Ship to name is different than buyer name

[harvey1957]

We sell paper shooting targets. One very popular design is an image of Osama Bin Laden. Over the past few months, we have sold these targets to six different buyers with names that (and I'm trying really hard here not to sound racist) appear to be Slavic. All the shipping addresses are to different names (Ryan, Rodger, Tim for example) in various cities around the US. One buyer bought this item two different times and provided two different shipping names and locations. One thing all these sales have in common is a message from the buyer which requests that no invoice or pricing be included with the shipment. What's going on here? Any ideas? Is this similar to a straw purchase? Is it against eBay policy?

[coffeebean832]

Somebody is using you as a drop-shipper. They have your items listed somewhere- maybe eBay maybe another site- and every time they receive an order they in turn place an order with you to ship directly to their buyer. They don't want you including pricing and other info so their buyers can't see that they could get the items directly from you- probably for less.

[labs118]

As already posted they are using you to dropship
Risky business 
eBay frowns on it

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/drop-shipping?id=4176

However, listing an item on eBay and then purchasing the item from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your customer is not allowed on eBay. In such cases, we may remove your listings from search, display them lower in search results, or remove them completely from the site. We may also limit, restrict or suspend your ability to buy, sell, or use site features on eBay, and you could lose any special status and/or discounts associated with your account.

[slippinjimmy]

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@labs118 wrote:

As already posted they are using you to dropship
Risky business 
eBay frowns on it

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/drop-shipping?id=4176

However, listing an item on eBay and then purchasing the item from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your customer is not allowed on eBay. In such cases, we may remove your listings from search, display them lower in search results, or remove them completely from the site. We may also limit, restrict or suspend your ability to buy, sell, or use site features on eBay, and you could lose any special status and/or discounts associated with your account.

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eBay "frowns" on eBay SELLERS who sell on eBay and source from other marketplaces.

In this situation that is not happening.

Personally I don't see any risk at all that isn't exactly the same as any sale one might make on eBay. Perhaps even less because the ultimate purchaser has to deal with the person who made the eBay purchase, they can't directly cause any grief for the original eBay seller.

[labs118]

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

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@labs118 wrote:

As already posted they are using you to dropship
Risky business 
eBay frowns on it

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/drop-shipping?id=4176

However, listing an item on eBay and then purchasing the item from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your customer is not allowed on eBay. In such cases, we may remove your listings from search, display them lower in search results, or remove them completely from the site. We may also limit, restrict or suspend your ability to buy, sell, or use site features on eBay, and you could lose any special status and/or discounts associated with your account.

---

eBay "frowns" on eBay SELLERS who sell on eBay and source from other marketplaces.

In this situation that is not happening.

Personally I don't see any risk at all that isn't exactly the same as any sale one might make on eBay. Perhaps even less because the ultimate purchaser has to deal with the person who made the eBay purchase, they can't directly cause any grief for the original eBay seller.

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Sorry we can disagree on this one Jim 
The seller not OP is counting on another ebay seller to ship on time & is selling something sight unseen . I would feel it risky to dropship this way !!!
Since ebay states
 you're still responsible for the safe delivery of the item within the time frame you stated in your listing, and the buyer's overall satisfaction with their purchase.

[slippinjimmy]

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@labs118 wrote:

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

---

@labs118 wrote:

As already posted they are using you to dropship
Risky business 
eBay frowns on it

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/drop-shipping?id=4176

However, listing an item on eBay and then purchasing the item from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your customer is not allowed on eBay. In such cases, we may remove your listings from search, display them lower in search results, or remove them completely from the site. We may also limit, restrict or suspend your ability to buy, sell, or use site features on eBay, and you could lose any special status and/or discounts associated with your account.

---

eBay "frowns" on eBay SELLERS who sell on eBay and source from other marketplaces.

In this situation that is not happening.

Personally I don't see any risk at all that isn't exactly the same as any sale one might make on eBay. Perhaps even less because the ultimate purchaser has to deal with the person who made the eBay purchase, they can't directly cause any grief for the original eBay seller.

---

Sorry we can disagree on this one Jim 
The seller not OP is counting on another ebay seller to ship on time & is selling something sight unseen . I would feel it risky to dropship this way !!!
Since ebay states
 you're still responsible for the safe delivery of the item within the time frame you stated in your listing, and the buyer's overall satisfaction with their purchase.

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Risky for the middleman seller perhaps but the OP is not the middleman so what is their risk?

[richard1rst]

I have more than one buyer who buys from me on a regular basis and every order ships to a different address. Sometimes more than one order every day.

I have had ZERO problems. I am not about to shut them off.

labs118 said “selling something sight unseen”. Well presumably they saw a picture so it is not actually sight unseen. If you think about it, EVERYTHING sells on eBay "sight unseen" because you are relying on the accuracy of the picture which is all you get to see.

labs118 also said “ you're still responsible for the safe delivery of the item within the time frame you stated in your listing, and the buyer's overall satisfaction with their purchase.” But that is true of everything you ship. And as long as you get it out the door on time why is that a problem just because it is going to a third party? If anything it is the middleman buyer who runs the risk of late shipment dings because they are trusting that you do your job properly. But the risk is to them, not you.

[labs118]

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

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@labs118 wrote:

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@slippinjimmy wrote:

---

@labs118 wrote:

As already posted they are using you to dropship
Risky business 
eBay frowns on it

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/posting-items/setting-postage-options/drop-shipping?id=4176

However, listing an item on eBay and then purchasing the item from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your customer is not allowed on eBay. In such cases, we may remove your listings from search, display them lower in search results, or remove them completely from the site. We may also limit, restrict or suspend your ability to buy, sell, or use site features on eBay, and you could lose any special status and/or discounts associated with your account.

---

eBay "frowns" on eBay SELLERS who sell on eBay and source from other marketplaces.

In this situation that is not happening.

Personally I don't see any risk at all that isn't exactly the same as any sale one might make on eBay. Perhaps even less because the ultimate purchaser has to deal with the person who made the eBay purchase, they can't directly cause any grief for the original eBay seller.

---

Sorry we can disagree on this one Jim 
The seller not OP is counting on another ebay seller to ship on time & is selling something sight unseen . I would feel it risky to dropship this way !!!
Since ebay states
 you're still responsible for the safe delivery of the item within the time frame you stated in your listing, and the buyer's overall satisfaction with their purchase.

---

Risky for the middleman seller perhaps but the OP is not the middleman so what is their risk?

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We seem to be miscommunicating here Jim
that is what I am saying Risky business for the buyer using the OP as the drop shipper. 
Telling OP to me it would be Risky business using him to drop ship
So with that I hope this clears things up !!!!!!

[labs118]

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@richard1rst wrote:

I have more than one buyer who buys from me on a regular basis and every order ships to a different address. Sometimes more than one order every day.

I have had ZERO problems. I am not about to shut them off.

labs118 said “selling something sight unseen”. Well presumably they saw a picture so it is not actually sight unseen. If you think about it, EVERYTHING sells on eBay "sight unseen" because you are relying on the accuracy of the picture which is all you get to see.

labs118 also said “ you're still responsible for the safe delivery of the item within the time frame you stated in your listing, and the buyer's overall satisfaction with their purchase.” But that is true of everything you ship. And as long as you get it out the door on time why is that a problem just because it is going to a third party? If anything it is the middleman buyer who runs the risk of late shipment dings because they are trusting that you do your job properly. But the risk is to them, not you.

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I will finish trying to defend my own opinion here 
My first post was to vague I guess 
I was referring to the middleman buyer as it being Risky business not the OP
so no need to defend him to me … 
I believe it is risky business to count on another ebay seller to send my item as described on time , Just my feelings to me it would be risky business.
I think it's wonderful you have people using you as a dropshipper  that's great & even better that you do your job & they come back . 
I would not personal do it  (be the middleman )