eBay

gurlcat · ‎04-08-2024

This is from an auction winner. If I understand right they want me to cancel their order and relist the item as a BIN. The are in China but their account is a decade old and they have 795 positive feedbacks including 6 in the past month, so I'm not thinking this is any kind of scam setup. Well unless by "open a new link" they are talking about an off-eBay purchase, but I don't think so.

Am I being naive? It is strange that they say the amount breakdown "changed" -is there any reason eBay would do that on the buyer's invoice? If you think this is a safe and straightforward request, how should I price the BIN? -As you can see I didn't actually charge them $49 for shipping, so I assume they're seeing overseas stuff included in their shipping cost. Goodness sake, now I realize I don't even know if this is an EIS purchase or if they're talking about the quote given to them by a freight forwarder. I probably need to ask them a question or two, but I'm not even sure 'what' questions to ask them. I just know they seem like a good buyer and I really don't want to start this auction all over again!

The email:
"Hello, I'm sorry for the delay in payment for a few days. Due to customs clearance issues with previous packages, I would like to ask for your assistance. The original total price was 187.5+49.1=236.6 (total price), but now it has been changed to 125.5+111.1=236.6 (total price). The total price remains unchanged. However, due to the price exceeding the requirements during Chinese customs clearance, you can cancel the order and open a new link. I will purchase again at the bidding price. I hope to receive your understanding and assistance."

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reallynicestamps · ‎04-09-2024

If the customer is willing to cheat customs they are also willing to cheat you.

Cancel as requested.

Block dishonest buyer.

Relist.

dbfolks166mt · ‎04-09-2024

If the customer is willing to cheat customs they are also willing to cheat you.

Cancel as requested.

Block dishonest buyer.

Relist.

If it goes through EIS not really the sellers issue if there are problems it's eBay's to deal with.

sextons-sweet-deals · ‎04-09-2024

Come on! It's China!

You know better. You have been here for years.

If you're willing to ship international, then you need to use eBay international service to be protected.

reallynicestamps · ‎04-09-2024

@dbfolks166mt

Maya Angelou - "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

Why deal in any way with a crook?

dbfolks166mt · ‎04-09-2024

@dbfolks166mt

Maya Angelou - "When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time."

Why deal in any way with a crook?

Generally I would agree but at least they are showing you up front what they are attempting to do. The buyer is in China so it's the Chinese government he is cheating out of the taxes and import fees. EBay doesn't seem to care about scammers and thieves so why should anyone else. Given some of the crap China is pulling with all the counterfeit items, who's production is likely backed by the government, more power to the buyer.

It's like all the sellers who have never reported their income from eBay and are now screaming about the pending 1099-K issuance changes at the federal level. Several states, of course, have already changed.

gurlcat · ‎04-09-2024

So after a few more weird emails last night, and the fact that the "private listing for ____" BIN listing was drawing lots of views and making me nervous, I ended it and went to bed. When I woke up I found that the auction order was paid for, with the shipping having a non-EIS address.

So, sounds like a FF, the only thing is it's in North Carolina on the East Coast, not the West Coast as is normally the case for Asian FF's. This kind of makes me wonder if the package is actually going to Russia. I have heard that there are Russian buyers working around their accounts being blocked by eBay, by having Chinese buyers make purchases for them, then U.S. FF's shipping to them. Incidentally my 2 most frequent non-domestic buyers have always been Chinese and Russian (they're both crazy for vintage jewelry I guess), and I can recall at least one instance since the war started where my buyer was Chinese but the shipping was for a Russian name and an East Coast address.

Anyway, a lot of yall are going to wince, but I'm shipping this puppy! I agree 100% with Dr. Angelou, and what Chinese and Russian buyers have shown me is they are far less trouble than Americans (particularly American women, if I'm being fully honest). I can't recall a single problem with any Chinese or Russian buyer ...... now, Chinese SELLERS, whole other story.

Anyway, if this does go sideways somehow, I promise I will update and accept the deserved "I told you so"s.

ryanrobyn · ‎04-09-2024

If you do this make it as "make an offer" (price it higher and then tell him what price you will accept) and make the shipping flat rate and not calculated

gurlcat · ‎04-09-2024

Too late, see other replies.

dbfolks166mt · ‎04-09-2024

So after a few more weird emails last night, and the fact that the "private listing for ____" BIN listing was drawing lots of views and making me nervous, I ended it and went to bed. When I woke up I found that the auction order was paid for, with the shipping having a non-EIS address.

So, sounds like a FF, the only thing is it's in North Carolina on the East Coast, not the West Coast as is normally the case for Asian FF's. This kind of makes me wonder if the package is actually going to Russia. I have heard that there are Russian buyers working around their accounts being blocked by eBay, by having Chinese buyers make purchases for them, then U.S. FF's shipping to them. Incidentally my 2 most frequent non-domestic buyers have always been Chinese and Russian (they're both crazy for vintage jewelry I guess), and I can recall at least one instance since the war started where my buyer was Chinese but the shipping was for a Russian name and an East Coast address.

Quite possible the buyer is from/in Russia. Package could be going to friend or family or to US FF. To the best of my knowledge eBay like a lot of other companies blocked buyers based on their shipping address not their registered address. Even if they had done so based on the buyers registered address there are easy ways around either situation.

It is pretty well known that Chinese business entrepreneurs setup Chinese based FF companies inside China where purchased items are shipped to from all over the world. Items are received in China and then quickly shipped to the sanctioned country buyers such as those in Russia and North Korea. China pretty much ignores the sanctions put in place by lot of countries over the war in Ukraine. The process also works quite well in reverse for sellers shipping items out of Russia.

Anyway, a lot of yall are going to wince, but I'm shipping this puppy! I agree 100% with Dr. Angelou, and what Chinese and Russian buyers have shown me is they are far less trouble than Americans (particularly American women, if I'm being fully honest). I can't recall a single problem with any Chinese or Russian buyer ...... now, Chinese SELLERS, whole other story.

Anyway, if this does go sideways somehow, I promise I will update and accept the deserved "I told you so"s.

a_c_green · ‎04-10-2024

@gurlcat wrote:
Anyway, a lot of yall are going to wince, but I'm shipping this puppy! I agree 100% with Dr. Angelou, and what Chinese and Russian buyers have shown me is they are far less trouble than Americans (particularly American women, if I'm being fully honest). I can't recall a single problem with any Chinese or Russian buyer ...... now, Chinese SELLERS, whole other story.

To a North Carolina address? You'll be fine. It doesn't matter if the buyer wants to fudge the paperwork with whoever is receiving it in NC, because your delivery obligation is fulfilled as soon as tracking shows a Delivered status to the City and ZIP of the Ship To: address you received with the payment.

If they try to file a Not As Described claim later on for some reason, they will need to return the items to NC first, since that's where your Return label will originate from.

gurlcat · ‎04-10-2024

Yup, that's my thoughts too. Not to say some nonsense is out of the question; there are scams involving returns via FF's, and of course card chargebacks are always a potential threat. But I follow policies for maximum seller protections, and (to reiterate what I said from the start) this buyer DOES have a great record. I think they were just trying to get me to help them game the system a little bit, but that doesn't mean they'll game me instead, and I don't have the achilles' heels that some sellers have so gaming me isn't so easy.

reallynicestamps · ‎04-10-2024

Ummm - does no one remember who built those railroads that opened the West?

There are many native born Americans (and Canadians) whose ancestry is not Europe.

And it is currently fashionable for third or fourth generation Americans to use their "ethnic" name rather than anglicizing it.

That being said.

If you google the address and it appears to be a freight forwarder, you know that you have the second safest address possible.

No INR, because delivery to the FF is delivered.

No NAD, because you only have to supply the return shipping label to the FF address. And if unused the RSL is refundable.

And no porch pirates.

We are still vulnerable to chargebacks, but that's true of shipping to a suburban home too.

gurlcat · ‎04-10-2024

To be clear, the buyer's account says they are in China and in their emails they did talk about customs practices in China. But anyway yeah if they're using a FF, I'm not skerred at all!