Shipping on a Buyer's FedEx Account

[lakefor94]

Just had a customer ask, "Please ship via FedEx Priority One Overnight on account xxxxxxxx." 

Are there any ramifications/dangers/gotchas with doing this? It is a $693 order. 

I am not shipping until Monday.

[ra_201044]

Don't do it. You lose what little seller protection you have. It could be their employers account and they aren't allowed to use it.

Most likely, though, they would give you a different address to ship it to on their label, but then change it to another address while in-transit. Then you can't prove delivery to where it says on the payment - and you lose.

[stuff4divas]

SCAM

[3eyedfishcatcher]

Also as this sounds like a scam and based off of the dollar value of 693 even if you ship using the label the buyer paid for at the time of purchase the buyer will most likely file a fraudulent return request or refund request in the long run you will probably lose the item and the money from the sale.  It may be better to just cancel the sale and add the buyer to your blocked list. 

How did you get this request? was it through eBay messages or through your personal email. When they do this scam  usually it is through a spoofed email. They use a dummy account to make the purchase. Then try to trick you into changing the label or upgrading the shipping service. Then as you made the changes your seller protection is gone and you lose any claim they file against you. Also when they do this they tend to use a spoof email into getting you to think the item had been sold and the payment was reviewed and cleared. You really should double check and pack sure payment was received if you do ship the item but as I said the sale is supposes and probable it would be best to cancel it asap.

You are a new seller with little to know feedback for selling scammers will target you especially if you are selling high priced items.

[lakefor94]

This is not my selling account. I am not a new seller. I just know to come here and ask when something out of the ordinary comes up;)

The buyer did not offer to send a label. They just provided their FedEx account number. 

The item is paid for, money received by MP, all communication has been through eBay. They sent the request for using their FedEx account as a "Buyer's Note" attached to the order. I can see the note when I look at the item in "Orders awaiting shipping". 

Buyer's note: Please ship via FedEx Priority One Overnight on account # xxxxxxxxxx.

This listing had free UPS Ground Shipping included in the price. 

[lakefor94]

I have a feeling that I need to provide a FedEx and UPS overnight option for them and ask if they want to cancel the order and re-purchase and pay for overnight shipping thru the listing.

It has been awhile since one of these deals has come up. I think that may have been the way that I dealt with it before.    Thoughts anyone? 

[3eyedfishcatcher · Accepted solution]

I would not use that account as you do not know whos account it is and if they are even authorized to use it or give others access to it.  If you go through with the sell I would let the buyer know you will have to ship the item using the shipping service they paid for. I would let them know if they really want a different shipping service you can cancel the sale and relist the item with the additional shipping service in the new listing. I would advice them such a service as overnight shipping will have a higher cost due at the time of purchase. Then if the buyer does not want to purchase again with the correct shipping service and you are comfortable with the sale ship the item out using the original shipping service the buyer paid for.

[no_zero369]

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@ra_201044 wrote:

Don't do it. You lose what little seller protection you have. It could be their employers account and they aren't allowed to use it.

Most likely, though, they would give you a different address to ship it to on their label, but then change it to another address while in-transit. Then you can't prove delivery to where it says on the payment - and you lose.

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@ra_201044 

OK, I'll bite on this one.

Seems the issue would be making certain that the buyer is authorized to use the FedEx account that was provided.  Yeah, that has a liability.

But as long as the seller ships to the address on the order, how does liability attach?  Where would they lose seller protection?

Also if the buyer changes the address while it is in transit, then they automatically lose MBG protections, no?

[ra_201044]

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@no_zero369 wrote:

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@ra_201044 wrote:

Don't do it. You lose what little seller protection you have. It could be their employers account and they aren't allowed to use it.

Most likely, though, they would give you a different address to ship it to on their label, but then change it to another address while in-transit. Then you can't prove delivery to where it says on the payment - and you lose.

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@ra_201044 

OK, I'll bite on this one.

Seems the issue would be making certain that the buyer is authorized to use the FedEx account that was provided.  Yeah, that has a liability.

But as long as the seller ships to the address on the order, how does liability attach?  Where would they lose seller protection?

Also if the buyer changes the address while it is in transit, then they automatically lose MBG protections, no?

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@no_zero369 

If the buyer paid and shipping is to 123 4th St, Anytown, AK, 88888 and the seller uses the buyers Fed Ex account, the buyer can then reroute the parcel to 456 7th St, Anothertown, OR, 99999. 

Then the delivery will NOT be to the address in the payment details. Buyer files INR, seller loses. Worse would be if the buyer isn't allowed to use the account - then that charge will be billed back to the seller - and Fed Ex First Overnight is EXPENSIVE!!!

[no_zero369]

@ra_201044 

If the buyer paid and shipping is to 123 4th St, Anytown, AK, 88888 and the seller uses the buyers Fed Ex account, the buyer can then reroute the parcel to 456 7th St, Anothertown, OR, 99999.

Then the delivery will NOT be to the address in the payment details. Buyer files INR, seller loses. Worse would be if the buyer isn't allowed to use the account - then that charge will be billed back to the seller - and Fed Ex First Overnight is EXPENSIVE!!!

OK, I think we see things a bit differently.  If the seller ships to the address on the order the seller is protected.

In your scenario, once a buyer gets in the middle of a transaction and redirects the package to a different address they immediately lose any protection under the MBG.  At least that is my understanding.

It is the same if I ship something by USPS or UPS and the buyer goes and files a package redirect.  No buyer can do that an keep the protections under the MBG.

I mean if that were true then I could steal thousands of dollars of stuff, just by redirecting packages.  I'll enter Aunt Millie in Seattle's address in all of my orders and once they show "shipped" file package redirects to me at my home and Viola!  File INR cases? And win because they weren't delivered to Aunt Millie's address?

Does what I am saying make sense?

[ra_201044]

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@no_zero369 wrote:

@ra_201044 

If the buyer paid and shipping is to 123 4th St, Anytown, AK, 88888 and the seller uses the buyers Fed Ex account, the buyer can then reroute the parcel to 456 7th St, Anothertown, OR, 99999.

Then the delivery will NOT be to the address in the payment details. Buyer files INR, seller loses. Worse would be if the buyer isn't allowed to use the account - then that charge will be billed back to the seller - and Fed Ex First Overnight is EXPENSIVE!!!

OK, I think we see things a bit differently.  If the seller ships to the address on the order the seller is protected.

In your scenario, once a buyer gets in the middle of a transaction and redirects the package to a different address they immediately lose any protection under the MBG.  At least that is my understanding.

It is the same if I ship something by USPS or UPS and the buyer goes and files a package redirect.  No buyer can do that an keep the protections under the MBG.

I mean if that were true then I could steal thousands of dollars of stuff, just by redirecting packages.  I'll enter Aunt Millie in Seattle's address in all of my orders and once they show "shipped" file package redirects to me at my home and Viola!  File INR cases? And win because they weren't delivered to Aunt Millie's address?

Does what I am saying make sense?

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@no_zero369 

Yep. Provided that YOU are the shipper of record - i.e. you gave the seller a UPS or Fed Ex number from an account you have access to. Then you can change the delivery address when in transit and when delivered, it's NOT the zip code that it was shipped to according to the payment(I'd say city, state, zip, but I doubt if ebay even takes it that far anymore).

Used to be also that even if USPS forwarded a package from an old address to a new address in a different zip code, the seller lost any protection. Not sure if that loophole was ever closed, but back then we advised sellers to write DO NOT FORWARD on the packages.

[no_zero369]

@ra_201044 

Well I guess you "can" make changes to the delivery with the shipper on your own shipping account.  I am sure the shipping company allows that.

But I would be interested to see where eBay allows that and keeps the MBG protections in place.  It just can't be.  So you are saying there is a HUGE loophole and way to steal thousands on eBay?

I think you are switching or mixing what you CAN do with the Shipper versus what eBay allows you to do and keep MBG protections.

[eburtonlab]

@no_zero369 

If the seller ships to the address on the order the seller is protected.

The seller is only protected if the seller has tracking that shows delivery to the zip code of the address provided with payment.

Since the buyer presumably controls the shipping account, the buyer can have the shipment redirected to another zip code, leaving the seller unprotected.

Normally the seller controls shipping, so such redirection is not possible from the buyer's end.

[no_zero369]

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@eburtonlab wrote:

@no_zero369 

If the seller ships to the address on the order the seller is protected.

The seller is only protected if the seller has tracking that shows delivery to the zip code of the address provided with payment.

Since the buyer presumably controls the shipping account, the buyer can have the shipment redirected to another zip code, leaving the seller unprotected.

Normally the seller controls shipping, so such redirection is not possible from the buyer's end.

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Ok now you got me curious on this.  I see what you are saying but it makes zero sense to this chair.
 
Yes, the seller is protected when tracking shows delivery to the address on the order.
 
But I don't understand how eBay policy would allow a buyer to change the destination and prevail in an INR case.  Makes no sense.  If that were the case, then there would be rampant fraud going on.
 
I mean per USPS guidance, the buyer CAN change or redirect a package now.  It has nothing to do with who has 'control" over the shipping account.  Who would ever sell here if the buyer could redirect a package and seller would lose an INR case because the tracking didn't match the address on the order?
 
I proffer that once the buyer changes the delivery location of the package they immediately lose MBG protection.
 
I'd sure like to see a statement from the Blues that says it is OK for a buyer to redirect a package and the seller would not prevail in an INR case.  Can you help me with that?   tyler@ebay 
 
Here is USPS statement on redirects.
 
USPS Package Intercept
For a fee, USPS Package Intercept® lets the sender or recipient stop delivery or redirect a package, letter, or flat that is not out for delivery or already delivered. Most domestic mailings with a tracking or extra services barcode are eligible for Package Intercept. You can only request a Package Intercept online.
 
 

[redmodelt]

You would have to be signed up at USPS and logged in to do a redirect, so USPS would have your home address on file to match the package that would be redirected. I don't think you could redirect random packages. Tracking should show the redirect. I would think other carriers would be the same.