Buyer wants shipping address changed AFTER label printed and money pulled out of PayPal account

[electrola_man]

Another dreaded case of a buyer not having changed an address after moving.  I just received this:

"Hello! I bought the (item), and it was only after I purchased it I realized I did not change my shipping address on my eBay account since I moved. Is it too late to send it to the correct address? It's in the same city, so I cannot imagine the shipping costs would change. Sorry if this inconveniences you."

It would have been simpler for me if I had already shipped it, but I had printed the label based upon shipping tomorrow, so the package is still here.  I had already transferred nearly all the money out of PayPal into my bank account.  Item is about $100, and buyer has feedback of only 6.  I know the best thing to do is somehow undo everything and have the buyer re-buy it with the correct address, but I've never had such a request come at this late stage before.  I have not done anything yet.  

It seems the first thing is to cancel the USPS label which eventually gets refunded.

Questions before I respond to the buyer:

1.  Can I still cancel using reason, "problem with buyer's address" after  a shipping label has already been created, or what is the best way to cancel? 

2.  If I'm able to cancel, will the buyer get the money back right away when I just pulled it out of PayPal already, or will that need to wait for a transfer from my bank, or credit card to PayPal to be completed?

3.  Is this the best way to do this?

4.  What happens if I say, "Sorry, it's too late?"  Really, if I can fix it, I want to, but it creates such a lot of work when buyers do this, and this situation is pretty extreme.

5.  Should I ask how long ago he moved and see if his mail is being forwarded?

[myescape]

1.yes

2.there will be a lag

3.probably

4.buyer can leave a negative and you may or may not have it bounce back and you should refund or reship

5.do not count on usps forwarding.Solve issue before it gets more complicated.

Cancel,refund,relist

[goldguy22k]

Forget trying to work with forwarding mail - you'll only get burned. 

[no_zero369]

Sorry you are dealing with issues and an interesting buyer, but it looks like this transaction is going to be a "teachable moment."

Best move is cancel the transaction - make sure you check either:  1) problem with sellers address or 2) seller requested cancellation - that way you will get you FVF back and avoid a defect on your account AND be able to resist the item.

Second, DO NOT EVER ship to an address that a buyer gives you post checkout!  Whatever address is on the "Ship To" section of the eBay checkout flows through to PayPal (PP) as the "PayPal address for that order," PAFO.  If you ship to an address that is not the PAFO and the seller files an "Item Not Received" with PP, you have no proof it was delivered to PAFO & you will loose!  PP will not look at  your eBay emails as proof buyer requested a change.  This is a common scam.

Sorry to be so harsh ......Go ahead and try things the easy way - just be prepared to loose your money and the item.  Sorry it is "more work" that them the rules.  They are in place to protect you.

er, um, ah,  #5 is totally irrelevant!  I would not worry about such stuff, it isn't your issue.  You have no control if it is forwarded or not and IF it gets delivered to a different zip code than what was on the order, you will loose an INR case and have to refund the money!  I know it is easy to want to  "Fix it" but in the described situation one needs to tread carefully and protect them self.

When a buyer checkouts out it is the buyers responsibility to make sure the address in the "Ship To" section is correct and where they want the item delivered.  Your responsibility is to ship to the PAFO only!  If the buyer messes up that is on the buyer.  Seller can cancel the transaction and relist the item, THEN the buyer can buy and make sure the PAFO is correct.  That is the only way to protect yourself.

Hope my style isn't off-putting and you get the points. 

Good luck!

[dtexley3]

First make sure the message came from the buyer and not someone else, probably not with the low value, but double check.

Then it's a gut check on your tolerance for risk.  If the zipcode for the old and new addresses are the same, the risk of the buyer winning an INR is low.  You also have the message from buyer asking for the address change which per the blues is SUPPOSED to protect you from a false INR, but it's a risk.

If the zipcode is different, you'll definitely want to cancel the purchase.  The buyer is not going to be happy with the extra delay in the refund.  You should not be moving funds out of paypal for at least 30 days if not longer.  The funds aren't really "yours" until the MBG is over.  And remember a bad buyer has 180 days to try to get a refund via paypal.

[electrola_man]

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@no_zero369 wrote:

Sorry you are dealing with issues and an interesting buyer, but it looks like this transaction is going to be a "teachable moment."

Best move is cancel the transaction - make sure you check either:  1) problem with sellers address or 2) seller requested cancellation - that way you will get you FVF back and avoid a defect on your account AND be able to resist the item.

Second, DO NOT EVER ship to an address that a buyer gives you post checkout!  Whatever address is on the "Ship To" section of the eBay checkout flows through to PayPal (PP) as the "PayPal address for that order," PAFO.  If you ship to an address that is not the PAFO and the seller files an "Item Not Received" with PP, you have no proof it was delivered to PAFO & you will loose!  PP will not look at  your eBay emails as proof buyer requested a change.  This is a common scam.

Sorry to be so harsh ......Go ahead and try things the easy way - just be prepared to loose your money and the item.  Sorry it is "more work" that them the rules.  They are in place to protect you.

er, um, ah,  #5 is totally irrelevant!  I would not worry about such stuff, it isn't your issue.  You have no control if it is forwarded or not and IF it gets delivered to a different zip code than what was on the order, you will loose an INR case and have to refund the money!  I know it is easy to want to  "Fix it" but in the described situation one needs to tread carefully and protect them self.

When a buyer checkouts out it is the buyers responsibility to make sure the address in the "Ship To" section is correct and where they want the item delivered.  Your responsibility is to ship to the PAFO only!  If the buyer messes up that is on the buyer.  Seller can cancel the transaction and relist the item, THEN the buyer can buy and make sure the PAFO is correct.  That is the only way to protect yourself.

Hope my style isn't off-putting and you get the points. 

Good luck!

---

Thanks.  I've always done the cancel before.  I didn't know that I still could after the label is printed and the item is "shipped," though not yet actually at USPS.  I typically explain the plan to the buyer, then cancel, relist with a high price, but  "best offer" enabled, and advise the buyer to submit an offer for the actual previous purchase price.  That allows me to make sure I sell back to the same buyer, rather than someone else jumping in a taking it.  I never change an address after the payment.

[mam98031]

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@myescape wrote:

1.yes

2.there will be a lag

3.probably

4.buyer can leave a negative and you may or may not have it bounce back and you should refund or reship

5.do not count on usps forwarding.Solve issue before it gets more complicated.

Cancel,refund,relist

---

If a buyer were to leave negative FB complaining that the seller wouldn't change the ship to address or shipped to the wrong address, the seller could have it removed.

[mam98031]

1.  Yes and cancel the shipping label / void it.  It will take it a few days to refund, but you will get your money back in a couple weeks.

2.  Your buyer will be refunded right away.  That may put your PP account into a negative balance.  Sometimes they will go to your back up funding source or you can transfer some money into your account.  

3.  Yes, cancel the transaction, refund the buyer, set the listing up again for repurchase, remind your customer to update their shipping information before paying and then have them pay again using the correct ship to address.

4.  It could upset your buyer.  Really you still have the package.  Yes it does cause you a few minutes more work, but then that is our job.  We are here to take care of our customers.  This kind if thing happens every once in awhile.  

5.  No.  The longer your item is in the custody of the carrier the longer it has to be abused and possibly damaged.  Or it could get lost in the process by the carrier.

Sometimes buyers just insist that you change the ship to address without going through cancelling and repurchasing the item.  Just be very polite and professional about it and explain that you are required by PayPal to ship to the address on the PP payment notification or they will void your Seller Protection.

And that is the truth.  While Ebay would be fine with it as they will allow a seller to change the ship to address if they have a confirming email in the Ebay system from the buyer requesting this, PP is not that generous.

The Ebay rule reads that a seller must ship to the address that is on the Purchase record in Ebay or the PP payment notification.  [With the exception I described previously].

But the PP rule requires that you ship to the address on the PP payment, so ALWAYS ship to that address as you don't want to lose their Seller Protection.  It can come in handy from time to time.

Good Luck.

[no_zero369]

@electrola_man wrote:

Thanks.  I've always done the cancel before.  I didn't know that I still could after the label is printed and the item is "shipped," though not yet actually at USPS.  I typically explain the plan to the buyer, then cancel, relist with a high price, but  "best offer" enabled, and advise the buyer to submit an offer for the actual previous purchase price.  That allows me to make sure I sell back to the same buyer, rather than someone else jumping in a taking it.  I never change an address after the payment.

OK, good!  Sounds like you have a good process!

"Shipped" with eBay is an interesting term.  While they send a note to the buyer that the item has "shipped" once the label is printed (through eBay labels) or one uploads a tracking number, your handling time metric is not met as "shipped" until the label is scanned by the shipper.  Thus I believe eBay doesn't consider an item "shipped" until it gets that first shipper scan.

Thus per the eBay policy, you haven't "already sent the item" and CAN cancel the transaction.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/cancelling-transaction?id=4136

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@no_zero369 wrote:

@electrola_man wrote:

Thanks.  I've always done the cancel before.  I didn't know that I still could after the label is printed and the item is "shipped," though not yet actually at USPS.  I typically explain the plan to the buyer, then cancel, relist with a high price, but  "best offer" enabled, and advise the buyer to submit an offer for the actual previous purchase price.  That allows me to make sure I sell back to the same buyer, rather than someone else jumping in a taking it.  I never change an address after the payment.

OK, good!  Sounds like you have a good process!

"Shipped" with eBay is an interesting term.  While they send a note to the buyer that the item has "shipped" once the label is printed (through eBay labels) or one uploads a tracking number, your handling time metric is not met as "shipped" until the label is scanned by the shipper.  Thus I believe eBay doesn't consider an item "shipped" until it gets that first shipper scan.

Thus per the eBay policy, you haven't "already sent the item" and CAN cancel the transaction.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/cancelling-transaction?id=4136

---

It no longer tells a buyer its shipped when the label is printed 

[lintbrush*]

Your buyer was polite, asked if it was too late, and apologized for any inconvenience.  

If it was less than $30, I'd not hesitate to change the address.  If it's in the same city, the ZIP is often the same (not always the case though).

I'd work with this buyer and figure out a way to make it work for the both of you.   I'd be a positive as possible in my approach to cancel the current sale and have them repurchase.  The sweep on your PP account is the tough part.  

[no_zero369]

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@myangelandmyprincess wrote:

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It no longer tells a buyer its shipped when the label is printed 

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Sorry to be so off-topic on this thread...

I have seen posted somewhere statements that said eBay has or was correcting this issue as it caused concerns and misunderstandings with many buyers.  Of course I can find that reference.

Problem is that I have observed that I still get those, "your item has shipped" emails from eBay, even on a Sunday.  So it is less likely that a label was scanned, rather that a label was created.  So that makes me wonder if the issue is fully "fixed" or I am just "special?"!!! 

[mam98031]

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@no_zero369 wrote:

@electrola_man wrote:

Thanks.  I've always done the cancel before.  I didn't know that I still could after the label is printed and the item is "shipped," though not yet actually at USPS.  I typically explain the plan to the buyer, then cancel, relist with a high price, but  "best offer" enabled, and advise the buyer to submit an offer for the actual previous purchase price.  That allows me to make sure I sell back to the same buyer, rather than someone else jumping in a taking it.  I never change an address after the payment.

OK, good!  Sounds like you have a good process!

"Shipped" with eBay is an interesting term.  While they send a note to the buyer that the item has "shipped" once the label is printed (through eBay labels) or one uploads a tracking number, your handling time metric is not met as "shipped" until the label is scanned by the shipper.  Thus I believe eBay doesn't consider an item "shipped" until it gets that first shipper scan.

Thus per the eBay policy, you haven't "already sent the item" and CAN cancel the transaction.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/getting-paid/cancelling-transaction?id=4136

---

While that is somewhat true, Ebay actually sends an email saying the order has been updated with a tracking number.  It doesn't say the seller has shipped the item.

You are correct, even after a seller has printed the label, they can cancel the order if they choose to.  Choose being the operative word.  The seller is not obligated to cancel the transaction, it is a choice for the seller to make.

In this particular situation, I agree, the seller should cancel the transaction as I previously advised.

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@no_zero369 wrote:

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@myangelandmyprincess wrote:

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It no longer tells a buyer its shipped when the label is printed 

---

Sorry to be so off-topic on this thread...

I have seen posted somewhere statements that said eBay has or was correcting this issue as it caused concerns and misunderstandings with many buyers.  Of course I can find that reference.

Problem is that I have observed that I still get those, "your item has shipped" emails from eBay, even on a Sunday.  So it is less likely that a label was scanned, rather that a label was created.  So that makes me wonder if the issue is fully "fixed" or I am just "special?"!!! 

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The ones I’ve been getting say something to the effect of your item is being prepared for shipment paraphrasing as I don’t have a current one to look at. I try to keep my email clean after a few years ago when I had over 10,000 emails 

[divwido]

But did she change her address with PayPal?  That's the address you use, not the one on file with ebay.