Should I zig or zag

[hebertsusedautoparts]

"My comments and post are my own and not necessarily those of my employer"

I am very grateful for these boards and have learned a lot from them and Thank every one that has been a part of them asking questions, answering them, trying to help.

We have a customer that asked some questions about a part (mileage,etc) and has now ordered. Great I thought then see the address is a freight forward service. Ok no problem have had sales go that way and not had an issue but the customer entered the name of a business with this address.

Looking at his feedback it is nothing but red flags and warning signs.

If I am right and please correct me if I am wrong...the MBG is void if he forwards the item? He is in Ecuador according to his account.

Can it be cancelled due to problem with shipping address?  The address exists but the name is his name/business name(not forwarding company).

If he were to open some claim am I correct in thinking we would be responsible to send return shipping just from the delivery address on the eBay order? and not from where he has it forwarded to?   

Any advice is welcome and Thank you in advance

[l5vw]

I believe you answered all of your own questions correctly.

We shipped an item to someone using a forwarder ( we didn't know at the time ). When it arrived in his country he tried to claim items were damaged and opened a return. It was denied and found in our favor as we were only responsible to the freight forwarder. E-bay said he would need to file a claim with his freight forwarder. 

Hope that helps some.

Good luck. 

[louies1948]

I agree with 15VW.  I have shipped many items to Africa with a freight forwarder.  responability stop when it is delivered to address on invoice.

[inhawaii]

I may be wrong.  I'm sure someone will correct me if i am.

You're covered if he files a INR. As long as the package get's to the address on the shipping label, you're covered.

I don't think the customer forwarding the package has anything to do with his MBG.  I think his MBG is still intact even if the package is forwarded to him in Timbuktu.   He can still file a "not as described" complaint. 

Good luck and stay safe!

[chapeau-noir]

AFAIK, eBay withdrew the provision that you are covered once the item is accepted by the freight forwarder unless it can be proven that the item was then sent on to the ultimate purchaser.   This post is over a year old, but that's about when the policy was changed.  Scroll down to Trinton's reply.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/eBay-Policy-Change-Seller-Protection-Change-when-Buyer-uses-a/...

when the delivery address is that of a forwarding service this is not by itself enough evidence to say the item was forwarded - forwarding companies have employees, and those employees may have purchases shipped to the office. I personally have all of my orders shipped to my office, as do many of my colleagues and friends. When there is proof that a buyer has had an item forwarded beyond the original delivery address, they would no longer be covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee. To withhold protection from a buyer, we do require evidence beyond the delivery address being that of a forwarding company.

So that's something to keep in mind when deciding.  I think it's a ridiculous policy when it's an established freight forwarder shipping abroad when maybe 0.0001% of these instances may possibly be shipped to an employee at that particular freight forwarder.  This is different than having packages forwarded to someone's office domestically - the example that Trinton used - which will always have a destination delivery address (at least they've had when I've done it).

[ogaugeminiaturefigures]

Run from this sale. Do not walk.

[ittybitnot]

I don't think the customer forwarding the package has anything to do with his MBG.  I think his MBG is still intact even if the package is forwarded to him in Timbuktu.   He can still file a "not as described" complaint. 

@inhawaii 

See post 5.    So long as the seller can provide "proof" the item was indeed forwarded to the international destination it may indeed void the MBG for SNAD.  However, that "proof" is the kicker.  I read a recent incident in another ecommerce forum where the seller appealed using an email from the freight forwarder confirming the "buyer" was not an employee of the establishment, and indeed the parcel was sent on.  

eBay denied the case since "emails were not proof" even though this one did include the name and phone number of the forwarder where it could be easily confirmed. 

In light of this and the other issues coming to light with the use of forwarders, I would venture to guess there is no seller protection other than for INR, just like a domestic sale.   Should the buyer in this instance file snad with eBay and use the "send a cheap trinket" scam to get delivery confirmation for the return, I have my doubts now whether ebay would afford any seller protection at all. 

If ebay starts voiding the MBG again, buyers will simply use the outside "Payment Dispute" (aka chargeback) route instead.  The seller would not be able to recover the merchandise (no return for refund allowed)  and would be refunding as well  as soon as they reply to the dispute with the  new ONE PHOTO these MP disputes allow to contest a claim. 

 

[hebertsusedautoparts]

Thank you to every one who took the time to reply

Reaffirmed what I was thinking and was very helpful

[ra_201044]

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@inhawaii wrote:

I may be wrong.  I'm sure someone will correct me if i am.

You're covered if he files a INR. As long as the package get's to the address on the shipping label, you're covered.

I don't think the customer forwarding the package has anything to do with his MBG.  I think his MBG is still intact even if the package is forwarded to him in Timbuktu.   He can still file a "not as described" complaint. 

Good luck and stay safe!

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They can file a SNAD, but the return label will be sent to the freight forwarder. The buyer would be  responsible to get it back to the forwarder.

Unless they changed that too lately ............

[chapeau-noir]

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@ra_201044 wrote:

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@inhawaii wrote:

I may be wrong.  I'm sure someone will correct me if i am.

You're covered if he files a INR. As long as the package get's to the address on the shipping label, you're covered.

I don't think the customer forwarding the package has anything to do with his MBG.  I think his MBG is still intact even if the package is forwarded to him in Timbuktu.   He can still file a "not as described" complaint. 

Good luck and stay safe!

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They can file a SNAD, but the return label will be sent to the freight forwarder. The buyer would be  responsible to get it back to the forwarder.

Unless they changed that too lately ............

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I believe that remains the same because that would be the address on record.