Different Shipping Address Scam?

[tmo1790]

I accepted a best offer from a seller whose addressed showed NY, but they messaged me asking the item to be delivered to an address in Kuwait.

Obviously that's probably a scam, so I called Ebay and they said only to send to the NY address if I sent. I canceled the transaction, and now the same buyer has made the same initial offer, but their shipping address in is DE.

The thing is, if that's what Ebay has for their address, and I send it to that address, can they still file a claim of non receipt? I have a whole message log with them, too. Basically, I still think it's fishy, but if I pre-empt any attempted scam, wondering if I'm still exposed to losing the money/item.

[coastaltechsolution]

Sounds like whomever the buyer is they are a forwarding service and I have seen DE mentioned numerous times on this board as being such a forwarding service  

Please search the boards here as there are many conversations on this subject. 

[donsdetour]

use your blocked bidders list: Put them on it.

Do not accept this one.

Cancel due to address.

They know what they are doing, and you will most likely get scammed from what you have posted here.

[luckythewinner]

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I called Ebay and they said only to send to the NY address if I sent. I canceled the transaction, and now the same buyer has made the same initial offer, but their shipping address in is DE.

If the buyer messaged you an address in an eBay message or email, you are certainly not obligated to ship to that address. 

But that does not mean it is an "obvious scam" and IMHO does not suggest a cancelation is in order. Plenry of buyers ask favors of sellers without understanding the ramifications (or the costs). 

Did you message the buyer and ask whether he still wanted the item shipped to the NY address? 

The thing is, if that's what Ebay has for their address, and I send it to that address, can they still file a claim of non receipt?

If you have tracking that confirms delivery to the address you were given, you should easily win any claim of non-delivery . 

I have a whole message log with them, too. Basically, I still think it's fishy, but if I pre-empt any attempted scam, wondering if I'm still exposed to losing the money/item.

Setting aside the issue of whether there is a scam to be pre-empted: 

If you do not ship, you cannot lose the item. But if you do not ship, of course you will lose the money you were paid - because you are not entitled to it. 

[jds-diffusers]

Hummm...might want to BLOCK that user and move on.

[sextons-sweet-deals]

cancel and be sure to select the reason "issue / problem with buyers address". This way, you should get your fees back.

then block them

[jayjaspersgarage]

I think the email request threw you off balance.  If a buyer has a legitimate U.S. address regardless of location as a seller you are obligated to send it to only the address that comes up.  I would have simply added signature required and mailed it.  Once it arrives at a Delaware, New York, Seattle or any other coastal city your job is done.  We are not responsible for freight forwarders' actions once they have signed for the item.  

[fashunu4eeuh]

Are you certain it was your buyer who made the request to ship to an alternate address? It is the latest scam, fraudsters scan eBay for recent high dollar sales, then contact the seller and ask for item to be sent to another address. Sometimes they fool the seller and get a free item.

I agree with @luckythewinner  I would not have cancelled the sale. Not yet. Was this an expensive item?

[tmo1790]

I'm sure, yes. And yes, it was over 1k. But they've made the same offer, this time with a US address, so I'm thinking I can just send with signature verification.

[ittybitnot]

Once it arrives at a Delaware, New York, Seattle or any other coastal city your job is done.  We are not responsible for freight forwarders' actions once they have signed for the item.  

@jayjaspersgarage 

Please stop telling people that.   Yes, the seller is protected for INR claims (with signature confirmation in this case do to the item price), but NOT for subsequent claims of "item not as described".   eBay has decided that the simple use of a "freight forwarder" no longer voids the eBay money back guarantee regardless if their old policy page is still up.

For your reading pleasure.  Be sure to come back and tell us if YOU would ship a $2K item to a freight forwarder in Delaware.  In good conscience, I could not advise such.  At least if you are a US seller, with a US buyer you MAY have recourse via law enforcement, etc. if the deal goes south. 

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Cheated-by-Buyer-Unable-to-send-proof-to-appeals-department/m-...

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Sold-an-item-and-the-buyer-sent-a-cheap-item-through-Amazon-ba...

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Obviously-fake-police-report-submitted-to-ebay-ebay-using-it-t...

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/I-was-scammed-and-ebay-took-buyers-side/td-p/31669028

[jayjaspersgarage]

Fair enough.  

[ittybitnot]

@jayjaspersgarage 

Here is a link to ONE of Many discussions regarding this issue that has been answered by eBay staff.  Note that the seller must now provide "proof" that the item has actually been forwarded.  No place has ebay ever provided what actual PROOF  would be accepted.  So far, a communication from the forwarder itself was deemed "not proof" (emails could be fake), and since eBay no longer will allow eBay messages to be used for any "item not as described" dispute, that is not considered PROOF either.  This information was provided by sellers who found themselves in this position with the freight forwarder issue. 

eBay is NOT going to call the reshipper on a seller's behalf to see if the item has already been shipped out of the country.   So I would surmise that "proof" cannot be obtained to satisfy the requirement with regards to the change in the policy "interpretation". 

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/Freight-forwarders/m-p/30669379#M1546378

[tmo1790]

Hm, so the danger seems to be a NAD complaint rather than an INR one.

[inhawaii]

Does your listing say you ship internationally, to Kuwait?

In any case, you only ship to the address on the ebay shipping label. Period.  No acceptations. 

If the person bought it again, this time with a address in DE, that's where you ship it. 

[tmo1790]

Right, I can ship it to their DE address now, but the scam seems to be they'll claim it was NAD, then send back some trinket via Amazon, get refunded, and then I'm out the item and the money. 

And from the threads referenced above, getting refunded through Ebay seems like a massive PITA.