Scammer

[aegisgear]

Dear Sellers on eBay,

I'm a seller here on Ebay. I believed I have been scammed by a buyer who is based in Vietnam. This "buyer" has made 4 separate orders of water plants from me with each plant going to a different person and address; 3 of 4 are the same plant. This person yesterday has falsely filed a claimed the item was sent a different person and which eBay automatically approved a return. I messaged the buyer to photograph the item and the box it came in with the shipping label vision. I received no reply. Today, this buyer started another claim about the plant doesn't match the photo or description and which eBay automatically approved return. There are 2 transactions left which I believe this buyer will falsely claim something wrong with them and eBay will automatically approved a return.

Does something like this happened to sellers with this buyer? Please help me anyway you could.

Thanks,

[titipeo]

You should never send goods to another address, this is where eBay sellers protection stops. You are only protected as long as you ship to the buyers address of record on eBay. I would suggest you communicate with eBay and have them see the message exchange between buyer and you, I presume this was done through eBay, and not outside, that way they can verify the instructions given. Other than that, block the buyer, and hope eBay sides with you.  

[titipeo]

Forgot to add that for the other items, could you intercept them, and have them return to you? There is cost to this, but it might minimize the loss. 

[aegisgear]

Thank you for the reply.

I think I wasn't clear and you misunderstood me. This buyer made 4 separate orders in 2-3 days apart. I didn't notice it was the same buyer who ordered items to different people and address. I didn't change the shipping address. I only shipped the item to the address it was on the order. I only looked this buyer up after he made the first claim and found he made 4 separate ordered from me with each item order to a different person and address. When I clicked on his member name it says he is based in a foreign country, just like when I clicked on your name it's says you are based in USA and member since 2002. Two items when to two different cities in California, and the other 2 when to Virginia and Missouri.

What kind a scam is this where member from a foreign country made 4 separate orders with each going to 4 different people in different states?

[no_zero369]

@aegisgear 

OH sigh,  This irks me to no end!  Why is one to infer that there is a scam going on!  What evidence is there? 

Look, a buyer can add ANY address they want in the "ship to" section of the check out page!  ANY ADDRESS!  This is how I send a sweater to my Aunt Millie in Seattle - I just enter her address in the "ship to" section of the check out page.  Since the seller is required to ship to that address that is on the order, I know the sweater will be delivered to Aunt Millie.

I also sent a package to Bubba who is in Federal Prison in Arizona by adding his address to the "ship to" section of the check out page.  Same thing for Meema in Tampa, just add her address to the ship to section on check out.  Am I a scammer because I like what you have to offer and want to send multiple purchases of that item all over the country?  Seriously?  Looking a gift horse in the mouth?

So your foreign buyer could be sending stuff to friends all over the USA.  You can cancel the transactions if you wish and get defects on your selling account.  Seller is protected ONLY for shipping to the address on the order.  as OP have noted never change the address after the sale.

Now there is a situation where a buyer from overseas REALLY wants what you are selling and has it shipped to a Freight Forwarder (FFer).  At the FFer the item is often repackaged and then sent over seas.  Because no one can tell what happens with the repackaging and second shipment, the seller is protected - the MBG is lost once the item is delivered to the FFer.  This is a great benefit no other "domestic" transaction is afforded.  FFers are usually located on the coasts: CA, NY, DE, FL, etc.

There are two things a seller should do when shipping to a suspected FFer.

1) Note on their eBay charges that there is a foreign fee for accepting a foreign CC.

2)  Contact the buyer an in a non-accusatory style, just looking for information, ASK the buyer:

I see you are in ____. Is this item going to a re-shipper and then to your country or are you in the US?  Once they respond that it is going to a reshipper, then seller should be ecstatic!  Very few transactions on eBay are so blessed - buyer loses MBG when tracking shows 'delivered!' 

So despite the fact that one can Google FFers and get all kinds of scam stories, IF a seller is smart enough to note and keep a record of the above, then a sale to someone using a FFer is one of the best transactions!

So yeah, one is free to see "scam" in this situation.  I think there are perfectly reasonable answers to what one is seeing that do not include a scam.   Be excited you got so many sales!

Good luck!