Customer using multiple new accounts to order to same address - suspicious or normal?
Hello, I discovered that a customer used 3 different accounts to place 3 separate orders, all shipping to the same address with the same recipient name. Since all 3 accounts are brand new, I'm a bit confused. I've encountered similar situations before with international customers shipping to forwarding companies, but they usually add sequence numbers to the address. However, this customer is unusual - the name and address are exactly the same across all orders. After checking, the address is just a regular residential home. Have you encountered this situation before? The items they ordered are all inexpensive, not valuable products. This makes me even more confused - why would someone go through this trouble for such small items...
26 comments
simply-the-best-for-you
·1 year agoI have a buyer who occasionally does this, not even a guest acct & she specifically wants them shipped separately. Why? I have no idea, but she's a good buyer & I've never once had a problem with it.
So unless they are high scam or very expensive items, I wouldn't give it a second thought.
ETA: SHould have clarified, not quite the same, she's not creating new accts, but she'll often by 2 or 3 days in a row & specifically ask me to be sure to send each one separately. It's so odd b/c most buyers want combined shipping.
steady2304
·1 year ago@squishyglam
I have a regular customer that does this all the time. He doesn't want an eBay account so he just places his orders using a guest account.
Each order will have to be shipped separately since they are all different ID's even though they are going to the same address.
I was finally able to get my buyer to add items to the shopping cart and then purchase so he could take advantage of my combined shipping discounts but it took a couple of orders before he finally did.
sextons-sweet-deals
·1 year agoNow you have to decide on how that residential site looks like with the old street view and the more current satellite view. Are we talking run down possibly vacant home or a high dollar value home?
I would reach out to buyer and ask questions on their purchase. That way you and eBay have their comments recorded on eBay communication thread.
If the buyer does not respond in a timely manner, I would cancel based on issue with buyer's address.
pikabo-icu
·1 year agoIt certainly sounds like what @rosszonebricks posted, guest account purchases.
Are they all new id's? Created recently?
Perhaps the person doesn't know they can create an ID and add to the cart & purchase all at once.
rosszonebricks
·1 year agoIt's kind of how I know this even existed. I had 3 orders all the same day, (in amongst about 20 other orders) and I always check for ones I can merge shipping on before hand. But... as I'm packing up, I notice the names, addresses, etc. all 100% match, so I go back to look. Sure enough, they are all different usernames (and you can kind of tell it's a guest based on the random garbage method they use to create unique names).
Normally I always combine shipping and refund a portion of the shipping, but you can't do that on multiple items on guest accounts. You have no choice but to ship separately. And no, I don't think you have any way to contact a buyer that checks out as guest. So... packed up and shipped all of the separately. If they HAD messaged and asked why I charged them for shipping 3 times... well, you checked out on three different accounts. I could have cancelled and told them to create a proper account, and then educated them on the fact that it's 2025 and there is this fancy feature of online shopping called a 'Shopping Cart'... but I digress on that. 🙂
sextons-sweet-deals
·1 year agoThis just seems strange to me.
Same person using 3 different accounts. They should be buying all 3 listings together under the same account for combined shipping if they want to build feedback.
What does the address look like in Google maps?
House?
Apartment?
Business?
Warehouse? (Possible freight forwarder)
eBay needs to get rid of this 'guest' stuff. You sell; you have to create an account. You buy; you have to create an account.
I guess I would reach out and ask why they purchased the way they did on each account going to same address and name, and willing to pay separate shipping on each package.
weibeautywell
·1 year agoThat is what I thought: why you need to place 3 orders by buying the same products, also all 3 accounts created on 5/16/25, I contact the buyer, no reply. I felt it was not normal.
But per ebay policy I can not cancel the order by my side, it will affect my account. I am still wondering whether I would like to take risk.
toysaver
·1 year agoCheck your selling preferences under managing your buyers. Make sure the third option is not selected.
weibeautywell
·1 year agoI searched google maps, it is residential address, much better?
krazzykats
·1 year agoIf the customer has paid, then you need to ship to the address provided on the shipping label.
They can still track their purchases and return items they’ve bought as a guest on eBay but won’t be able to use My eBay to keep track of their activity or message other members.
So, I think that's a no on receiving messages other than the automated eBay ones.
Buying as a guest | eBay
weibeautywell
·1 year agoThanks for your suggestion! great help!
krazzykats
·1 year agoBought it as a "guest," so now I'm guessing the buyer might prefer each item to take its own journey instead of carpooling in the same box.
weibeautywell
·1 year agoI am a little bit worried to ship the orders out. May I ask at this point how to protect myself? Should I use "signature" delivery? or ebay is going to protect seller once the tracking said "delivered"? Thanks!
fashunu4eeuh
·1 year agoDon’t cancel these sales because ebay has rules that work against seller-initiated transaction cancellations. So—They pay, you ship. What is the price on these goods?
fashunu4eeuh
·1 year agoSignatures confirmation is required by eBay for sales of $750+ to combat Item Not Received claims. Otherwise, it does not necessarily add a benefit and can create hardships for the buyer, and therefore should be highlighted in the listing prior to purchase if you plan on using it.
Asking after the sale is made how to protect one’s interests is a little bit like putting the cart before the horse. Once the sale is made, one’s choices are limited for seller protection due to eBay’s buyer-centric policies as i mentioned upthread.
So the time for sellers to determine risk tolerance is prior to listing the item. At that point a seller needs to decide what level of loss they can accept, because there is the threat of loss or fraud with every transaction, primarily due to the Money Back Guarantee. (Though in 15+ years of selling, i have never been the victim of buyer fraud.) Still, the threat remains. I do a number of things to protect my account that includes free returns, a suspense fund dedicated to loss compensation, should it occur, that is part of a long-term business plan with other strategies for dealing with potential shrinkage.
A seller’s best protection is to learn all the policies and procedures that govern the site, paying special attention to the Money Back Guarantee policy and the eBay User Agreement. Read the forums often to know what not to do. Read up on account defects which are given as penalties for policy violations and can get one’s selling account suspended if too many are leveled. Cancelling a transaction is the cardinal sin on eBay and can earn a seller a defect. Defects can also downgrade one’s standing on eBay, which can drop one’s listings in Search results and hike one’s Final Value fees.
There is a lot to learn here. It’s not easy or simple but it is doable.
When help is needed, I don’t recommend calling eBay customer service because they are not always reliable. You’re better off asking questions here in the forums. Good luck and hope this matter gets resolved to your benefit.
weibeautywell
·1 year agoThank you so much for your great help, keep learning.....
weibeautywell
·1 year agoAnother question: Sinces the buyer use the same address for 3 orders, but 3 transaction, 3 accounts. Do you think i can ship together? OR it is better to ship out with 3 packages?
Thanks!
fashunu4eeuh
·1 year agoHi @weibeautywell
If it were me, i would not ship three distinct orders together because i want each order to have its own tracking number. If the buyer had requested combined shipping, then yes, by all means, ship together. But if they wanted the orders shipped together, they could have placed them all in the cart and used/requested combined shipping at checkout.
(What is the price point of these three orders?)
weibeautywell
·1 year agoThanks and I will ship seperatly.
reallynicestamps
·1 year ago@weibeautywell If you feel you need signature delivery use it.
You will pay a premium for the service.
It is polite to let the customer know that you will be using this. Describe this as "for their protection" even though it is for your protection. You have to make the customer feel happy about what might be a little more work for them.
weibeautywell
·1 year agoThank you for your help!
weibeautywell
·1 year agoIf buyer checked out as guest, can they receive message?
sin-n-dex
·1 year agoNo they cannot. I had a buyer check out as a guest a few weeks ago and I sent him a message. I didn't hear back (problem with the coin), so I shipped it and hand wrote him a note with my business card.
When he got the coin, I got an email from him telling me he purchases as a guest and cannot receive messages or leave feedback (then confirmed the coin in the photo was what he wanted, I had made a typo in the title, since I hadn't gotten an answer I shipped with a note intending to refund if I guessed wrong).
C.
weibeautywell
·1 year agoI have the exact same problem happend on 5/16/25. The 3 accounts created on 5/16/25, ordered same products, ship to same address. I received payment through ebay, I sent message to buyer, but no reply.
Can I ship the order out? Or I need to cancel the order? Any suggestion? Thanks!
love2beselling
·1 year agoHi, this is curious. Like you, I've shipped to freight forwarding addresses without any issues, and they typically have some form of ID in the address. I would recommend reaching out to eBay customer service to put these transactions on their radar. You're covered by eBay seller protections, and you'll have shipping tracking and delivery information.
The only things that come to mind are:
A. They're building feedback for their accounts, or
B. They're drop-shipping. Even though the addresses are the same, they might want items packed and delivered separately.
I’m interested to hear what other sellers have to say!
Posting ID. On eBay since 2002 with over 15000 feedback.
rosszonebricks
·1 year agoThey are likely selecting 'check out as guest' when they check out, so eBay creates essentially a disposable account for them. Each. time. they. buy. something.
The user thinks it's probably saving them time or somehow 'protecting their information' better if they don't create a full account.
The options if you aren't signed up and you try and buy: