Scammer?

[sja999]

Hi

i see a lot about scam addresses in Wilmington DE. I just had a sale come though for Newport DE with a buyer whose name is complete gobbledygook (GFEQY LKMN, for example). The address is in an industrial park and the few companies I can see at that location don’t seem to be reshippers. I have had no contact with the buyer, but this seems very fishy to me. What happens if I cancel the sale, refund the purchase and then resist it? Buyer has a purchase history of 6 items in the last few months, but the account opened in 2019. Thoughts?

[downunder-61]

If you cancel and refund you will have to give the reason of damaged or out of stock. You will get a defect on your account and run the risk of the buyer leaving negative feedback.

You need to send the item that has been purchased, with tracking - you offered it up for sale knowing there is always a risk with online selling, and the buyer should not be punished because you have now become wary of it.

Could be the buyer is having the item sent to where they work in that industrial village

[sja999]

Hi!

Thanks for your note. I thought that maybe the person was just having it shipped to where they work, but when I saw a bunch of random letters given for the name, I became concerned. I suppose you are correct that I just need to ship it, but I just feel like this is bad news. 

[slati_2013]

No, he need not send it if he has a problem with the address. That address is a freight forwarder that is unfortunately a favorite by scammers in Eastern Europe. It is a crap shoot. It might be a scam. It might not be. I send stuff to freight forwarders in Florida, California and Oregon all the time with no issues. Because I have blocked almost all of Eastern Europe, I get no sales to DE. 

[fab_finds4u]

It's  probably the address of a freight forwarder. What country is the buyer from? Many foreign buyers use a freight forwarder in order to buy from sellers who only offer shipping to the US.

[mtgraves7984]

There are freight forwarders in Newport, too. Personally, I've sold to good buyers who used freight forwarders and have never had a problem with a single sale. I'd not be too worried about a buyer who might have just begun to buy ("last few months"), either... and has spotted one of your cool, 'niche' items.

Sounds to me as if you have the potential for a good sale. Don't trade that for an OOS metrics strike. Good luck to you.

[slati_2013]

While that address is indeed notorious for scams, do not automatically assume it is a scam. It could be a legitimate sale. Remember once you hand it off to a freight forwarder, what happens after that is no concern of yours. If you do cancel, use a problem with the address. Most scams involve expensive items. Other than the name, nothing says scam. Check the feedback they have left for other. 

[sja999]

Thanks! I have been looking but do not see any feedback they have left for anyone else.  As far as a location, the buyer has United States listed as the location.

[sja999]

The buyer’s location is listed as United States.

[fmwsells · Accepted solution]

I have been selling on eBay for a while and I haven't had any issues with freight forwarders, or with old accounts with 0 feedback, or low feedback. I have had more issues with buyers with several feedback ratings. You can add insurance if you do not trust your buyer.

[downunder-61]

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@slati_2013 wrote:

No, he need not send it if he has a problem with the address. That address is a freight forwarder that is unfortunately a favorite by scammers in Eastern Europe. It is a crap shoot. It might be a scam. It might not be. I send stuff to freight forwarders in Florida, California and Oregon all the time with no issues. Because I have blocked almost all of Eastern Europe, I get no sales to DE. 

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As per the OP > The address is in an industrial park and the few companies I can see at that location don’t seem to be reshippers

Hence my reply..........

[free.deal]

If you are not comfortable to ship, just cancel the order using the reason of "issue with buyer's address", you won't get a defect, just eBay keeping $0.3 fixed fee.

[downunder-61]

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@free.deal wrote:

If you are not comfortable to ship, just cancel the order using the reason of "issue with buyer's address", you won't get a defect, just eBay keeping $0.3 fixed fee.

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They will get a defect if the buyer reports them for falsifying the reason for cancellation. It is a US address and there is no problem with it, the issue that caused the OP to feel a bit iffy was the wierd name of the buyer. 

[albertabrightalberta]

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@slati_2013 wrote:

 If you do cancel, use a problem with the address. Most scams involve expensive items. Other than the name, nothing says scam. Check the feedback they have left for other. 

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@free.deal wrote:

If you are not comfortable to ship, just cancel the order using the reason of "issue with buyer's address", you won't get a defect, just eBay keeping $0.3 fixed fee.

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I have a problem with sellers who lie and claim a "problem with the buyer's address" when there is no problem! 

Either be honest and accept the ding to your account if you don't want to ship or ship the item to the buyer who paid for it! 

And for the record, @sja999 's sold item was $81. It just doesn't sound scammy to me and I've never had a problem with any buyer who used a freight forwarder. 

And if you don't want to take any risks, don't sell on ebay. 

Sorry to be harsh but sheesh! The suggestions to lie because of suspicions is getting way too common. 

[downunder-61]

It sure is, and all the while some seller's complain about 'false' SNAD

OP is at no fault here, but some of the advice is not good.