China?
Yes.
There is a policy at the moment with CBSA to investigate more closely parcels coming in from China (for fentanyl which killed over 900 people in Vancouver last year), and there has been an ongoing movement among First World members of the Universal Postal Union not to give priority to China Post parcels as part of an argument about fees, there are certainly, in my opinion, some sellers who have discovered that it is very profitable to have no stock and do no shipping, refunding to the relatively few customers who complain in time.
Not common. But there are a lot of Chinese. Even if they are slightly more honest than the average Canadian, that still leaves a lot of scammers.
You have 30 days after the last estimated date for delivery to open a Dispute on eBay. If the seller cannot provide proof of delivery, you will be refunded.
And on Paypal the deadline is 180 days after payment.
If the item arrives late, you can return the refund using PP's Send Money service.
