Sellers beware! So many new “US” addresses for third party shipping

[replaybargainsresale]

Watch out for the delivery addresses being 3rd party shipping hubs.  So many of these are scammers who will magically appear in your messages 2-3 weeks later with false claims of not getting their package or it being damaged etc.  Unfortunately these scammers will go very far even with made up nasty reviews to try to blackmail you into just refunding them to go away.  Please be diligent in reporting these buyers to eBay and not letting them get away with it.  We have to bad together to try and stop the scammers. 

[bonjourami]

There is nothing 'magical' about freight forwarders, that doesnt make the buyer a scammer. As a seller, you are only responsible for your item arriving safely to the domestic forwarder.

[slippinjimmy]

I have had nothing but great results shipping to foreign buyers via forwarders, many hundreds of sales never a single issue. That said I ship to almost anywhere directly and problems with those shipments rarely happen but they do pop up from time to time.

[buyselljack2016]

Many years. No issues with FF sales, but what one sells can factor in.

Gamers gonna game no matter where they are.

[714ricki]

Knock on wood, I haven't had any issues ever shipping to freight forwarders or consolidators for their international customers. That includes all the famous locations in south Florida, & across the USA. You have a bigger chance of coming across a dubious buyer who doesn't use a freight forwarder.

Regardless, you make the final business decisions for your store.

It's a roller coaster out there in the online selling world. 

Good luck!!! 🙏😎😁✌️

[replaybargainsresale]

I’m aware. And I have some great customers who use the system properly.   I’m just trying to spread the word it’s happening more frequently now.  If people just blindly give refunds for these false complaints the scammers continue.   Just asking people to be on the look out and report for all of our sakes!  Keep eBay a great place to buy and sell! L

[replaybargainsresale]

I have had plenty of great ones.  Unfortunately you have to watch out as lately it’s been getting excessive.   Just stay diligent!  

[replaybargainsresale]

Yep.   Just saying lately it’s been a lot more. 

[replaybargainsresale]

Yep stay diligent! Good luck! 

[tobaccocardyahoo]

The OP is correct that there are new and amateur entries to the freight forwarding business.

They claim to be logistics companies or freight forwarders or any number of other types of company, but a google search shows them to be a residence, in a residential area, with no signage on or in front of the building.

There is always someone available to cash in on a need, even if the need is for nefarious purposes.

I have no problem with real freight forwarders/consolidators though now with EIS available, I get far fewer orders using them. I have little trouble with these guys either because my products are hard to turn into cash, and most thieves prefer cash to stuff.

[stainlessenginecovers]

---

@replaybargainsresale wrote:

I’m aware. And I have some great customers who use the system properly.   I’m just trying to spread the word it’s happening more frequently now.  If people just blindly give refunds for these false complaints the scammers continue.   Just asking people to be on the look out and report for all of our sakes!  Keep eBay a great place to buy and sell! L

---

Has NOTHING to do with 'just freight forwarding' buyers and posting this type of thread is discriminatory as well as doing nothing but spreading false information, dripping with paranoia. 

That "type" stuff goes on 10x more with Domestic Buyers, stating they 'didn't get it' or 'not as described' and/or 'shipping back a rock' etc. etc.

Bottom line, if a seller is 'not smart' enough to blindly just 'give money' then they deserve to be broke and the only warning they need is- stick to Garage Sales. 

Forest Gump said it best. 

[replaybargainsresale]

No intention of any of the sort.   Just trying to help out other sellers who may not know or be aware of the situation.   I have 3 different businesses on eBay, all 3 have seen a huge increase in these new addresses lately.   And all 3 have had an increase false claims from these new addresses for various reasons, all looking for a fast refund.   Many of them are marked “ delivered- left with agent.”  But they will continue to message claiming they did not  receive or know who the agent is (it’s the freight forwarding company for those who may not know.) The latest one was extremely over the top and full of lies.   So, instead of saying things if sellers don’t know to handle it then they deserve it, I’m trying to simply be helpful to the community.  

[replaybargainsresale]

Yes. And the scammers will target these new and less known addresses to use until they get caught.   

[chilie68]

You are absolutely right, the buyer is not the scammer. The issue lies with the package arriving in the city as addressed and usps not scanning delivered to the freight forwarder, therefore the Seller is responsible for refund and hence loss of the product. Happened enough to me I cancel any sale to certain freight forwarder addresses in Miami and Doral. 

[theteamsetguy]

@slippinjimmy ,

I also ship directly to any country in the world and have shipped hundreds packages over the years. I’ve not noticed any more issues percentage wise with my foreign shipments or shipments to freight forwarders versus shipments within the United States.. As a matter of fact I’ve only had one lost package by Australian Post that I can remember.

The prevalence of shipments to freight forwarders going sideways is blown way out of proportion because sellers who suffer a loss will often post on a chat board like this. These negative posts will stay on the internet for years and they accumulate. When was the last time you saw a seller post on a chat board how great my last shipment to buyer using freight forwarder went?

Most foreign buyers who use freight forwarders don’t it so they can scam someone or go around xenophobic sellers. They do it to save money on shipping and sales tax. Notice many of the freight forwarders are located in states with no sales tax? The freight forwarders will consolidate a bunch of items for the foreign buyers and ship to their country in one big container saving these buyers big bundle of money.