Fraud read all the way down. Be aware

[paloma-store]

fraud 

Based on your experience, the eBay seller is attempting a scam by demanding additional payment outside of the official eBay platform

. Here’s an explanation of this tactic, what you can do, and how to report it. 

Understanding the scam

• Request for off-platform payment: The seller is violating eBay's policy by directing you to pay customs fees through a third-party service like UPS directly. This is a major red flag. All payments for eBay transactions should be handled through eBay's checkout system to be covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee.
• Loss of buyer protection: By paying the additional $324 through UPS, your transaction is no longer protected by eBay. This is exactly what the seller wants, as they can take your money and potentially disappear without providing the item.
• Fake customs claim: The "federal tax and Trump's tariffs" likely is a fabricated story to make the charge seem legitimate and urgent. The scammer's misrepresentation of tariff timing further confirms this. While some international packages may have legitimate customs fees due upon delivery, you should never pay them directly to a seller or through a link they provide. Genuine customs fees are paid directly to the carrier or customs authority.
• Holding the package hostage: The seller is threatening to prevent delivery unless you pay the extra fee. This pressure tactic is designed to get you to act quickly before you have time to research or report the scam. 

What you can do right now

1. Do not pay the additional fee. Paying the seller outside of eBay will make it much more difficult to recover your funds.
2. Contact UPS directly. Call the official UPS customer service line (not any number the seller gave you) and provide your tracking number. Ask if there are any legitimate customs charges due on the package. If the representative confirms no fees are owed, you will have evidence for your case.
3. Report the seller to eBay immediately.
   • Find the item in your Purchase History.
   • Contact eBay Customer Service and explain the situation clearly.
   • State that the seller is requesting payment off-platform, which is a direct violation of eBay's policies.
   • Provide any communication from the seller, as this will serve as proof.
   • Open an "Item not as described" case if needed. You can argue the item is not as described because you are not receiving it under the conditions you agreed to on eBay. 

How to avoid this in the future

• Keep all transactions on eBay. Never agree to pay a seller directly for any reason. Legitimate customs fees will either be included in your checkout total through a program like the Global Shipping Program or be collected by the shipping carrier upon delivery.
• Be wary of high-pressure tactics. Scammers often create a sense of urgency to bypass your normal vigilance. If a seller insists on unusual requests or off-platform communication, it's a major warning sign.
• Check seller feedback and history. Look for reviews, especially for new sellers or those selling high-value items, as scammers often operate with newly created accounts. 

Your report about the seller [seller name removed] and their methods will help protect other buyers from falling victim to this common scam. 

[jonathanbrightlight]

Did you mean to reply to another conversation?

[kensgiftshop]

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@paloma-store wrote:

fraud 

Based on your experience, the eBay seller is attempting a scam by demanding additional payment outside of the official eBay platform

. Here’s an explanation of this tactic, what you can do, and how to report it. 

Understanding the scam

• Request for off-platform payment: The seller is violating eBay's policy by directing you to pay customs fees through a third-party service like UPS directly. This is a major red flag. All payments for eBay transactions should be handled through eBay's checkout system to be covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee.
•  

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Some carriers do collect the import fee's, if you don't pay them when you place your order.

[a_c_green]

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@paloma-store wrote:

fraud

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It would be more helpful if you could describe here in your own words what happened.

[gone.c-33]

Welcome to shopping internationally without a very generous de minimis exemption.

What you have described is exactly how it works for items not sent DDP (duties prepaid).

Also don’t ask AI questions, it will only regurgitate whatever it has seen most often, not necessarily the most accurate information.

[richard1rst]

Way too much text to read.

FRAUD by definition

1 - Intentional misrepresentation of

2 - a material fact resulting in

3 - damages.

All 3 must be present to prove fraud.

Absent the damages you only have misrepresentation which is a much lower offense. "Attempting a scam" is only misrepresentation because "attempting" imp[lies that it failed and, therefore, there were no damages.

[luckythewinner]

TLDR: 
"If a buyer wants eBay buyer protection, the buyer must follow the rules for eBay buyer protection." 

[gone.c-33]

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@luckythewinner wrote:

TLDR: 
"If a buyer wants eBay buyer protection, the buyer must follow the rules for eBay buyer protection." 

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Nah. More like TLDR:

If you purchase an item from outside the United States and don’t pay the duties upfront (DDP), the carrier will ask you for payment of such duties plus a (very high in the case of FedEx, UPS, DHL and other couriers) brokerage fee before delivery of said item. This is NOT considered paying outside of eBay.

[gurlcat]

I wonder if the OP was hacked or something.  This is a weird post, and the only one they've made since opening a Community account in 2009. 

[jonathanbrightlight]

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@gurlcat wrote:

I wonder if the OP was hacked or something.  This is a weird post, and the only one they've made since opening a Community account in 2009. 

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I wondered that too, but after reading it again I think they asked AI a question, and only posted the answer here without the original question.

[gone.c-33]

I think it’s genuine and that we’re about to see many other posts misunderstanding international shopping and everything it entails: very few people in the US have ever ever purchased items valued at above $800 and/or subject to duties/tariffs. The idea of being expected to pay anything past the time of payment on eBay may be completely foreign to them.

I expect it will be similar to what’s been happening since the marketplace facilitator law has been implemented: the wrong HS codes will cause the wrong tariff rate to be levied, country of manufacture vs. country of origin misunderstanding, plus people asking to lie on the customs forms and outrage at the fees charged by the postal service vs the exorbitant brokerage fees of private couriers… I’m surprised it hasn’t begun yet.

[gurlcat]

I didn't mean the topic was strange, just the way it was presented in the post.  Also the fact that they had never participated in the forums before, and haven't come back to make any replies to this post.  

By the way, I wonder what the mod edited out.  

[stuff4divas]

@paloma-store   what about it?

[gone.c-33]

Gotcha!

Yeah, we see more and more people using AI to compose their posts, probably thinking it will make them more polished but to me, it just usually gives… bot?

It’s the same double edged sword as AI written descriptions: a badly written description full of spelling and grammatical errors turns me off, but so does a generic AI generated one…

[eburtonlab]

By the way, I wonder what the mod edited out.

There seems to be a reference to a seller username quoted in the last line of the original post which appears to have been redacted.