off all our stock & have ceased trading on eBay.
Had we realised the cards came in 4 designs the auction would have stated this. We sold over 100 boxes of these last year & at that time only 2 designs were available. This years stock it seems was slightly different & the new designs must have been added - something which we did not notice & for which we appologise.
We actually made a loss on this sale, as our Post Office stickered-up the package for airmail & it was not until we had processed 20 or so other packages that we realised your had been incorrectly stickered up for airmail. To save disruption in the busy post office we let it go as Airmail & paid the excess charges - double what you paid for shipping - out of our own pocket. Yes I realise you did not ask to be upgraded for shipping, but the fact remains we carried the cost for you & I would have hoped in a case like this that meant something to you.
As stated in the auction for the Christmas Cards, they were the last 10 boxes we had in stock. We stand by our word of offering you a complete refund if you are able to return the 10 boxes of cards to us - we will pay your return postage costs. We would gladly replace the cards but we no longer have any available, so a full refund is the only option available if you are unhappy with your purchase I am afraid."
Now I am in a dilemna as to what to do. I do want the 3 boxes of the design I wanted, but not the 7 boxes of the one I was unaware existed. How would you proceed from here?
PS - Kim, I am glad too.
