eBay

35cents · ‎06-30-2023

So I am a long time eBay seller, 25 years to be exact and I’ve sold thousands of things without incident (most of which was in the first 15 years of my account) but this one has me just a bit on edge. A buyer that just created his account today just did a “buy it now” on a $1000 item I have and instantly paid, the system does show the payment processing. I know everyone has to start somewhere, it’s just a bit unusual that he finds $1000 item on the same day he joins eBay. Just soliciting opinions, what course of action would you take on this transaction?

sextons-sweet-deals · ‎07-01-2023

1. google map address and check it out. If it looks like a freight forwarder address, I would think twice before shipping.

2. send with signature required

3. maybe even buy insurance

4. if the item is a laptop, phone, sports cards, jewelry, or another high scam item, you may want to entertain canceling.

It's all up to you

ms.rodriguez* · ‎07-01-2023

Signature confirmation is definitely required. I am getting to tell you to follow your gut. If you feel nervous, cancel it. The worse that can happen is a negative. Take a day or so to decide.

dbfolks166mt · ‎07-01-2023

The buyer may possibly have been using a guest account. I use them all the time to purchase items on the internet. I have very few actual ecommerce vendor accounts. While this is probably not a high scam target item it is an expensive one. Curious about your posting pictures show rims with and without tires. Are you selling them with tires or without? If it is with tires depending on where they are shipping there are some states that have laws about selling used tires and there are liability issues that go with those.

You could also be positioning yourself for a NAD if the buyer is expecting tires on the rims and gets nothing but rims and I suspect you would not want to pay return shipping on these.

buyselljack2016 · ‎07-01-2023

@35cents

I am in agreement with the post about the photos with tires. Trouble in the making.

----------------------------------------------------

1st photo should be of the item to be received. (4 rims)

There are too many photos with tires mounted.

Shouldn't be any tires seen.

Next thing is, I sure hope you have your own "FedEx" account for shipping. Don't know what eBay is showing you for the estimated cost, but there are often huge "surcharges" applied that show up later when using eBay labels for FedEx shipping.

12345jamesstamps · ‎07-01-2023

You have been on eBay a long time. However, because it is a big ticket item and you haven't sold a lot at this price and you might get a hold on this money for 30+ days as well. So be prepared just in case.

I would have only done Domestic Shipping on this and google what the house or whatever it looks like.

My own opinion...I wouldn't do freight forwarding to another country. And why would someone from another country not be able to find something similar in their own country for that price?

albertabrightalberta · ‎07-01-2023

@huntfishdie45 wrote:
Other posters have already posted get a signature confirmation to stay withing eBay policy on items over $600.00. Very good advice. Hopefully all goes well with your sale.

Minor correction: SC is required for $750 (total), not $600.

albertabrightalberta
Volunteer Community Mentor

soh.maryl · ‎07-01-2023

Have you considered that this new guy might have joined eBay because he found that you are selling exactly what he has been looking for?

reallynicestamps · ‎07-01-2023

@sextons-sweet-deals

I'm a lot less worried than you about freight forwarders because they are the second safest address you can ship to, certainly safer than a street address, and second only to a PO box.

The Money Back Guarantee is effectively not in play when the buyer uses a freight forwarder.

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

This is the part I'm referring to

Exclusions and special coverage when the buyer doesn't receive an item  Items collected by a third party on behalf of the buyer
 Not covered
 The buyer arranged their own shipping method, such as a courier pickup
 Not covered

And also

Now -- if the GSP is not involved, but the buyer uses a freight forwarder, does the seller provide Return Shipping from the forwarding address or from the buyer's address?
Oooh this is a good clarification question @femmefan1946! A seller is only required to provide return shipping from the buyer's input address at time of checkout - that goes for any return where a seller provides shipping ('free' returns, etc).
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/All-Items-Are-Free/m-p/31966203#M1772511
Message #20 from tyler

That "input address" is not the buyer's registered address (in France or Canada or Botswana) but the address of the forwarder.

Which gets complicated.

vintage-camerastuff · ‎07-01-2023

You said he joined and then found the item. I believe he first found the item that he really wanted and then joined. I would ship it.

sunking1 · ‎07-01-2023

With all due respect, your description id a recipe for disaster. You say the rims are near perfect with no road rash or scratches. Then you go on to say there are small nicks. Then finish by saying they are good again. I'm betting this may end badly.

sin-n-dex · ‎07-01-2023

@35cents wrote:
So I am a long time eBay seller, 25 years to be exact and I’ve sold thousands of things without incident (most of which was in the first 15 years of my account) but this one has me just a bit on edge. A buyer that just created his account today just did a “buy it now” on a $1000 item I have and instantly paid, the system does show the payment processing. I know everyone has to start somewhere, it’s just a bit unusual that he finds $1000 item on the same day he joins eBay. Just soliciting opinions, what course of action would you take on this transaction?

The time to be concerned was when you listed it. I would never list a $1000 item. For one, it has to go with signature confirmation and I don't trust the post office to not mess that up when they are leaving signed for mail in my mailbox without anyone being home.

If I'm shopping for something, I might have $1000 and a brand new account to purchase on if the thing I want is found somewhere that I don't already have an account.

You really can't do anything except just ship this with signature and hope for the best.

C.

sin-n-dex · ‎07-01-2023

@reallynicestamps wrote:
I'm not sure what USPS (or UPS or FedEx) calls it, but Canada Post has a No Safe Drop option for recipients.
Basically the package is never left unattended, but only a Delivery Notice telling the buyer where and when they can pick up the shipment.
Marking the shipment, Signature Confirmation is much the same.
And tell your customer you will be using it "for his security".

That no safe drop doesn't always work. Chit Chats puts no safe drop on anything that goes with Canada Post (through their account), and they safe dropped $142 in coins at some guy's house and he filed a claim that he didn't get it. (He was a regular, and he cooperated with Chit Chats and Canada Post on the claim, so I'm inclined to believe he really didn't get the coins).

C.

dbfolks166mt · ‎07-01-2023

@sextons-sweet-deals

I'm a lot less worried than you about freight forwarders because they are the second safest address you can ship to, certainly safer than a street address, and second only to a PO box.

The Money Back Guarantee is effectively not in play when the buyer uses a freight forwarder.

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

This is the part I'm referring to

Exclusions and special coverage when the buyer doesn't receive an item  Items collected by a third party on behalf of the buyer
 Not covered
 The buyer arranged their own shipping method, such as a courier pickup
 Not covered

And also

Now -- if the GSP is not involved, but the buyer uses a freight forwarder, does the seller provide Return Shipping from the forwarding address or from the buyer's address?
Oooh this is a good clarification question @femmefan1946! A seller is only required to provide return shipping from the buyer's input address at time of checkout - that goes for any return where a seller provides shipping ('free' returns, etc).
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Selling/All-Items-Are-Free/m-p/31966203#M1772511
Message #20 from tyler

That "input address" is not the buyer's registered address (in France or Canada or Botswana) but the address of the forwarder.

Which gets complicated.

In general I tend to agree with your assessment on the use of FF'ers but as other posts on this forum have shown it's often a battle with eBay when the buyer files a case simply because the bot's often close the cases and rule in the buyers favor. The seller then has to work through the appeal process and show that the item went to a FF and on to some foreign destination.

And of course in the face of a NAD chargeback the eBay policy means nothing with regards to the MBG and the policy on chargeback protection is of little use.

35cents · ‎07-03-2023

So I have had a couple messages back and forth with the buyer, and I’m still questioning the transaction a bit, but the payment has been deposited in my bank account. A Google of the ship-to address shows a nice residential house. A poster mentioned a freight forwarder - these are going to Colorado, not sure why they thought they were going out of the country, I have no indication that they are.

He said he understood that no tires were included in the sale and those tires would be too expensive to ship (my mistake on not swapping the photos when listing), but after that message he also said he has not had much luck when selling tires on eBay… his account is brand new. I may be just overthinking it I guess, I’ve taken photos of the packed wheels (well packed and banded), and am shipping FedEx Ground with delivery confirmation.