Buyer has no last name listed in their address. Why would eBay allow this?
Sold a $180 turntable yesterday to a buyer with zero feedback. If that wasn't bad enough, his address doesn't list a last name (just the letter "S"). Why on earth would eBay allow this? I hate to lose a $180 sale, but I don't want to lose the turntable and the $40 shipping cost. Any opinions on this would be appreciated.
46 comments
mantle1951
·1 year agoWhen Cher or Elvis buy from me I only see first name on label not a big deal.
freebirdtim
OP1 year agoSorry for the slow update. Buyer received the turntable safe and sound and is happy with it. Thanks for all the input on this one! Can't believe I never had this issue before in 24 years on eBay!
animal-house-8
·1 year agoI have a buyer whose name is just listed as "Hu" never a problem.
simply-the-best-for-you
·1 year ago@animal-house-8 There's a rock band that's up & coming called the Hu, maybe they're a fan? But I read that it stands for Human, so also, maybe they're a Human 😀
evry1nositswindy
·1 year agoOkay, the timing on this is incredible...I am packaging up an item for shipment right now. The name? Wee Man! Yes, I shipped it.
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year ago@evry1nositswindy I just checked our orders awaiting shipment, and there's one with just a last initial, but no fun ones like that. I think we get more of those types on other selling sites than on eBay.
I expanded my scan to our recently paid and shipped and I see one with just an initial for a first name, one that's just a username with no first or last name, one that the name given is "car man", and then of course any of the others could be fake names and we'd never know.
stainlessenginecovers
·1 year agoMadonna?
Cher?
Prince?
Bono?
evry1nositswindy
·1 year agoWhen I purchase something, it has my seller name with my address. Would you sell to me? I get packages with no problems.
powell-collectibles
·1 year agoThis is becoming more and more of a thing - and nothing wrong with it. My kids each use a fake name - each totally ridiculous - for online purchases. Something like "Texas Two Step" - not that, but you get the idea.
Only the address is important - names just don't matter.
a_c_green
·1 year agoA friend at the office had an ongoing hobby of using various different middle initials for his on-line purchases, or blog postings, or donations, or subscriptions, etc. He had a little chart posted in his cubicle on which he would log the sender of each piece of junk mail or spam by the middle initial, showing who had bought or rented a mailing list from who else.
I wish I could remember now who the worst offender was for monetizing his contact info, although in general, charities were the absolute worst; making one donation was like putting your name on a sucker list that was spread far and wide.
I occasionally get junk mail with my middle initial shown as "R" by mistake, and this has surfaced off-and-on for years now, maybe decades.
iamalwaysright
·1 year agoI'll add that even the city name doesn't really matter. Zip codes are more important.
freebirdtim
OP1 year agoI'm not going to sweat it. I'll ship it tomorrow and hope it goes well. I'm just wondering how eBay confirms the identity and payment info of the buyer when they don't even have his last name!
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year agoThe billing address (I think just the zip code, but I'm not sure) is validated, but I don't know of any online payment processor that actually validates a buyer's name. In addition, the shipping address can be and often is different from the billing address, and that includes the name.
You should be good, glad to hear you're not worried.
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoIt's been awhile since I ordered on Ebay, but do they have it where you can enter the shipping address and billing address if it's different?
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year agoIt's been a while for me too, but I'm confident that's the case, because we routinely get orders where the account name and shipping name don't match, and while we don't get the account address displayed to us, I know they must be changing the shipping address and not the billing address in at least some of those cases.
a_c_green
·1 year agoYes, on the payment screen, there's a Change link if you want to send the item somewhere other than one of your stored Ship-To: addresses.
As for billing addresses, in some messing around with a BuyItNow listing, I can see that you're prompted to enter a billing address if you're adding or updating a credit or debit card. I assume the billing address is regarded as a fixed item, whereas the shipping address can be changed on any purchase prior to payment. In other words, the billing address is tied to the payment method; the shipping address is tied to the purchase.
iamalwaysright
·1 year agoYou are only seeing the shipping address and recipient name on that. You are not seeing the billing info of the buyer, which is likely different and more complete.
I've shipped to many goofy names. One of which I remember the package was addressed to "My crazy ex-girlfriend."
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year ago@iamalwaysright
I sure hope that package contained something mundane…
iamalwaysright
·1 year agoHahaha, no worries. I selected No to the "anything liquid, fragile, flammable, etc etc etc" spiel USPS asks about the packages. Also I don't really sell any "revenge items."
Back then it made me think of how when I was engaged my then fiance and I would introduce each other as "this is my ex-gf/ex-bf." Then after we got married "my ex-fiance".
legalbeagle52
·1 year ago@freebirdtim
I too would ship this. To me it doesn't sound like a problem. I've shipped to several buyers with only one name. It does indeed look odd when you first see it. I've also shipped to some very goofy made up names (not business names) and all of it turned out fine.
The fact that when you looked up the address, it looked like a residential address is also encouraging. I would go ahead & ship. Any transaction has the potential to be problematic but I don't see any red flags here just because of one name. ~Good luck~
zakstreasuretrove
·1 year agoI've found that most of the 0 feedback buyers are using guest accounts so that it hides their selling account or something of that nature. I get the 0 feedback sales all the time and most are not an issue. I get more nervous about the "ask weird irrelevant questions" or "this is a gift send it here" people
mam98031
·1 year agoFor me, I have far more issues with seasoned Ebay members. Especially those that are sellers too.
inhawaii
·1 year agoI've shipped to so many people with one name, even a few with just one letter, such a 'S".
I would just ship it and not even give it a second thought.
iamalwaysright
·1 year agoQ: Buyer has no last name listed in their address. Why would eBay allow this?
A: So Cher can shop on eBay without getting hassled.
Sorry I just had to. 😀
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year ago@iamalwaysright
There could hardly have been a more appropriate time to use that gif.
freebirdtim
OP1 year agoYes, the buyer paid right away, since I require immediate payment for my buy it now listings. I did check the address and it's a residential property valued at $571,000. I don't see any issues with my description. I always give an honest assessment of any item I sell on eBay.
simply-the-best-for-you
·1 year agoThat all sounds promising, just ship it. I've had many buyers with only 1 name, never had a problem!
toysaver
·1 year agoWhy on earth would eBay allow this?
You could likely have all your eBay purchases shipped to freebirdtim without issue. The only problem I ever had was a lady in the military who used a pseudonym business name instead of her name and the army had no idea who the package belonged too.
a_c_green
·1 year agoRight, the address validation in the USPS database (where it's looked up when you purchase your Shipping label) is dealing with the street address, City and ZIP, but the addressee line can have anything on it as far as routine domestic mail is concerned.
@freebirdtim : Has the buyer actually paid for this yet, so there is a Ship-To: address showing? Prior to payment, you will see some kind of buyer name, but it is not necessarily the name that will appear in the Ship-To: address. As long as that address (which you will not receive until payment) is valid, it should be good to go regardless of what name is showing.
For something like a turntable, I would definitely make sure that the turntable platter is locked down for shipping, the tone arm is secured, and that the whole thing is double-boxed for extra cushioning. Good luck.
sextons-sweet-deals
·1 year agoI would not ship. Cancel with issue with buyer's address.
Maybe this person is a guest buyer and got past eBay's firewall to only have to use a one work name. NOT COOL!
Have you looked at your buyer's profile, all feedback, and Google map / satellite the address?
Your description just leaves you open for a scam: Up for sale is a vintage Technics SL 3200 turntable. Turns on and seems to work correctly. Can't test it with a record, since the needle is trashed. Control arm may need to be adjusted. Very quiet with no motor or drive noise. Cover has many light scratches, but no cracks or chips. Missing one nut that holds the cartridge in place. I have cleaned it up, but some dust may remain. Please check out the photos for the exact condition of this turntable.
I would only list this as pick-up only / pay then.
fern*wood
·1 year agoI agree with you about the pick-up only part. We just sold one locally through another venue.
I must say based on the rest of your posts, I'm always shocked that you have such a large feedback number. I'm surprised any buyer gets through your nets.
a_c_green
·1 year agoThere is no issue with the buyer's address. Unless you are shipping the package with Restricted Delivery Signature Confirmation (a more-expensive form of SC that eBay does not require, in which the package can only be signed for by the person named on the Addressee line), and you are not, so the USPS does not care what if anything is on the recipient line.
Keep in mind also that the Ship-To: address can go to a third-party recipient, so the name on that address line might not be the buyer anyway.
It doesn't matter. Your only obligation is to ship to the address received with the payment. If $750 or more, Signature Confirmation will be required in order to ensure eBay Seller Protection against an Item Not Received dispute.
Actually the description is fairly detailed, and as you know, buyers can claim any real or imagined defect in order to return the item (or try to haggle a partial or full refund without returning it).
On that perhaps we agree; I don't think I'd want to risk shipping a delicate vintage electronic item anywhere.
johnrj1226
·1 year ago"I would only list this as pick-up only / pay then."
Kinda' late for that to happen in this case as one (the seller) does not see the the ship to address until the item is paid for. Their kinda locked into shipping to the confirmed address unless they wish to have a red or scarlet hickie on their account. What name and address would someone need to be responsible for verifying if a buyer that we will call "Jack" who lives in location " A" (Dog Patch USA) buys an item on eBay (USA) for someone named "Jill", that resides some where off the grid in Alaska or in a very far away place like Timbuktu? Just a fleeting thought I had - me thinks the best answer is to the address the buyer provided at time of payment. Forget the "possible scenario's" - that is what Los Vegas is about. When we sold on eBay shipped 1665 items to the 50 US states, US Protectorates and APO/FPOs. Only had two packages that was last scene oat the same USPS sort facility in Jamacia, NYC (kinda did a Poor Old Charley/MTA** routine - of well What's The Fuss. and life goes on.
**https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Jw_v3F_Q0
PS: FYI one example of folks scamming (stealing) a seller - the last 2 years Walmart lost over 6 billion $ of people getting "free stuff" and they spend lot of money on loss prevention - cameras are every where. Approx 40% is attributed to their own employees. People been stealing stuff since the days of Adam and Eve - there is a book about it.
sextons-sweet-deals
·1 year agoThe O.P. has the right to cancel. It is their item, and they have concerns on the buyer with zero feedback and only having "S" as last name.
I would cancel if it was my item. I rather take a slap on the hand from eBay than losing the item and $180.
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year ago@sextons-sweet-deals
Those are not legitimate concerns, as has been explained ad nauseum in this thread and the countless others on the subject.
You can do what you want. eBay can and will shut down sellers who cancel too often and over nonsense.
sextons-sweet-deals
·1 year agoNonsense? You need to read the post over and put yourself in that situation as the seller.
What would you actually do? Remember, the buyer with zero feedback, no full last name on order. Is this buyer a guest buyer who has not been verified by eBay?
Your comment of: You can do what you want. eBay can and will shut down sellers who cancel too often and over nonsense. Sounds like a soft threat as if you think I cancel orders all the time. Not Cool.
Let's just sit back and wait for the O.P. to give an update in a couple weeks of how this worked out and if the buyer leaves positive feedback quickly or does the open return case and the seller gets an empty box back.
Hopefully it all works out for the O.P.
jonathanbrightlight
·1 year ago@sextons-sweet-deals
I've been in that situation countless times as a seller.
I have shipped every single time.
I have never once had a problem from doing so.
Stop giving out bad advice.
mam98031
·1 year agoI've read the post and I do understand and I've been in that vary position many times over the years. It has never been a problem for me. The important part is the seller must ship to the address the buyer gives them during the payment process, period.
I love new buyers. We need them. They are a must have to sustaining growth on this site for Sellers. So I welcome them to my listings and I try to make sure they are well taken care of.
@jonathanbrightlight doesn't work for Ebay, so it wasn't a "soft threat". They were just sharing information with you that we know to be true. Whether you choose to believe it is up to you. But sellers that lie and say they are cancelling due to a problem with the buyers address, is a big no no, when it is just the seller is uncomfortable about the buyer's name. FYI there is NO reason on the short list of reasons for a cancellation that has ANYTHING to do with the buyer's name.
The OP is likely to be fine, as has been the rest of us that have experienced this and lived to share our stories.
Sometimes I think you say stuff like this just to see how you can stir things up. You are a long time seller with some great experience and a quick review of your feedback shows you are a responsible seller too.
fern*wood
·1 year agoIf you really cancel sales for all the reasons you cite in your posts, it certainly sounds like you cancel orders all the time which isn’t “coolâ€. You also rarely answer when asked what reasons you use to stay out of trouble.
mam98031
·1 year agoThey can't be. They are TRS and if they did half of what they have stated here on the thread, they would not be TRS and likely Below Standard. So I think they are just here to stir things up as clearly they don't deal with this situation very often, if ever.
a_c_green
·1 year agoThose concerns have been explained (repeatedly by now, I think). It does not matter what is on the Addressee line, whether it's one name or three names or "Grandma" or just an initial. (I once had a buyer who used his eBay ID as the Addressee name. It made no difference whatsoever.) It may or may not refer to the buyer himself anyway, if he's sending it to some address other than his own.
You have seller protection against an Item Not Received claim as long as you ship to the address received with the payment. For a total sale of $750 or more, you must add Signature Confirmation to maintain that protection.
If the buyer wants to return the item for whatever reason, you do not need to refund without getting the item back first.
If the buyer wants to keep the item and get a refund as well, you do not need to refund without getting the item back first.
kensgiftshop
·1 year agoThat could be their last name, now days, you never know.
freebirdtim
OP1 year agoThanks for all the helpful replies. I will ship the turntable and be sure to insure for the full amount and get tracking.
johnrj1226
·1 year agoSellers are obligated to ship to the name & address provided by eBay after payment is made. Carriers only ship to a physical address and if required will accept an signature of anyone over 18 y.o. or older.......... or the pet dog but not declawed cats.
Have had regular mail & "junk" mail sent to the same physical address for the last 29 years and mail/packages have been delivered to to 3 different people with various spelling of each person - have had at least 5 different name spellings. Only sign my name one way since I was 14 y. o. many moons ago am a '44 model. On rare occassions We receive miss delivered mail/packages. I usually simply take them mail to the correct address - if is miss guided junk mail just make a note of it on the piece and put the flag up.
'
christworks
·1 year agoI've had buyers use, only first name, only last name, etc. It is allowed because eBay has protections in place for both buyers and sellers. When delivering carriers go by the address, not by the name. The address is what is important.
If you are worried about someone scamming you, they can do that just as easily by providing a fake first and last name. You'd never know the difference. Scammers don't play tricks like that, at least the smart ones don't.
Fulfill the order. Make sure it is fully insured above the standard $100, and don't cancel. The hit on your account isn't worth it. You may legit be out of stock one day on something or you may break something when packing it and need to cancel. Don't cancel out of fear. Businesses that prevail and see another day don't back down to fear.
mam98031
·1 year ago@freebirdtim
You can look up what you are required to do when you ship an item so that you are covered by Seller Protection in the Money Back Guarantee policy.
You need to ship within your stated handling time.
Ship to the address given on the buyer's Payment notification.
And if the purchase was $750 or more, you need to have signature confirmation on delivery.
So you should be just fine. I have buyers do this many times over the years and it hasn't created any additional issues. Just make sure you follow the rules that guide us for Seller Protection.