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Buyer profile location does not align with the requested shipping address
I have a pending sale. The buyer provided me with a residence in Georgia for shipping. When I clicked on the buyer's profile name, the location displayed was in Africa. Additionally, the buyer's Name on the eBay address exceeded eBay's character limit, but he has been a member since 2015. The buyer sent me a revised address via eBay messaging with fewer characters, instructing me to update the shipping information accordingly. However, according to eBay, I should not change the label; instead, the buyer needs to make any name or address changes. If I make the changes on my end according to eBay, I could lose my seller protections. Many things about this sale are making me suspicious. I did not post the item for international sale; only in the US. Thoughts?
monroe67
Mentor1 year ago"I have a pending sale. The buyer provided me with a residence in Georgia for shipping. When I clicked on the buyer's profile name, the location displayed was in Africa. Additionally, the buyer's Name on the eBay address exceeded eBay's character limit, but he has been a member since 2015."
Lots and lots of people who live outside the United States buy things on eBay, and have shipping addresses within the United States. Since you state the delivery address is a residence in the state of Georgia, it sounds like the buyer has a relative or friend in Georgia who is willing to accept purchases on his/her behalf.
Many people outside the United States have contracted with American freight forwarding companies who will, as the name indicates, forward their eBay purchases to them outside the USA. Often, those freight forwarding companies are based in Delaware and Oregon -- no state sales taxes -- but they could be in any state. All of this is perfectly fine.
"The buyer sent me a revised address via eBay messaging with fewer characters, instructing me to update the shipping information accordingly." Yeeaaaah -- no.
You, as the eBay seller, cannot change the delivery address.
"However, according to eBay, I should not change the label; instead, the buyer needs to make any name or address changes. If I make the changes on my end according to eBay, I could lose my seller protections."
Yes, absolutely, all of the above is true. YOU do not want to lose eBay selling privileges and/or protections, so hold your ground. In order to keep those privileges and protections, YOU are required to send to the address provided to YOU by eBay.
Thus, the buyer needs to update his information on eBay; as you say, making his name and address changes that fit the allowed space.
"I did not post the item for international sale; only in the US. Thoughts?"
On eBay, sellers cannot really prohibit international sales.
They (we) can only limit their own shipping/mailing-to addresses outside the United States.
Since the shipping address is in the state of Georgia, you would be shipping within the United States.