Pinnacle Skyline Advice Please

Hello fellas - I need some advice please.

Last week I bought a 1996 Pinnacle Skylines Albert Belle. It was a $15 BIN. That's probably a little much for Belle but I've wanted the card for awhile now and I didn't mind overpaying a bit. The picture of the card in the auction looked pristine. However I received the card today and it came in the mail and the entire clear background is scratched up to hell and has fingerprints all over it. I own a Griffey, Thomas and Maddux Skylines and I've never had a problem with the background before. They all look great. I messaged the seller and described the issue & asked if it was the card pictured. His response to me is he owns another Belle skyline that he can send out to me....but I have to send him the Belle I got in the mail first. Then he says he'll send the Belle I should of received in the first place.

Here's the plot twist. I've been splurging a bit on eBay recently and I made a very costly mistake today. I had about 7-8 envelopes come in today and made the error of not looking at all the cards thoroughly before leaving positive feedback. So my dumb self left this guy positive feedback on this scratched up card. So what I do now? Send him the Belle card and risk him keeping it and I don't get any Belle skyline card? If I do send him the card first he really has no reason to send me the card back he already has positive FB. I don't plan on re-selling the Belle card so maybe I should just keep the damaged one? Not sure what to do here

Try "cleaning" it. Use a Q-tip with a little rubbing alcohol. Most of the "scratches" are just old muck and smudges.

I doubt the seller would risk his reputation on a $15 Belle. I'd send it back and save the email correspondence and tracking info.

I'd say there is a 99.99% chance the seller will still help you out as they said they would.

Ryan