How would you handle a potential trouble maker?

[skeletonstore]

I recently got a sale from a brand new user.  I have not shipped the item yet.  I took a look at the address first and noticed it was going to shall we say a pretty ritzy neighborhood.  So I googled the name and area and got a journalist.  I have no idea if this person is the one I sold the item to but the item I sold is sometimes used politically.  The particular reporter with the same name has written a couple articles(3 I've found so far)about something related to the item.  I have been attacked on Ebay before by an animal rights group.  That turned out to be quite an organized effort starting on a news website.  This latest sale made me wonder if something was going on. I sold the item kind of pricey.  Granted anyone living at the address could afford it.  Should i trust my gut instincts and try to back out of the sale or roll the dice?   I don't sell anything political really. I sell Halloween props.  When in doubt,  pull out?

[mtgraves7984]

I think it's a leap to assume a '0' Buyer is a "potential trouble maker"... you sell such 'NOW I need one' things, but I've not had your experience. 

How bad could it be?

Journalist: "I just bought this noose on eBay. Full story to follow..."

My gut says sell. Good luck!

[moldy5]

Roll with it! You made a high value sale, the buyer had the money to cover it & is a journalist. So what!  I would think positive thoughts & just be at peace about the sale.  I've sold in my 10+ years here over 100 "joined the same day as bought"  buyers. We all start with zero feedback!  None of my 1st timers has issues with the items bought. Many returned for more items.   So no-don't pull out!

[dryophelia]

The time to wonder or worry about a potential buyer is before the listing is created. 
Once the listing ends with a winner, eBay expects he seller to follow through. 
Defects are issued to sellers who cancel. 
Final Value Fees are not credited back to the seller. 
The buyer will be able to leave negative feedback. 

Add this user to your blocked bidder list to prevent them from bidding/buying from you in the future. 

[skeletonstore]

I don't know.....I guess I don't want to potentially eat a return.  This all seems very strange. Even my brother was laughing his head off just now like what the....after I mentioned the articles.  He's sold on Ebay since the beginning.  My gut instincts just make me wonder....

[skeletonstore]

Trust me i want to. I guess you have to have the thoughts that are swimming through my head now.  I should be optimistic  as in if the person actually attacked me I could use that publicity in some way.  Who knows they definitely have you know what kind of money....$2-$16M for the apartments in the address  😄

[skeletonstore]

Depends,  I know how to massage a cancelled order.  😄  I'm leaning towards rolling with the punches.  Besides I really do make nice ones.  It's my hands, very nice 😄

[skeletonstore]

Ha!  I didn't see the last part.  I actually get compliments.  I have the hands of a guitarist so I make knots a little bit better than most 😄   Tedious to make with all the splinters  😄  One other concern I did have is one of their articles specifically talked about a person who killed themselves.  I don't sell them for that reason.  They're for hanging props.  

[itsjustasprain]

---

@skeletonstore wrote:

Should i trust my gut instincts and try to back out of the sale or roll the dice?

---

Oh for pitys sake - just ship the thing. Others posting here might want to take a moment to look at the things you are selling before responding further. 

You are selling all kinds of weird and gory things - not that there is anything wrong with that! - if anyone remembers Seinfeld - but when you do sell that stuff you need to expect all kinds of weird and gory buyers. Its kind of ironic to be selling severed hands and then getting all nervous about what the buyer might think. Someone already said here that the time to worry about the sale was before you listed it - and in your case that is definitely true. But now it is sold so just ship it and move on. 

[outlet_values]

Oh, another piece of advice. Check number of listings and received-as-seller feedback before listening to anyone's advice in here.

[southern*sweet*tea]

::general reply::

All of this buyer stalking makes me want to never shop here again.

[outlet_values]

As the proprietor has indicated that we mere salespeople are now to bear the confiscation and holding of our funds in the newly elongated, and strongly encouraged, returns process, under Managed Payments. Thus, we are HIGHLY incented to weed out and avoid problem buyers, through any/all means necessary, including Googling the weakly feedbacked.

[kensgiftshop]

How I would handle it, if the buyer paid and Pay Pal says it ok to ship, I ship the item.

I don't worry about where they live or what they do for a living.

Once the buyer pays, I don't care what they do with the item.

[geo2061]

First off -- COOL Stuff  !! (you make most?) 🤓💀👽

 I can see what you might be worried about (and it's not the First Time Buyer - they're important to continued growth on any platform - and are a blessing and sometimes a curse, but that's doing business anywhere).  

As long as eBay has no problems with the listing i'd say you're covered no matter what would happen (Even in a "LOOK what i bought on eBay !!" situation)

In your defense,  anyone can learn to tie a particular knot from a varied amount of sources - Best of Luck

   ------------------------------------------------------

  As A Seller,  Think Like A Customer.

[kateinthe26th]

Its Halloween soon, probably buying it for a gift or to display at a party or as a prop for photo journalism.

People (even journalists from swanky neighborhoods) i presume like weird scary stuff this time of year and you sell weird scary stuff so it makes sense!!