Can I cancel order if I suspect a scam where buyer paid?

[sgd1952]

Hi,

I just sold a fairly expensive item and it was paid for but I looked up buyer and they joined the same day they placed order, have no feedback and the address location is highly suspect.  We suspect the scam will be a claim they did not receive package. I am fairly new to selling, began this year, and I would like to cancel order but do not want to do wrong and do not know how to handle this according to eBay's rules.  Am I obligated to ship this order or can I report it to eBay and let them tell me what to do?

Thanks,

sgd1952 

[katzrul15 · Accepted solution]

Is it going to a Freight Forwarder?

Assessing the risk of selling an expensive item needs to be before you list it, not after.

Yes.  You are obligated to ship your item.  We use signature confirmation for many items, regardless of value.

How expensive and how do you know item address is suspect?  Buyers who use Guest checkout are zero FB buyers, registered same day.  Not usually a Buyer we worry about.  ymmv

[dbfolks166mt]

Generally if the buyer paid you ship unless there is something the buyer requested that is outside of eBay's policies, shipping to a different address for example. The buyer may have simply place the order using a guest account or may be a new buyer. 

     What makes you suspicious of the shipping address? Is it an empty lot, an apartment complex with no apartment number, does it appear to be a freight forwarder? What is the buyers registered country? Not their shipping address but the country where they have their account? 

[cypress.grove]

eBay doesn't validate buyer shipping addresses.  If it's not a valid address, cancel the order and pick the cancel option for "issue with shipping address".

[soh.maryl]

You suspect they will claim they did not receive the package? Not sure why you believe that, but won't there be tracking proving otherwise?

Can you explain why their address is, to you, highly suspect? Is it a freight forwarder? Are they using the GSP?  

[sgd1952]

We will make sure we add signature confirmation on this item.  Did not know how guest checkout worked. 

Thanks,

"still learning the ropes"

[inhawaii]

My opinion.

They pay.  You ship.

Many sellers don't have time to investigate each and very buyer/order.

Neither should you.

If you're going to be selling online, you have to be prepared to take risks.

Every transaction has a risk for being a fraudulent or a scam.

Good luck.

[eunster1313]

---

@sgd1952 wrote:

We will make sure we add signature confirmation on this item.  Did not know how guest checkout worked. 

Thanks,

"still learning the ropes"

---

Discover everything you need to know about buying as a guest on eBay.

Buying as a guest

https://www.ebay.com/help/buying/paying-items/buying-guest?id=4035&st=12&pos=1&query=Buying%20as%20a... 

You made the right choice.

If the buyer pays you and eBay tells you to ship (unless the address is un-deliverable to) canceling the sale for issue with buyers address would be a violation of this policy.

Performance gaming policy

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/performance-gaming-policy?id=5029&st=12&pos=1&qu... 

[luckythewinner]

---

---

I just sold a fairly expensive item and it was paid for but I looked up buyer and they joined the same day they placed order, have no feedback and the address location is highly suspect. 

Am I obligated to ship this order or can I report it to eBay and let them tell me what to do?

If eBay says it is paid and awaiting shipment, then they are already telling you what to do. 

What specifically makes this address *highly suspect"? I ask because some sellers have posted here that they consider something as common as a post office box to be a red flag. 

We will make sure we add signature confirmation on this item.  

If you use signature confirmation, please do your buyer the courtesy of warning them about this. IMHO this is especially important if the item is under eBay's threshold that required signature confirmation. 

It can be a burden on some buyers to be present to sign for a package, and they may need to arrange to pick it up. I get extremely annoyed when a seller does this to me, especially when it not required and I am not expecting it. 

[lakefor94]

@sgd1952 

If I think it is going to a freight forwarder and the order has significant value, I use UPS with signature.  NOT USPS.

The freight forwarders are less likely to play games with receiving the shipment if it is UPS. 

I have had a shipment to a freight forwarder not delivered and it ended up back at a USPS distribution center in south FL and sat there until there was a item not received case filed by the buyer. Can't remember the outcome but it left a bad taste.

Looks like you have been having some solid sales.  Good job.

[the_fancy_fox]

Is the address your shipping to supplied to you by ebay? 

If the buyer has requested you ship to an alternate address, do not do it. 

[sextons-sweet-deals]

Goggle map the address. If it is suspicious, you have the right to cancel based on problem with buyer's address. If it is a warehouse, that probably means a freight forwarder to ship overseas which is not good. 

If you're comfortable, ship with signature required by recipient (not the mail person delivering). 

[1tuna]

your most expensive item is only 337 or so.

that is a drop in the bucket compared to what you have sold in the last 90 days

your are killing it in sales

I never ever worry abut a 400 loss because the higher the risk the higher the reward

 please dont stop now because you are afraid to ship

ebay wants you to ship the item

 when you start selling items for 1000 up you will forget all about the sales below 500

you are doing fantastic as far as I can see

keep up the good work.you can do this!!

@sgd1952 

[duffy4444]

   Don't let anyone tell you that you have to take it in the shorts by going thru with a transaction that sets off alarm bells in your head. It's YOUR high-value item, not belonging to eBay or to anyone else who does not have any skin in the game.

   As others have mentioned here, there is a possibility the transaction will go off just fine to a legitimate and honest buyer without a hitch. But it could be yet another scammer licking his chops, or being sent to a country with a bad track record of deliveries or damage. If you feel uncomfortable because of the circumstances surrounding a transaction, go ahead and cancel. Then put the buyer on your BBL.

   You've had 337 sales within the last 90 days, and have great 100% feedback from your customers. I wish my sales were as good as yours. Getting a "ding" in your performance metrics by using "Out of Stock" as your cancellation reason should not hurt your overall performance or sales a bit, as long as you don't have many in the last 12 months (after which they drop off). Then you can wait a few weeks and relist the item for a buyer that doesn't set off alarm bells.

    If it is true that the shipping address really is highly suspect, as you say, you can use the "Problem with Buyer's Address" as the reason to cancel. I have used that occasionally  in the past without repercussions, even with freight forwarders shipping to a final destination country I am on record as not shipping to (you can check the actual destination location of the buyer by clicking on their feedback number).

   Trust your instincts. Ship wisely if you want to take a chance against your hesitation. But don't let anyone tell you you MUST ship against your better judgment.

   Finally, think twice about listing higher-value items on eBay or anywhere else online, that buyers can use a credit card to pay for. Because of a multitude of buyer, CC chargeback and shipping scams, reserve those items for a different venue option where cash can be required -- unless your business model is prepared to absorb the loss of the item AND  your payment for it on an ill-advised forced buyer refund. It happens a lot and is detailed on this forum almost daily.

    Great sales and congratulations! You've got something going very well for you. Keep it up, yet trust your instincts. That's what successful sellers do here, whether taking chances or occasionally cancelling.

Cheers, Duffy 

[sgd1952]

Thank you so much for your feedback on this issue/question.