WARNING - SCAMMER - Shipping Address

[marlgatli0]

Recently sold an iPhone and as I always do, I reviewed the feedback (which several were duplicates from different sellers -  1st red flag).  Then I goggled the shipping address to verify that it is legitment.  The address showed as a warehouse and several comments came up from the eBay Community regarding the same address (only with a different unit numbers).   

The buyer did pay for the order and the address that was verified with Pay Pay was the warehouse address as well and that threw me off.  So,  I reached out to eBay and was instructed to cancel the order and block the buyer.  They are also investigating the buyer as well.  

[jameshen1]

That address is most likely a freight forwarder and you would have been perfectly fine sending this order.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@marlgatli0 wrote:

... The address showed as a warehouse and several comments came up from the eBay Community regarding the same address (only with a different unit numbers).   

The buyer did pay for the order and the address that was verified with Pay Pay was the warehouse address as well and that threw me off.  So,  I reached out to eBay and was instructed to cancel the order and block the buyer. ...

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That's a freight forwarder, used by overseas buyers so they can purchase from sellers who don't ship outside the US, and IIRC they can also save on shipping costs even from sellers who would have shipped directly to them.

Like any other group there are mostly honest buyers and a few scammers, who in this case have cast a shadow over the whole forwarding enterprise.  As noted in the other post, you probably would have been OK: most forwarder transactions go smoothly. I think you got bad advice from eBay customer support, which is not unusual.

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@marlgatli0 wrote: ... I reviewed the feedback (which several were duplicates from different sellers -  1st red flag).  ...

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This is not a red flag.  eBay allows sellers to automatically leave a feedback comment when the buyer pays for the item.  This automated feedback system has a short list of about 5 pre-set comments, so there are plenty of duplicate comments, especially when buyers purchase from the larger sellers who are more likely to set up automatic feedback and use the default comments.

[soh.maryl]

So you didn't know that was the address of a freight forwarder? And eBay told you to cancel and block?

Weird.

[mr_lincoln]

Hi @marlgatli0 

As mentioned by @nobody*s_perfect  and @jameshen1  that is a forwarding company that most likely serves the UK and other regions east of the US ... I have shipped to those type addresses here on the east coast as well as several on the west coast for years and the only issue I have had is one that happened recently, briefly described as follows:

-A customer from Panama used a forwarding company in Miami and USPS failed to scan the package delivered to the forwarding company.

-Customer filed an INR claim

-I uploaded tracking to the claim and immediately filed a Missing Mail piece since tracking was stuck with no updates for several days

-On day 3 of the claim and at the suggestion of another member I called the forwarding company.  They confirmed they had receive the package, shipped it to the customer and that is was showing delivered on their end.

-I messaged the customer letting them know their forwarding company (and I used their company name) confirmed the package was delivered and asked that they close the INR claim.  Fortunately, they did that for me, otherwise I was at risk for losing the $ 210 deal.

-Below is a thread on that transaction.

-When I checked Monday of this week eBay and USPS still had not updated tracking.

Re: Shipping delays in Florida? - The eBay Community

[monica-sells]

"...So,  I reached out to eBay and was instructed to cancel the order and block the buyer..."

If you used chat, can you post the transcript of this terribly erroneous advice.....

Cancelling orders will eventually get you in ebay jail.......

or has ebay instructed their reps to "discourage" using freight forwarding?

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@monica-sells wrote:

"...So,  I reached out to eBay and was instructed to cancel the order and block the buyer..."

... has ebay instructed their reps to "discourage" using freight forwarding?

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The customer service reps are so under-trained, I suspect that in this case the response was based on the OP's premise of  "What should I do if my buyer is a scammer" rather than looking deeper and starting at the "using a forwarding service" issue.

[marlgatli0]

This is so confusing to me.  This is also the most expensive item i have sold on ebay. I will be the first to admit that  my lack of knowledge is not in my favor.  

Why are the feedback comments exactly the same yet the sellers are different?  

[mr_lincoln]

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@marlgatli0 wrote:

This is so confusing to me.  This is also the most expensive item i have sold on ebay. I will be the first to admit that  my lack of knowledge is not in my favor.  

Why are the feedback comments exactly the same yet the sellers are different?  

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@marlgatli0 

I checked your Sold file and you have sold the same Apple IPhone three times, all today August 22 ... one was done via an Offer.  The other two show the list price was paid.  How many of those phones do you have?  

It would be great if you can provide more detail on those three transactions ...

If they are all the same phone and you keep cancelling the sales eBay will restrict your account, possibly permanently. 

[nobody*s_perfect]

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@marlgatli0 wrote: ... Why are the feedback comments exactly the same yet the sellers are different?  

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Because the sellers are using an eBay option which automatically leaves feedback when  buyer pays for an item. Those feedback comments were written by eBay, not by the sellers.  eBay has only a short list of 4 or 5 different comments so those show up over and over again in the feedback left by sellers who use the automatic option. Here's the Help page about it.

https://www.ebay.com/help/selling/leaving-feedback-buyers/automatic-feedback-settings?id=4101

[gaar_1764]

Yes, address going to strip mall and without a door number.  

[a_c_green]

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@gaar_1764 wrote:

Yes, address going to strip mall and without a door number.  

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You're piggybacking on a different thread from months ago. Can you give us a bit more detail on what you are asking us? A strip mall address may not need a door number if the company name is listed instead.