Buyer wants me to ship using DHL

[steph38240]

Hi all,

I need some advice on something I think may be a scam. I had a buyer purchase a high-end luxury item from me. Looks like this buyer lives in Ho Chi Minh City, China. They have asked me to ship by DHL, stating that $20 shipping is a lot. The message had a few misspellings and incorrect punctuation. The buyer has not paid for the item yet.

I checked the buyer's feedback and they have lots of feedback as a buyer but none as a seller. Some of the feedback is in English and some of it is in languages I can't even identify.

Please let me know what you guys think...is "sending by DHL" some type of scam or do you think this buyer is legit?

[pburn]

If the buyer says they live in Ho Chi Minh City, China, they're lying. Ho Chi Minh City is in Vietnam.

[jack_bucks_ghost]

I thought Ho Chi Minh City was in Vietnam? Regardless, $20 shipping to Vietnam (or China) doesn't seem excessive to me--but I only ship to Canada outside of the US, so I might be way off on that. Still, I pay almost $13 for very small (8 ounce) packages (padded envelopes) to Canada.

[steph38240]

Oh goodness excuse my mistake! Their profile does say Ho Chi Minh Vietnam...I mistakenly wrote China instead

[lacemaker3]

Your listings have Global Shipping Program for international shipping, but I looked at your recent sale of a high-end tie, and it doesn't offer shipping to Viet Nam at all. So the request to ship to a city in Viet Nam, and use a different shipping service, which is not available through eBay, would be alarming to me.

Can you check and confirm what country their address is in? 

I don't recommend shipping internationally without the GSP at the moment. Many countries still have shipping delays, and while I have received a DHL international shipment very quickly within the last couple of months, they are not used as much within the USA as in other countries, and they don't deliver within the USA (final delivery is made by USPS). 

[nkmipgolf]

China is having issues with the PO with mega delays in shipping. Many China sellers are now on vacation because of this. One seller I asked uses DHL and UPS only now but they charge heavy duty/brokerage fees to Canada. 

[steph38240]

I checked the profile of the buyer and he is indeed in Vietnam. I feel very uneasy about this sale and really prefer to not risk it. I just have that "gut feeling" that it's some sort of scam. How exactly can I get out of this without just canceling the sale and harming my ebay reputation?

[bonjourami]

If your listing does not offer shipping to Vietnam, you can cancel, using problem with buyers address, you wont receive a defect.

[3eyedfishcatcher]

If they are buying a high end luxury item 20 dollars would probably not be a issue for shipping. Perhaps they have a contact in DHL to redirect the item then plan to file a item not received message. High end items can be a target for international scams i would only sell that item domestically.

[3eyedfishcatcher]

Go with your gut block the buyer and add them to you blocked list remove international shipping from the listing. So they can not change id's or use a different profile to make a purchase. They probably want the item for free to resell.

[pburn]

I'm going to Vietnam next year (assuming travel is safe by then) and would be glad to deliver it for you at very little cost--probably more than $20, but . . .

[pjcdn2005]

If this for the tie shipping to Vietnam is not specified so. you are within your rights to cancel it for the reason ‘problem with address’ since the gsp apparently won’t ship that item to Vietnam and that is what your other listings specify.   As far as sending it DHL,  I don’t see how it would be a scam if you were buying the label and there was delivery confirmation in Vietnam with that service but I would be surprised if the cost was only $20. It must be close to that for first class international which does not have tracking and I think a courier would be more.