Selling my iPhone to Ukrainian buyer with US address - Possible scam

[jjscott13]

First, let me say that I am a first time seller on eBay. I listed my iPhone for a fixed price and it sold within an hour. I specificed no international shipping in the post. The buyer is from the Ukraine and has a US shipping address in New Jersey. The company associated with the shipping address is a logistics company named Meest that performs internatinonal shipments.

I have read several posts from others about fraudulant activity with the Ukraine, especially with iPhones, but many of them were shipping the phone directly to the Ukraine. There are a few relating to this buyers NJ address that invlove compromised accounts. The buyer hacks someone elses account, buys goods and has them shipped to this NJ address. The company then redirects the shipment to another overseas address. https://community.ebay.com/t5/Member-To-Member-Support/Scammed-Need-help/qaq-p/26012906.

What is my resourse at this point? I haven't shipped the item. I don't want to get scammed, but I also don't want negative feedback by cancelling the order. The buyer has been a member since 2011 and has 100% positive feeback.

[emerald40]

All buyers ha e 100% feedback so that does not mean anything.

Have there been any other recent transactions in the last 6 months.

What does the feedback for others look like?

In the future, if you do not want to deal with reshippers, them block foreign currency and non US paypal accounts in paypal.

For now - did paypal give you the OK to ship?

If so, then unless you want to risk a defect, then you have to do so.

[jjscott13]

I am not able to view recent transactions for this seller. I called eBay and they will not disclose them either.

Feedback from other sellers to the buyer in question are all positive. This includes 8 in the last month, 24 in the last 6 months and 59 in the last 12 months.

eBay was very closed lip about the seller from a privacy perspective, but it didn't seem like they had any fraud tied to the account. They have opened an investigation, but it will not be completed for up to 48 hours, which is after I am supposed to ship the product.

They told me to follow the process and ship it as the funds have been received. They also said if it is fraud that I would be covered by their seller protection plan. This would cover scenarios like...the buyer says it isn't as described and is issued a refund and ships me back something worthless like a rock.

I received an email from Paypal confirming they received payment. It also states that since I an a new seller, the funds will not be released for up to 21 days. They need to confirm the buyer received it.

I'm still a bit nervous about proceeding.

[emerald40]

They also said if it is fraud that I would be covered by their seller protection plan. This would cover scenarios like...the buyer says it isn't as described and is issued a refund and ships me back something worthless like a rock.
 
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CS actually told you that?

[pargran3]

I have found it unbelievable for years that anyone would try to make their first sale on eBay a phone or other electronic device.

The internet is and has been flooded with "this is a scam" warnings FOR YEARS.

Believe it or not, if you have no clue about selling on eBay you should not try to sell a phone!

Incredible.

Not to mention that it goes both ways ... why would anybody BUY a phone from an unknown.

This is just common sense which has become so uncommon that it its pathetic.

Radine

[jjscott13]

That's exactly what they told me.

Is that not true?

[tellmemama]

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@jjscott13 wrote:
That's exactly what they told me.

Is that not true?

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Not the least little bit.  They told you what you wanted to hear to get you off the phone and on to the next "victim".  Now as far as your transaction goes...if you have cleared payment IN YOUR PAYPAL ACCOUNT with the message "Ok to ship", then you have to ship it.  The one saving grace is you can't get hit with an INR (item not received) once it shows delivery to the NJ address.  That would be the only protection you have.

If the buyer claims it's broken or you sent an empty box, the waters get a lot muddier.  Technically the buyer loses his MBG (money back guarantee) protection once the item is forwarded.  Ebay may or may not adhere to that rule.  Since you aren't able to issue a prepaid label for international shipping, you most likely will be stuck sending money for postage.  From the Ukraine.  The buyer may or may not return it after that.  If he does, it may be just the empty box or his old broken phone.  Once it shows delivered back you HAVE to refund or eBay will do it for you.  And give you a serious strike on your seller account just for good measure.

Oh and if you didn't know what INR or MBG are before I told you, you shouldn't be listing an iPhone.  Period.

<edit: spelling>

[missjen831]

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@tellmemama wrote:

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@jjscott13 wrote:
That's exactly what they told me.

Is that not true?

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Not the least little bit.  They told you what you wanted to hear to get you off the phone and on to the next "victim".  Now as far as your transaction goes...if you have cleared payment IN YOUR PAYPAL ACCOUNT with the message "Ok to ship", then you have to ship it.  The one saving grace is you can't get hit with an INR (item not received) once it shows delivery to the NJ address.  That would be the only protection you have.

If the buyer claims it's broken or you sent an empty box, the waters get a lot muddier.  Technically the buyer loses his MBG (money back guarantee) protection once the item is forwarded.  Ebay may or may not adhere to that rule.  Since you aren't able to issue a prepaid label for international shipping, you most likely will be stuck sending money for postage.  From the Ukraine.

Oh and if you didn't know what INR or MBG is, you shouldn't be listing an iPhone.

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Nonsense. Ebay enforces that rule regularly, its one of the few rules they DO enforce here. Its paypal that does not have that rule however paypal doesn't make the seller pay for return shipping.

[tellmemama]

Really?  What about the recent thread where the poster whose phone was sold in the US and smuggled to Brazil or Argentina (can't remember which)?  Buyer claimed it didn't work and granted he opened a PAYPAL case which put shipping on the buyer.  But with all the "secret policies" they keep coming up with, I don't trust eBay to stick to posted policies any farther than I can kick an anvil.

But I'm sure you agree newbies selling the highest scam items probably shouldn't?

[tina06457]

It's too bad you didn't come here first before you listed your phone. It is probably a scam.  Did you go to your paypal account and verify the payment? Do not believe any emails from ebay or paypal.  Also you can't trust ebay cs. They will tell you anything to get you off the phone. I would not ship. I'd rather get a defect than lose the phone and my money. But the decision is yours. Which is more important to you, your phone/money or ebay account? Maybe you can cancel with problem with buyers address? Hopefully another member will come along with a better answer.

[tellmemama]

Oh and I know I've seen threads where the seller was required to send postage through PAYPAL to their international buyers in order for the items to be returned.  I admit I'm not 100% sure if they were sold internationally originally so I may have crossed wires with my post.

But tell me when the seller is from China and has to issue return postage from here.

[nowthatsjustducky]

At the very least, I will gladly witness the OP before he heads off into Seller Valhalla.  😄

[newnewnewmann]

I don't know if this would be applicable but couldn't you cancel the sale with the reason being a problem with address? After all, you said you listed for USA only?

What about extra postage? I read a post here where the seller was hit with a large extra shipping charge from the re-shipper. I don't know if that is true normally.

For what it's worth, Meest also has a "F" rating from the BBB.

[nowthatsjustducky]

The fact that the address is a U.S. one means that it is a domestic sale.  So a cancel for address problem would be invalid and would result in an OOS defect that can sink a seller's account faster than you can say "The Chinese Junk I bought on eBay was total junk."

[emerald40]

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@tellmemama wrote:

Oh and I know I've seen threads where the seller was required to send postage through PAYPAL to their international buyers in order for the items to be returned.  I admit I'm not 100% sure if they were sold internationally originally so I may have crossed wires with my post.

But tell me when the seller is from China and has to issue return postage from here.

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The transaction you are thinking off, the buyer and seller were in different Euopean countries.  One was Belgium c annot remember the other.  The seller could not generate a return label because of it.