What would you do?

[inhawaii]

I sold a $90 item (one of the most expensive items i sell) on 2-20-23.

This was a repeat buyer.  He had purchased one from me about a month ago.

On 3-12-23 the buyer opened a INR.

I immediately responded to the case and uploaded the  tracking number.

The tracking was odd.  It did not show "delivered".

Instead it showed "deliver to agent for final delivery".

I did some research on the boards and found that per devon from ebay, I am covered in a INR.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/eBay-not-recognizing-quot-Delivered-to-Agent-for-Final-Delive...

The case is still  open and the tracking  hasn't changed.

I forgot to block this buyer!!!

Tonight he buys another one.

The optimistic me is thinking ... he must have received the 2nd one and is now buying a 3rd one.

He's a good repeat customer.

The suspicious me is thinking ... don't got through with this 3rd purchase. 

I'm asking for trouble. 

What do I do?  What would you do?

Perhaps What do I do?  What would you do?

Perhaps devon@ebay can chime in with advice.

[ajs_coins_and_alchemy]

Either he got the 2nd one and bought a 3rd ... or he never got the 2nd one and is trying to by one to replace the one he didn't get?

I think his newest purchase has no bearing on the INR case. If he is a good repeat buyer and came back and bought another, he isn't scamming you...who tries to scam someone while continuing to buy? His INR is logical/plausible with weird delivery stuff going on and maybe did receive it eventually.

I would let the case play out  and allow new purchase to proceed and wait for more information to come your way before making any decisions. 

I mean what would/could you do about the case right now? Let that play out.

What could/would you do about this purchase? Cancel it? Seems no reason to unless this was an apparent scam.

What could you do about his future business? Block? I wouldnt unless it was a scam but he is a good repeat customer who continued to buy even after having hiccups with you.

I'd go with the flow and hang loose if I were you 🤙🤙

[1tuna]

I would ship it

the buyer does not live in Wilmington De most likely

its probably a reshipper so its kind of like the buyer is not really sure if the reshipper even got the package or not

the buyer probably saw the weird tracking and figure they had better do something

@inhawaii 

[the_fancy_fox]

I think I would Head to Facebook and explain the tracking and what we were told here on the forum. Ask for them to close the case. 

As for shipping the other one….. tough call. Have you tried talking to your buyer?

[lakefor94]

---

@the_fancy_fox wrote:

I think I would Head to Facebook and explain the tracking and what we were told here on the forum. Ask for them to close the case. 

As for shipping the other one….. tough call. Have you tried talking to your buyer?

---

Yep, you are going to lose the INR the buyer filed. It is the reshipper joints that get that scan.  

I am sure you have seen the LONG thread on this debacle.

I believe the sellers are having to go thru Facebook to get these closed.  

I think the buyer is playing you.

[joels-retrocade]

If your margins allow for it maybe add signature required for the third one just in case lol.

[farmalljr]

Gonna be honest here..... I do NOT have confidence that you will win an INR case. I don't care what the eBay rep says, I just no longer believe them. Sellers have no recourse, and telling us what we want to hear quiets everyone down. 

I would say there is a problem with their address, since they filed an INR on the second purchase. The buyer seems to be admitting there are issues with the address, since they claim to not have received their purchase. You could be out the 90 bucks + fees and shipping twice. 

It's not like this would be the first time they tell you one thing and then do something else. No real reason for buyers to use freight forwarders anymore, since eBay offers international shipping, other than to find a way to get "free" stuff.  There may be a few good reasons why they would use a forwarder, but the scams all seem to come from forwarders. 

[toysaver]

"What would you do?"

I would spend the rest of my life fighting and working so eBay would automatically block any buyer with an open case from making another purchase.

[harafkac0]

I believe you will win the INR, of course there's only one way to find out and that is to wait until the case closes.

Meanwhile I would ship the buyer's last order.

But that's just me.

[frodobagginskennedy]

@inhawaii Delivered to agent in Wilmington Delaware is usually a freight forwarder.  That is all you are ever going to see on delivery tracking if so.  Have you googled the address?  I am from the Lovely First State, home of our addle brained useless President, we have a lot of freight forwarders in upper Delaware.  Some have their own zip codes as they are huge.

I would message buyer that it was received by the FF per tracking.  They need to contact them and to please close the case as e Bay is holding your money.

If they do NOT do as requested I would cancel the 3rd transaction as problem with address.

[retro_entertainment_collectibles]

Have you communicated with the buyer?

I would certainly do that expressing concerns over the previous transaction.

As another party stated, presume that you've looked up the delivery address, find anything?

[sakic92710]

I'm no expert but I do know the English language pretty good.  lol   "Delivered to the agent" means delivered.  I do not know why the buyer did not cancel the INR case.  10 days later & the case is still open?  If there is no communication, I would feel a bit suspicious.  eBay has said nothing about the case, either?  Did you ask the buyer to close the case?   We need more info, dude.  lol  😛  As far as I am concerned, I would trust the 3rd sale & send it.  The buyer was good on the 1st one & IMHO, the 2nd is considered delivered.  Did you compare the tracking info with the 1st sale?  If it also says 'delivered to the agent' you are good to go.

[1richdoug]

Wilmington is a re-shipper sight. If that was address on label they gave EBay; then was delivered to "agent". ic no probs here; is the address on 3rd one the same as other two?

[sakic92710]

UPDATE :  "Delivered to agent for final delivery" means someone accepted the package on their behalf.  It is delivered.

[varebelrose]

---

@farmalljr wrote:..No real reason for buyers to use freight forwarders anymore, since eBay offers international shipping, other than to find a way to get "free" stuff.  There may be a few good reasons why they would use a forwarder, but the scams all seem to come from forwarders.

---

There is a very good reason many international buyers use forwarders; the fact is that many US sellers opt to NOT sell internationally at all; the use of a FF allows buyers to purchase items from those sellers. It does not mean its a scam.