Seeing a significant upgrade of keyboard smashing names with no feedback

[cards98765]

For the last few months I have been having on average two IXBRKD DFDHRG type names.  I changed a few letters in the name so it would be identical.  There are a few telling features of these buyers.

1.) They have between 0-5 feedback.

2.) They purchase the cheapest of items possible.

3.) There items always bounce back to me.

4.) There addresses change but quite frequently two of them come in together at a time.

5.) By the time I receive the card back the account has been frozen.

I have always shipped the ordered card out and will continue to do so just wish I was shipping to someone who actually wanted the card.  I was just wondering should I be reporting these buyers somehow to help more expeditiously remove them from eBay?  Is this a case where cancelling on incorrect address is appropriate (This will get to be quite a few as average two per day - today for instance has been 5 of them)?  I tried contacting eBay for business this morning however have not had a reply from them.

Thanks so much,

Cards98765

[stainlessenginecovers · Accepted solution]

Those are 'assigned' names, assigned by eBay- when a buyer wants to purchase as a 'guest' (meaning the buyer either doesn't want to 'sign up' or doesn't know how to). 

It does mean they're new and doesn't always mean there will be an issue with the purchase. 

I probably get 10% of my 'sales' from Zero New buyers; sometimes they even buy 2, 3, 4 things and each time, there is a 'slight' variance in their name. I CANNOT combine these shipments, so I don't even try. 

[a_c_green]

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@cards98765 wrote:

3.) Their items always bounce back to me.

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In what way? Is their address undeliverable? Are you printing your labels through eBay? That should do an automatic address validation at the time you purchase the label.

If the process can't validate the buyer's 9-digit ZIP code (generally the buyer only provides a 5-digit ZIP, but the behind-the-scenes validation process will expand it to 9 digits), then you should get an error message returned.

[cards98765]

Thank you.  I thought the long string names were the "assigned" names.  I'm running around a 1-2% ratio probably on them.   I just wish the cards didn't keep bouncing back to me because of incorrect address.

[soh.maryl]

Don't know exactly how they handle this now, but back when I first started on eBay many moons ago, I was assigned an ID like that, just random letters and numbers like L4pq75 and was asked if I wanted to pick out my own ID, which I did.  

[cards98765]

Reply to a_c_green.   

Yes, I use eBay labels on shipping.  They are returned either;

1.) No mail Receptacle - unable to forward

2.) attempted - not known - unable to forward

3.) No such Number

4.) Not deliverable as addressed

Only checked the last 20 or so but those are the different reasons.

[soh.maryl]

And exactly what steps do you take when the item bounces back?

Do you refund minus the shipping? Since you mention that these buyers have suddenly become NARU--assuming that's what you have encountered -- how can you refund?  

[a_c_green]

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@cards98765 wrote:

Yes, I use eBay labels on shipping.  They are returned either;

1.) No mail Receptacle - unable to forward

2.) attempted - not known - unable to forward

3.) No such Number

4.) Not deliverable as addressed

Only checked the last 20 or so but those are the different reasons.

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Bizarre. I can't imagine why they'd pay for the items and yet provide a bad address. Maybe they were looking to see if a stolen credit card would still go through before using it for a bigger purchase, but that still seems like an awfully convoluted way of doing so.

[reallynicestamps]

If they are returned as undeliverable, and you got paid, you are not required to refund a single penny.

Just relist and resell.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy/ebay-money-back-guarantee-policy...

If the payment then bounces, you are out time, but not money, and might even be a little ahead on those failed transactions.

If the address shows as invalid before shipping, then you don't ship and cancel as Problem with Address if eBay has not already.

And just ignore the payment, eBay will deal with it for you.

Eventually.

[cards98765]

My one card orders on several of my complete your sets (as these have all been) are sold at a loss to me.  I allow one card orders as most people purchase more than one.  The most expensive card that was purchased was $1.14 with almost all of them $0.99.  After packaging fees of a single card my cost is $1.20. Now with postage higher would be a couple cents more than that.  So there would be no money to refund.  

I do not think you can refund to a frozen account though.

The stolen credit card thought process as a_c_green mentions below is also what I had wondered about a little.  I finally got a reply from eBay unfortunately, it came in while I was away so when I was able to confirm my account they have not replied.