Different/Change address scam

[t.tsubouchi]

I recently sold a camera for $500. Buyer requested to change location from a house in Hawaii to an industrial park in Delaware, saying her sister was sick. I don't buy it a bit, but she has paid fully and I have bought the shipping label to the buyer's eBay address. I need the money, is it fine if I just ship to her original address, since I also have no returns accepted? Thanks

[mega-ma-roo]

You are almost certainly dealing with a scammer, so why would you ship the camera at all? Cancel the order with the reason that there is a problem with the buyer's address and put the buyer on your blocked bidder list. Having "no returns accepted" does not provide you any protection at all. You might want to seriously consider selling the camera locally for cash on delivery.

[ckimodog]

@t.tsubouchi 

 DO NOT ship the item to anywhere but the address that ebay provides to ship.  I smell a scam and I would hold off.  You will not be covered as a seller if you ship to the address in Delaware and my guess it's a freight forwarder.  We read about it a lot here on the forum. If the buyer still insists on the address other than the one on the invoice, cancel the sale citing there was an issue with the buyers address.  Don't loose the camera and the money as well.   Tis the season for scammers, more than ever.  Good luck. 

[nobody*s_perfect · Accepted solution]

Double-check the source of the message about the change of address --- it might not even be from your original buyer.  Scammers work in a lot of different ways. If it's from a different eBay ID, then of course you're fine to ship to the original address.

"No returns accepted" doesn't protect you as well as you hope it can.  eBay usually sides with the buyer whenever they file a claim for item not as described.

[stainlessenginecovers]

No Returns does NOT mean NO REFUNDS. All a buyer has to do is open a 'not as described' and then send you a rock. You are 100% on the hook for 100% of the selling price of this item. 

In the future, if a 'buyer' wants to change the address- you simply tell them you will cancel and when they 'fix' their address, then they can re-purchase (which you obviously then 'relist'). 

[albertabrightalberta]

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@t.tsubouchi wrote:

I recently sold a camera for $500. Buyer requested to change location from a house in Hawaii to an industrial park in Delaware, saying her sister was sick. I don't buy it a bit, but she has paid fully and I have bought the shipping label to the buyer's eBay address. I need the money, is it fine if I just ship to her original address, since I also have no returns accepted? Thanks

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For seller protection, you MUST ship to the address in the order. 

I'm guessing that the "buyer" who contacted you with the change of address isn't even the same ID as the real buyer. Did you check that? 

[12345jamesstamps]

Depending on the timeline when item has to be shipped out...if you get the time to research...no, I would not ship that item out to a different address. Google addresses to see what both addresses look like for curiosity.

Are they houses or apartments...curiosity there. And what is the timeline is for doing the refund. Not sure what the timeline is to send a refund before buyer ask for a refund. And if one get's a demerit for delaying the refund. 

[southern*sweet*tea]

@t.tsubouchi 

There are scammers that send messages to sellers pretending to be the actual buyer of an item. They want to try to get the seller to change the address after the sale, hoping the seller never verifies that their ID is the not actual buyer. When a seller does this three things happen: the scammer gets free stuff, the actual buyer gets a refund and the seller gets robbed.

Check the ID that sent the message. If it is NOT your buyer, block them here: https://www.ebay.com/bmgt/BuyerBlock

If it IS your buyer, tell the buyer that you cannot change the address after payment is made. You will need to cancel the sale using problem with buyer's address, then they can repurchase using the correct address.

That said, if it IS your buyer, for a $500 item shipped to a freight forwarder, I would hesitate in going through with the order. The chances of you losing both the item and the money paid for the item are high.

[reallynicestamps]

The " industrial park in Delaware," would be a freight forwarder?

While normally those are the second safest addresses you can ship to, that the address was changed post-purchase is a Big Red Flag.

The "sick sister" is another.

Cancel the transaction as Problem With Address.

There will be no blowback for your selling account.

Better to lose the payment than to lose the payment AND your camera.

since I also have no returns accepted?

No Returns does not mean No Refunds.

It means you don't ever want to see the camera again, even if the buyer gets her money back.

You can demand the return of an Disputed item, even if you have a No Returns policy, but you will have to pay for return shipping, and you will be required to refund when you get the item back.

[t.tsubouchi]

Thank you so much. I accidentally cancelled before checking the message source but messaged the original seller about what happened and offered her a lower price on a new listing. And thank you everyone else that told me to cancel, you saved a lot of others from having this happen to them!

[rugerskick]

No.

You are not protected at all if you ship to a different address from the buyers on file ebay address.

If they want a different address, you need to cancel the order, using 'problem with buyers address' as the reason, have them change their shipping address, then relist, then have them purchase it again.

If they give you any grief they are trying to scam you.  Do not do this.  If they dont want to do this, cancel the order, citing buyer address problem.  Then block the person, because they are a scammer.

[toomuchstuffagain35]

So the user who messaged regarding changing the address was a scammer and not the actual buyer?

Always best to check that before canceling, but glad it worked out for you.

[soh.maryl]

Why a "lower price on a new listing"? Doesn't the buyer still want the item she bought and paid for? And don't you still have that item? 

[ckimodog]

Glad things went in your favor and you were smart enough to notice this was not a legitimate buyer.  Good luck and Happy Selling. 

[littlesnoop]

If you cancel the order and the buyer is not willing to repurchase using the correct address they were up to no good. I have received this request from user names that match (the purchase and request) and there is still something fishy if they do not repurchase changing the address because changing the address at checkout is easy.