Buyers using a mail drop or freight forwarder to circumvent my "Opt Out" of international shipping

[theoriginalbenjammin-7]

Beware! I am OPTED OUT  of eBay's new international shipping, but I was charged an additional 1.3% selling fee because the buyer's registered address was in France.

International Fee Charged because the buyer’s registered address is in France. 

 There was no indication of this in the shipping address. The ship to address was in Delaware, a Freight Forwarder with a SUITE NUMBER , not a PMB or PO Box, in Delaware USA. 

In order to determine his address, we have to click on his user name, which one would not normally do when shipping an item to a buyer. 

My listing clearly stated: Listed shipping costs are for the lower 48 (USA) states. Others please contact seller for shipping terms. 

IMHO there should be some sort of notification to the seller that the additional 1.3% surcharge will be added to your selling fee due to the buyer's registered address being  international. 

I have now changed my verbiage to: 

USA Buyers Only, Ships to final destination USA ONLY no mail drops or freight forwarders

I had had issues with the former Global Shipping Program, and had chosen not to use it. So now in order to OPT OUT we have to go into your "Account Settings, Shipping Preferences" and opt out. 

But if the buyer is using a shipping drop IE  freight forwarder and has a registered address other than in the USA you WILL BE CHARGED AN ADDITIONAL 1.3% Selling Fee

referances 

[rugerskick]

It actually can/does work.

It removes your listings off the foreign ebay site servers, so those foreign buyers will never see your items on their sites in england, or france, or wherever, in the first place.  They won't know your items exist in the first place  because Ebay makes it so they won't be visible/shown to them to browse or find in their searches.

[marnotom!]

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@stephenmorgan wrote:

In order for any of this to apply you have to prove that the person did not received the item.  eBay has already stated you have no idea if the buyer picked up the item there or works at that location and received the item.  Until you can prove this it is just a suspicion the item will be forwarded.  Do you think the scammer is going to tell you the item will be forwarded to them?  This is why it is called a scam and works so well.

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How does someone in another country make use of a return label intended for use within the US?

[dbfolks166mt]

It actually can/does work.

It removes your listings off the foreign ebay site servers, so those foreign buyers will never see your items on their sites in england, or france, or wherever, in the first place.  They won't know your items exist in the first place  because Ebay makes it so they won't be visible/shown to them to browse or find in their searches.

     When eBay stood up the EIS program I believe they made a few changes and while the buyers may see the items they also see a message related to shipping. For example one of you items, since you do not ship to the UK. 

[dbfolks166mt]

@stephenmorgan wrote:

In order for any of this to apply you have to prove that the person did not received the item.  eBay has already stated you have no idea if the buyer picked up the item there or works at that location and received the item.  Until you can prove this it is just a suspicion the item will be forwarded.  Do you think the scammer is going to tell you the item will be forwarded to them?  This is why it is called a scam and works so well.

How does someone in another country make use of a return label intended for use within the US?

     The return label issued or provided by the seller is from the FF back to the seller. The buyer is responsible for getting it from their location back to the FF. 

[stephenmorgan]

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@marnotom! wrote:

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@stephenmorgan wrote:

In order for any of this to apply you have to prove that the person did not received the item.  eBay has already stated you have no idea if the buyer picked up the item there or works at that location and received the item.  Until you can prove this it is just a suspicion the item will be forwarded.  Do you think the scammer is going to tell you the item will be forwarded to them?  This is why it is called a scam and works so well.

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How does someone in another country make use of a return label intended for use within the US?

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Oh my!  They don't!  

Anyone from anywhere in the world can have something sent to your address.  All they need to know is your address.  They are not required to use the return label that is generated for them on eBay.  They order something from a company and have it shipped to your address.  This is what makes the scheme so easy to pull off.  They enter the Tracking Number provide for the item being sent to you into the eBay return page.  Once eBay sees it is delivered either you refund the person or eBay does it on your behalf.  

You may not even realize why you received this random item.  Also the item could be sent to a random address within you zip code and you would still be waiting on the return while the person has already asked eBay to step in and refund them.  You will be notified when eBay has decided you will refund, you will get a Defect on your account and will be charged the Final Value Fees on the sale of the item.

It is a very cleaver scheme that is very hard to get resolved in your favor.

In addition any one with a computer and printer can print out the return label and use it to send a empty box to you.  All they need is a contact in the US to do this for them.

[dbfolks166mt]

‎10-11-2023 10:43 PM - edited ‎10-11-2023 10:45 PM

@marnotom! wrote:

@stephenmorgan wrote:

In order for any of this to apply you have to prove that the person did not received the item.  eBay has already stated you have no idea if the buyer picked up the item there or works at that location and received the item.  Until you can prove this it is just a suspicion the item will be forwarded.  Do you think the scammer is going to tell you the item will be forwarded to them?  This is why it is called a scam and works so well.

How does someone in another country make use of a return label intended for use within the US?

Oh my!  They don't!  

Anyone from anywhere in the world can have something sent to your address.  All they need to know is your address.  They are not required to use the return label that is generated for them on eBay.  They order something from a company and have it shipped to your address.  This is what makes the scheme so easy to pull off.  They enter the Tracking Number provide for the item being sent to you into the eBay return page.  Once eBay sees it is delivered either you refund the person or eBay does it on your behalf.  

You may not even realize why you received this random item.  Also the item could be sent to a random address within you zip code and you would still be waiting on the return while the person has already asked eBay to step in and refund them.  You will be notified when eBay has decided you will refund, you will get a Defect on your account and will be charged the Final Value Fees on the sale of the item.

It is a very cleaver scheme that is very hard to get resolved in your favor.

In addition any one with a computer and printer can print out the return label and use it to send a empty box to you.  All they need is a contact in the US to do this for them.

     And how is this any different than what a domestic buyer can do? 

[yuzuha]

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@dbfolks166mt wrote:

‎

     And how is this any different than what a domestic buyer can do? 

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Exactly. Also, no freight forwarder is going to do something that could potentially get them in trouble with a website that many of their customers use.

[theoriginalbenjammin-7]

Since I can not edit I'll add, We were not charged this fee when using Global Shipping. The new format does not indicate on the shipping page this is an international out of USA buyer. eBay should charge the buyer a flat fee for using this service, say 1.5%. Sellers are already paying upwards of 15% or more selling fees  on certain items.  

Any surcharge IE "Currency Conversion Fee" should IMHO be paid by the buyer. He's already paying his freight forwarder for postage/shipping and fees customs etc, So what's an additional +- 1.3% The address has the PO box as a suite number STE means suite. This is NOT a suite but rather a PMB personal mail box and should be designated as so. Using the "Suite (STE)"  designation is in my opinion sneaky business. 

Thank you for your replies, we all have our opinions. I was caught off guard by this, as I had opted out of the new international shipping format. Do the math, millions of sellers X 1.3% (avg up to 1.7% or more) fees paid by the seller. 

Little add on fees known as the 'Bump" most people wouldn't even notice this. I was in the retail business most of my life and these little fees and add-ons are surreptitious ways to milk the customer for just a little more.... it adds up over time. 

Ever bought  a used car at a dealership? All those little fees add up!

[albertabrightalberta]

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@joliztoyco wrote:

Happened to me yesterday on a sale. 
I INTENTIONALLY OPT OUT of foreign sales and shipping so I don't have to pay this extra fee.
But FeeBay does an end-around and still collects it????
And YES...I would rather lose the sale than give eBay ONE SINGLE CENT in extra fees.
A buyer in the US would have bought the item if eBay wouldn't have PURPOSELY IGNORED my selling preferences by allowing the "freight forwarding" loophole AND getting their extra cut of my profits from "International Fees".
Typical eBay crap.

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You are wrong. 

My son is married to a young lady who (originally) came from Poland. Although she's a legal US resident, living and working in Idaho for several years (and with a green card), her credit card is based in Poland and if she were to buy from you, you would be hit with 1.65% fee. 

Yet she is NOT circumventing any blocks, restrictions and is not a "foreign buyer!" 

You can't control what you can't control. I would have thought you'd be happy to be making sales! 

[janet9988]

According to ebay policy you only need to OFFER ebay international shipping to avoid paying an international  fee.

So even if your foreign buyer uses a USA address you will not be charged the fee IF you OFFER EIS.

[rugerskick]

Hmmm.  Well then I am the victim of incorrect information from Ebay, again.

[stephenmorgan]

I honesty believe the wording in eBay is a bit misleading.

I believe it is where the Payment Source comes from that determines the 1.65% International Fee.

I only say this because I am not always charged the fee for a international shipment.  I asked a buyer once when I was not charged the fee where is his payment source is.  They confirmed they had a Credit Card Issued from a US Bank as they have family here, but that the shipment is going to their international destination.

PayPal was able to turn off international payments so I think eBay could also turn them off but they choose not to give the seller this option.

I just wish I was able to use the new eBay International Shipping for auctions.  So far I am not allowed to use it for auctions but can for Buy in Now.  This weekend I had to pay an extra $4.40 in fees because I am not allowed to use it.

[stephenmorgan]

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@dbfolks166mt wrote:

‎10-11-2023 10:43 PM - edited ‎10-11-2023 10:45 PM

@marnotom! wrote:

@stephenmorgan wrote:

In order for any of this to apply you have to prove that the person did not received the item.  eBay has already stated you have no idea if the buyer picked up the item there or works at that location and received the item.  Until you can prove this it is just a suspicion the item will be forwarded.  Do you think the scammer is going to tell you the item will be forwarded to them?  This is why it is called a scam and works so well.

How does someone in another country make use of a return label intended for use within the US?

Oh my!  They don't!  

Anyone from anywhere in the world can have something sent to your address.  All they need to know is your address.  They are not required to use the return label that is generated for them on eBay.  They order something from a company and have it shipped to your address.  This is what makes the scheme so easy to pull off.  They enter the Tracking Number provide for the item being sent to you into the eBay return page.  Once eBay sees it is delivered either you refund the person or eBay does it on your behalf.  

You may not even realize why you received this random item.  Also the item could be sent to a random address within you zip code and you would still be waiting on the return while the person has already asked eBay to step in and refund them.  You will be notified when eBay has decided you will refund, you will get a Defect on your account and will be charged the Final Value Fees on the sale of the item.

It is a very cleaver scheme that is very hard to get resolved in your favor.

In addition any one with a computer and printer can print out the return label and use it to send a empty box to you.  All they need is a contact in the US to do this for them.

     And how is this any different than what a domestic buyer can do? 

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No difference, like I said "Anyone from anywhere in the world can have something sent to your address."

Domestically there are ways to report someone and there is a possibility a action may be taken against someone if they are within the same country.  It does happen occasionally.  

[slippinjimmy]

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@janet9988 wrote:

According to ebay policy you only need to OFFER ebay international shipping to avoid paying an international  fee.

So even if your foreign buyer uses a USA address you will not be charged the fee IF you OFFER EIS.

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A listing that is sold to a buyer with a US shipping address is NOT "an eligible item". If the buyer is registered on a non-US eBay site you will be subject to the International Fee.

[fern*wood]

I was under the impression that anyone using the EIS program would not be charged the extra fee, so I definitely opted in.   They also handle any returns.