Foreign high bidder and I have international shipping disabled. Options?

[jlar1345]

I Just messaged the highest bidder on my camera lens auction that I don't ship internationally (in this case Paraguay). I have no international shipping select on my listing.I haven't heard back. I was also approached on Ebay mail by a buyer who wanted to deal outside Ebay (I blocked that buyer).   What are my options if the bidder from Paraguay continues to be high bidder?  I understand a foreign bidder can use a USA address and **bleep** to forward the package to their international location. I read on the forum most south and central American **bleep** are in FL.  Is there any penalty to remove the bid and block the buyer if I don't hear back?  Can I just remove the buyer's bid and relieve my "scam" anxiety?

[dbfolks166mt]

If the OP has the listing set up to ship to the US only, then the international buyer that is bidding on the item must have a primary ship to address here in the US.  Whether or not it is an FF, there is no way of knowing that yet.  It could be they are here in the US for an extended period of time or maybe shipping to a relative.

     Kind of my point but I could have expounded a bit more. 

[12345jamesstamps]

I asked this question about 'freight forward' when we had those once a month discussion forums with eBay reps here.

Sometimes, not always, with 'freight forward'...item will get to the country but will not show 'delivered' at Florida or Delaware address before going to the country. I was told it is not considered 'delivered' if it is not marked as 'delivered'.

I asked what can I do...I was told by reps to maybe use another shipping service.

This is where estimated date of delivery comes into play...

I currently have an item stated 'running late' that was to be delivered on September 28th...it does not state 'delivered'...thus after 31 days of September 28th I should be safe.

And I actually have open tracking on a number of items about a year old ore maybe longer. I quit looking to see if they ever closed or disappeared.

[12345jamesstamps]

If it gets scanned at 'delivered' at USA address.

Too many items are not getting scanned at Florida 'freight forward' address.

[marnotom!]

Keep in mind that if the OP has set their buyer requirements to block bids or purchases from buyers who don’t have a primary shipping address located in the US, the user in Paraguay wouldn’t be able to bid if they weren’t using an address in the US as their primary shipping address.

@jlar1345, you’re only able to restrict where you sell to, not to whom you sell.  A user from outside the US is free to bid on or purchase your merchandise so long as they meet your “ships to” requirements.

[12345jamesstamps]

'.

This is what could go wrong as I have seen this in some of my 'freight forward' shipments.

This is one of my items in limbo land. After 31 days of estimated delivery I assume I can be safe.

[marnotom!]

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@12345jamesstamps wrote:

This is what could go wrong as I have seen this in some of my 'freight forward' shipments.

This looks like a problem that could happen with any USPS shipment, not just one sent to a freight forwarder.  Am I missing something here?

Would this particular forwarder be located in Florida, by any chance?

[12345jamesstamps]

Not this one...this is my latest one.

But I had one opened 'freight forward' to Malawi in the past. Buyer gave me positive feedback even though it was never scanned as 'delivered' in Florida.

I even had registered mail to UK which never showed as 'delivered' or registered mail.

Those 'intransit to next facility' usually tells me it never got a 'delivered' scan.

I do mail a lot of stuff every week so I been around the block a few times with these weird problems.

[12345jamesstamps]

I found one 'freight forward' on Delaware and my registered mail one...I usually don't look at tracking if I get positive feedback.

These are still open...and don't know what year they close...LOL

[marnotom!]

International Registered Mail is generally a waste of money and resources.  The receiving country's postal service has nothing to compel it to treat it as a Registered item, as per universal postal conventions.

[12345jamesstamps]

Actually, registered mail comes with insurance if item is lost.

I could have done a missing item and collected on registered mail...but I never got an email from the buyer.

[marnotom!]

I think in most cases you're better off sending by First Class Package International (or equivalent) and insuring the item through a third party.

[12345jamesstamps]

These are a little larger than a standard envelope for registered mail.

I don't do boxes or bags or packages.

It's like the only way to do it per USPS.

I don't do eBay labels...

To send a 'letter like envelope' through something other than USPS I don't think there is anything out there...but I could be wrong.

I always make sure I come out with a profit when doing it...LOL.

[mam98031]

That can happen on most any transaction.  It is not only on **bleep**.

[jlar1345]

Don't lecture me, thank you. I don't care if "you" never had a problem. I have.   He is an out of  country reseller with a freight forwarder in Miami with a shill bidder (suspected).  I had a terrible experience with another out-of-country reseller  earlier this year - exact same scenario as this (shill bidder and all) - that also included a freight forwarder. That incident cost me $600 earlier this year .   I won't go into the details but would rather not chance another problem.  I discussed my intentions with the buyer and he was okay with it.  End of story.   

[jlar1345]

He does live in Paraguay and he does have a freight forwarder in Miami.  I discussed it all with the bidder. I had a problem earlier the year with the same scenario. He is no longer bidding.