Selling and shipping items, especially multiple items, internationally thru a US freight forwarder "middleman" potentially opens up a whole can of worms like you described, and can tie things up when the end destination has a problem with what is or is not received or an INAD claim.
Translation: Confusion, with a higher risk of it not turning out well for the seller unless the seller knows how to deftly move thru the maze of procedures and pitfalls. It could take a lot of time and energy, still with no guarantee that you will come out ahead.
That's why on every US sale I make with a US shipping address, in which I specify either limited or no international sales, I click on the buyer's feedback number to see if they are actually in the US. If they are international, I prefer to keep things simple and avoid freight forwarder hassles, in addition to avoiding an extra Ebay monetary conversion fee. So I will cancel the order by using "problem with buyer's shipping address" (to not receive a metrics demerit) and refund their money. I will usually send a polite message to the buyer explaining that I do not ship to their destination, but thanks for the interest in my items... etc.
I DO ship internationally to Western Europe, Canada, Australia, the UK, Japan, Israel and ROK. The rest of the world I don't for various reasons, mainly mail theft and the current explosion in buyer fraud. My legitimate US sales more than make up for those countries I don't ship to.
That's the way I roll with freight forwarding issues. Many other sellers may feel different and willing to take the risk. I really like sleeping at night, so I don't risk it.
Good luck in finding your way thru the maze you've been plopped into the center of. And let's hope the freight forwarder can provide you with the proof that all items were reshipped, as that proof is going to have to be acceptable to Ebay for a positive resolution to the problem. And good luck finding a real live Ebay CS Rep who will actually be able to help you.
Cheers, Duffy
