Buying from sellers in the USA only
Summary: oneafta909 is looking for ways to restrict interactions to US-based sellers only, expressing frustration with past experiences involving overseas sellers and suspicious activities. Several participants provided guidance on using filters and checking seller profiles on eBay to ensure US locations. oneafta909 detailed a scam involving third parties and retailers, thanking others for their input and discussing efforts to inform a retailer's anti-fraud department. The conversation touched on broader issues of online scams and the complexity of filtering seller locations effectively.
I would prefer to only deal with sellers here in the USA. How can I put this parameter in my personal profile.
22 comments
oneafta909
OP3 weeks agoThank you. I appreciate your feedback. I just had two recent dealings with sellers from overseas. What happens is that the overseas seller connects with someone in the States. That third party, who is helping the original seller, is I feel, playing a scam game. That third party will then purchase the item from a huge outlet (i.e., Walmart as an example) then ship the item, purposely, to another address! Then they contact that store, (again, let's use Walmart as an example) asking for a refund! This is an obvious scam. Just connect the dots... it's a pattern. Regards.
jonathanbrightlight
·3 weeks agoThey ask the retailer for a refund, and then what? Retailers like that won’t just issue refunds because a customer asks. They will refund after the item is returned, or if the tracking shows it was lost or damaged, but just “asking for a refund” would be a poor scam attempt because they would fail to actually scam anyone.
oneafta909
OP3 weeks agoIf it's food (i.e., protein bars, etc.) they are non-refundable, FYI. Regards.
jonathanbrightlight
·3 weeks agoNon-returnable, maybe, but not non-refundable. But that doesn’t affect what I was saying.
oneafta909
OP3 weeks agoThank you.
eburtonlab
·3 weeks ago@oneafta909
The "US only" item location filter selects items that are listed as being in the United States; however, as you may have seen, not every seller that lists items in the US ships from the US as they should.
If you use the eBay app you have the option of enabling lockable filters in the "Customize" section of the Filter menu when searching, then locking the "US only" Item location filter using the lock icon.
Desktop browsers lack the lockable filter option, but you may be able to use a third party browser add-on called "eBay item location -- my country only" which can allow you to bypass the "default" item location.
Before ordering you should still check the estimated delivery dates -- that is a good indication of how far away items actually ship from. Generic shipping options or DHL may be a sign of an international shipment. Also, going to a seller's profile page or feedback page will tell you where the seller's account was registered. Although some overseas sellers do use US warehouses to ship their items (and some registered US-sellers may employ drop-shippers), if a seller is registered overseas, that raises the likelihood of an item shipping from outside the US, particularly for multiple quantity commodity items. Checking seller feedback closely will often reveal if there are problems with long shipping times, canceled orders or other supply chain warning signs, particularly if buyers that encounter problems with drop-shippers leave feedback indicating that.
oneafta909
OP3 weeks agoThank you for your response. I appreciate your feedback. I just had two recent dealings with sellers from overseas. What happens is that the overseas seller connects with someone in the States. That third party, who is helping the original seller, is I feel, playing a scam game. That third party will then purchase the item from a huge outlet (i.e., Walmart as an example) then ship the item, purposely, to another address! Then they contact that store, (again, let's use Walmart as an example) asking for a refund! This is an obvious scam. Just connect the dots... it's a pattern. Regards.
eburtonlab
·3 weeks agoYou are welcome.
Not all drop-shippers are scammers, but some of them are.
To avoid the scammers, it may be worth avoiding drop-shippers altogether, to the extent it is possible. In addition to return fraud via drop-shipping, some retail drop shippers may be paying using stolen credit cards (a "triangulation scam"). Although the retailer is unlikely to go after the item's recipient directly as a result, the fact that the eBay buyer's name and address is now associated with a disputed transaction with the retailer may cause problems if the eBay buyer tries to order something directly from the retailer later on.
oneafta909
OP3 weeks agoThank you for your response. Well, I have contacted a huge retailer explaining the pattern(s) I'm seeing. I called this retailer again and told them what to look for i.e, consistent refunds for "wrong shipping address(s)." Their anti-fraud department made note of that. I don't like scammers at all and I did this out of principle only. Scammers belong in jail. Again, thank you for writing. Regards.
gurlcat
·3 weeks agoJust anytime you do a search for something, scroll down the left side of the screen til you find the location filter, and select 'US ONLY.'
If you're on your phone, I'm sure there's a way to do it also, but it's probably convoluted as heck becasue the eBay app sux.
kensgiftshop
·3 weeks agoYou don't, you'll have to check to see where each seller is located.
oneafta909
OP3 weeks agoThank you for your response. I appreciate your feedback. I just had two recent dealings with sellers from overseas. What happens is that the overseas seller connects with someone in the States. That third party, who is helping the original seller, is I feel, playing a scam game. That third party will then purchase the item from a huge outlet (i.e., Walmart as an example) then ship the item, purposely, to another address! Then they contact that store, (again, let's use Walmart as an example) asking for a refund! This is an obvious scam. Just connect the dots... it's a pattern. Regards.
annadryl
·3 weeks agoJust narrow down your search, it's one extra click.
mam98031
·3 weeks agoBut remember, that filter is for the listings only. Meaning if the item ships FROM a US address, then it qualifies for the filter even if the seller is registered in another country. Which we can see on a seller's feedback page.
inhawaii
·3 weeks ago · EditedWhen doing a ebay search, on the left hand side of the poge, check "US Only".
hartungcards
·3 weeks agoI didn't even know we had "personal profiles."
inhawaii
·3 weeks agoTaurus
5'8"
Asian
Like long walks on the beach
hartungcards
·3 weeks agoAre you flirting with me? To be honest, I don't swing that way. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
inhawaii
·3 weeks ago · EditedYou might find me so incredibly handsome that you're willing to switch teams.
hartungcards
·3 weeks agoBut we don't need a shortstop.
chapeau-noir
·3 weeks ago@inhawaii plays the long game.
oneafta909
OP3 weeks agoThank you for your response. I just had two recent dealings with sellers from overseas. What happens is that the overseas seller connects with someone in the States. That third party, who is helping the original seller, is I feel, playing a scam game. That third party will then purchase the item from a huge outlet (i.e., Walmart as an example) then ship the item, purposely, to another address! Then they contact that store, (again, let's use Walmart as an example) asking for a refund! This is an obvious scam. Just connect the dots... it's a pattern. Regards.