Dealing with buyers who ask for address changes after package was shipped

[iamalwaysright]

It happens alot more during the holidays than the rest of the year. Usually it's because it was supposed to be a gift to someone else, or someone has their account but isn't an avid buyer until the holidays and they recently moved.

But how do you handle these buyers? Sometimes when I map their addresses and see that it's not far from each other I tell them perhaps they can coordinate with the owner of the initial shipping address to retrieve their package. Is that an appropriate suggestion to these buyers? And no, I'm not going to file a package intercept when the fee to do that costs as much as the entire sale.

[dhbookds]

I can't remember any buyer really questioning "I'm sorry but the item has been mailed and I can't change the address"........I have had them, once the item is returned to me (shows on tracking) ask it be remailed  to the proper address.....

[dbfolks166mt]

     Others already provide some good advice on simply communicating back with the buyer  that the package already shipped and there is nothing you can do at this point. I would also add to that buyer  communication that they should make sure to check with their post office to make sure their mail forwarding is still in place and active. They could also potentially request the post office to hold the item for pickup if they wished but that would probably depend on the local post office. 

[kensgiftshop]

I've only had a couple, but once I tell them the order has already been shipped, I don't hear any more from them.

[brightlightbookseller]

If a package has already been shipped, I offer to refund them if and only if the item comes back to me, and then they can repurchase it with the correct address.  Being a larger company, we have sometimes changed addresses and not worried about eBay's Seller Protection (if we verify that the request is from the actual buyer and is reasonable, not shipping to a different country or halfway across the US where the rates are higher if not shipping Media Mail), but once it's shipped, they're outta luck.  Best case scenario it's undeliverable or refused by the current resident and we get it back.

[kalyoth]

If the item comes back as non-deliverable, refund them & tell them to change the address in ebay prior to payment. I do not go thru address change shinnanigans.

[mam98031]

My policy is a simple one.  I won't do it.  I'm nice to my buyer, but if it is after the package ships there is nothing I'm willing to do to change that.  And if they ask before the item ships, I let them know I'm willing to Cancel the transaction and have them repurchase the item using the correct address as I will ONLY ship to the address listed on the Payment, otherwise I lose my Seller Protection and I'm not willing to do that.