Being threatened with an Ebay dispute for non delivered item!

[JJy2k]

Hi all. This is a long one but help would be very much appreciated! Could really do with some help on this.
I sold an item on Ebay last month. I arranged for a courier to collect it next day, the 20th, which they did and it was delivered the next day, on the 21st. Or so I thought!
Fast forward to the 29th of November and I recieved an email from the buyer claiming that they had not recieved the parcel and she said that no card was put through her door telling her of an attempted delivery.( I had informed the buyer before I sent it that it was on a 48 - 72 hour service) so the latest she should have recieve it would have been the 23rd by my calculation. Why It took her 6 days from then to inform me of the apparently missing parcel seems questionable.
Anyway, as soon as the buyer told me it had not turned up, I checked the address with her and I double checked that with the invoice the driver left with me when he collected the box. The addresses matched no problem.
I have since been in heavy correspondence with the courier firm who told me straight away that the driver had to leave the parcel in a nearby address and they gave me the name of the person who signed for it. The buyer sais they have asked everybody in their street if they had signed for and taken in a parcel and they apparently all said no and nobody had ever heard of anyone by that name living there.
The courier firm today confirmed that a card was put through the correct address informing the buyer of where they could find their parcel. The buyer is adament that no card was left and are now threatening to start a dispute with me on Ebay. How do I know they are telling the truth? The courier has said that they will provide me with proof of delivery which I am still waiting for.
Will the buyer have any joy getting any compensation from paypal? I know it seems mean, but there is the possibility that she is lying. What would you do? All help would be a god send.

[JJy2k]

Cheers mate. I kind of guessed staright away they were after somthing for nothing.

[BenDToy]

There is also the possibility that they are telling the truth. Put yourself in their position for a minute. This has happened to me, and it turned out that the courier had dumped the parcel in a neighbour's garden, behind their garage. It only turned up about 3 weeks later when he was gardening. They claimed to have left a card as well, and they hadn't. Keep pursuing the courier until they can prove delivery to an address. Someone signing "Fred Bloggs" on a delivery note is useless.
So far the courier has provided you with nothing. The ball is in their court for now. I notice you make an issue of the delay in advising you. The goods were due for delivery within 3 days of the 20th. Therefore delivery could have been made up to 25th (allowing for the weekend) and then you would give another day until at least 26th before being concerned. So the 29th is not an excessive delay.