Possible scam

[emi-emf-uhpwui]

 I am a first time seer on Ebay,  I recently sold a used cell phone and after the purchase was complete the buyer had messaged me, asking for the accessories and original box that the phone had come with. I told him it only came with a charger and he just responded with "preserve what you can".  So anyways when I got the shipping information I thought the address looked different so I googled it and BM Cargo in Miami came up. I saw a lot of bad reviews from sellers claiming scammers use this freight station to pretend to have a American address or something with central American scammers. I got nervous and canceled the order and the buyer contacted me asking why and I told him Its a center known for scammers and he said he lives in New Jersey ( he even gave me the New Jersey address which was a actual residence) and offered that address because he liked to use them.  Does that sound very suspicious? Wouldn't he want to send it to his residence or somewhere closer to his home

[castlemagicmemories · Accepted solution]

ANYWAY, You have to ship to the address on the Paypal payment so offering you a different address is meaningless, especially since you cancelled.  

No one uses a freight forwarder if they live in New Jersey.

Block.  

First time sellers and cell phones are a volatile mix.  You are a target as there are those who will hope you will make a mistake to their advantage.  It is advised to start out with less expensive items and only sell when you have the amount of feedback that matches the dollar amount you plan to sell.

Search this board for sold a phone.

[fashunu4eeuh]

So sorry that your first sale had issues. The vast majority of eBay buyers are honest, and i personally have never been scammed in the many years I have sold here, but I am afraid there are those who prey on new sellers of smartphones and the like. It is possible you dodged a bullet here, uncovering a possible scam attempt, but I'm more concerned about your having canceled the transaction.

Since it is canceled, which reason did you choose (out of stock, problem with address, or buyer requested to cancel)?  Sellers have to be very careful with this. There are a couple of ways to find yourself in hot water with eBay and their defect program. Deciding to cancel the transaction is one way. I am hoping you selected problem with the address, since that is the concern you have. (You won't get a defect for problem with the address or buyer requested cancellations.) Below is a link to the seller performance policies with defect information, so as a seller you will find yourself better prepared for the pitfalls in this venue.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-policies/seller-performance-policy?id=4347

The time to assess your risk tolerance is before you list, since after the sale there can be tough consequences for not shipping the item. Before you list, ask yourself if you can afford to lose the item to fraud. Some sellers are willing to take a chance on a high dollar good, but seasoned eBayers are at lower risk of being scammed. New sellers are more prone because many do not know yet how to best protect their interests. Knowing how eBay works, the policies and guidelines, gives sellers tools to minimize ecommerce risk. 

Something to consider: under these circumstances your buyer can still leave feedback even tho the transaction is canceled. While eBay does not count bad feedback against seller metrics, a brand new seller might find his reputation affected by it. (In case of negative feedback, come back to the forum for advice on the best follow-up response. That can go a long way towards mitigating a black mark, showing future buyers that you are a conscientious seller they can trust.) Normally I wouldn't sweat one negative feedback. Most shoppers know it doesn't necessarily indicate a poor seller. But if it is the very first feedback as a seller, there is little to offset it, and it might carry more weight with a prospective buyer.

Just as with anything worth doing, eBay has a learning curve. But with a little time and patience in getting established as a seller, you will find yourself with a solid foundation to build your sales on. Wishing you much success and good luck as you move forward.

[lightlily_arts]

You should vet the bidders on your listing for the Samsung Galaxy S8+.  As a first time seller of a smart cell phone you are a target for scammers.  The other issue is that if you are not providing anything other than the phone you should say it. In your community post you mentioned that there was a charger but that is not in your listing.  It may not help but make sure you have documentation and a picture of the IMEI number for your phone because you have no way to prove what you sold.  You never send an item to any address other than what is provided with the Paypal Transaction.  If your buyer lived in New Jersey why would he want to have his item shipped to a freight forwarder in Miami.   Also, I think if you check  you may find that the New Jersey address is also a freight forwarding company.  Plenty of those companies are available from coast to coast.