Where does money go from a vendor if the owner has left SL?

A couple of years ago a friend placed a vendor in my shop. Recently, I had two irate IM's from customers who paid her vendor $L500. each and received no product. I did a search and found that my friend no longer shows up and has apparently quit SL. These people are demanding product or refund from me which I can not offer. I wrote to support last week but have not yet received a reply.

What generally happens in a situation like this? Does Linden Lab offer refunds to customers who pay money to vendors or players who are no longer residents or are they simply out of luck?

Hey Buck,

I'm afraid we can't offer any kind of reimbursment for transactions between residents...even if one of them isn't actually a resident anymore. I would suggest removing the vendors from your shop and letting those that are upset know that you cannot be responsible for problems related to in-world transactions that you are not directly involved in.

It's tough to say "Sorry you're out of luck" but hopefully they will understand it's not your doing.