Have you ever shipped to a "package forwarding company"?

[jmr1068215]

A buyer won an auction on 7/23 for $145 worth of product. They haven't paid yet, but I always take a look at the invoice to see who will be paying and where the shipping address will be to. Their name is complex and looks like someone from another country (but of course, they could live in the USA) and the ship-to address is a company called "Shipitto" in another state. Apparently it is a package forwarding company that forwards packages to other countries when the seller doesn't ship to that country. They haven't paid yet and their feedback is just under 20.

I looked up the ship to address in Ebay for this package forwarding company and a lot of people have reported them to the BBB and report being scammed in various ways (e.g. sending various products there and somehow getting scammed out of them). The Shipitto company replied to many of those reviews and said that they are simply a forwarding company and not the scammer, but everyone accuses that company of being a scammer and says that their number in the BBB database has been disconnected, they can't get anyone on the phone, etc.

I just want to make sure that Ebay/Paypal will cover this if something is off.

Anyone ever dealt with this Shipito company or a "forwarding" company like it?

[orangehound · Accepted solution]

Sold many items to these forwarders.  Never a problem.

There is a disadvantage to a buyer, however, in that the Money Back Guarantee is voided if a buyer uses one of these services.  So, if you get a MBG claim for Not as Described, or damaged, or missing, etc., then the buyer loses the case (at least on eBay).

[dtexley3]

Shipping forwarders or re-shippers are, for the most part, as safe or safer than most transactions.  You are responsible for shipping the item to the re-shipper.  Once it's been delivered to the reshipper you are basically done.  If the buyer doesn't receive it, they have to go to the reshipper, not you.  If the item is damaged, the reshipper is responsible, not you.  If the buyer files SNAD, the BUYER MUST ship the item back to the reshipper and you are only responsible for the postage from the reshipper to you.  AND they must get it to you within 5 bunsiness days of the return being filed.

Know your rights and responsibilities, any contact from the buyer should be immediately redirected to the re-shipper.  If the buyercontacts eBay or Paypal, point out that a reshipper was used and the buyer must settle with the reshipper.

[jmr1068215]

We'll just see how it goes. I just noticed that the buyer is in Ghana (my Ebay shipping is blocked to everyone outside of the USA), so that service would be needed.

[orangehound]

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@dtexley3 wrote:

If the buyer files SNAD, the BUYER MUST ship the item back to the reshipper and you are only responsible for the postage from the reshipper to you.  AND they must get it to you within 5 bunsiness days of the return being filed.

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@dtexley3

(I am only speaking from theory, not experience, so you may have another perspective).

The MBG is voided for use of a reshipper, so a seller can just refuse a MBG claim and win the case.   So, while it is true that a seller can pay for shipping in this way for a SNAD, or take a return for a SNAD, it is not required.  PayPal also has similar rules protecting buyers in the case of a reshipper.

[dtexley3]

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@orangehound wrote:

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@dtexley3 wrote:

If the buyer files SNAD, the BUYER MUST ship the item back to the reshipper and you are only responsible for the postage from the reshipper to you.  AND they must get it to you within 5 bunsiness days of the return being filed.

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@dtexley3

(I am only speaking from theory, not experience, so you may have another perspective).

The MBG is voided for use of a reshipper, so a seller can just refuse a MBG claim and win the case.   So, while it is true that a seller can pay for shipping in this way for a SNAD, or take a return for a SNAD, it is not required.  PayPal also has similar rules protecting buyers in the case of a reshipper.

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I agree that the MBG is void when using a reshipper according to the site polices, but the CS agents have a long history of ignoring such policies so when answering questions about this I always make clear the buyer has to pay to return the item to the reshipper, and the seller is only repsonsible to pay for shipping from the reshipper to the seller.   Covering all the bases.

[myangelandmyprincess]

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@orangehound wrote:

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@dtexley3 wrote:

If the buyer files SNAD, the BUYER MUST ship the item back to the reshipper and you are only responsible for the postage from the reshipper to you.  AND they must get it to you within 5 bunsiness days of the return being filed.

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@dtexley3

(I am only speaking from theory, not experience, so you may have another perspective).

The MBG is voided for use of a reshipper, so a seller can just refuse a MBG claim and win the case.   So, while it is true that a seller can pay for shipping in this way for a SNAD, or take a return for a SNAD, it is not required.  PayPal also has similar rules protecting buyers in the case of a reshipper.

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Paypal does not have similar policies regarding reshippers.  

Ebay buyer protection is voided once the item is forwarded the seller is only responsible for getting to the us address 

with PayPal they will still only be responsible for getting to the us address in a case of INR.   The buyer can still file SNAD but the buyer would be responsible for return shipping that includes tracking and unless it's a night priced item that's usually not worth it.   There is no added risk for shipping to the forwarded and really since the buyer loses some protections even less risk.  

[muttlymob]

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@jmr1068215 wrote:

I just want to make sure that Ebay/Paypal will cover this if something is off.

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Have you ever read eBay's and PayPal's seller protection policies?

[muttlymob]

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@orangehound wrote:

The MBG is voided for use of a reshipper, so a seller can just refuse a MBG claim and win the case.  

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No, the Money Back Guarantee is not void when mailed to reshippers.

Sellers must still get the package to the shipping address on record in the condition stated in the listing. 

Once the package is reshipped, then and only then do the MBG provisions no longer apply.

Advising sellers to refuse any claim when the address is a reshipper is not helpful.