Scam or innocent (E-Bay)

MatBin

MatBin

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matt
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I sold an item on E-Bay yesterday for 11-50 plus postage (UK 3-90), buyer won it and paid full price 15-40 (as expected, less fees). Went to go through the process, creating label etc and was given an address in UK (Litchfield). Boxed up item, checked PayPal all looked fine. Sent a mail/message to buyer to say posting tomorrow (today - Monday) to Litchfield. Buyer came back with address should be in Eire, so I replied that postage cost was for UK only (as stated in listing).
At this point it all starts to fall apart. They are insisting they have paid extra for Eire postage, no sign of it in my PayPal account, replied accordingly, said I was happy to post to Eire but needed extra for postage (as stated in listing), checked RM, about £12 or £8 untracked small parcel. Told buyer the costs, which did he want me to use.
Came back again very abruptly stating they had already paid for extra postage (an amount I hadn't mentioned, so no idea where his figure came from).
Now getting all stroppy demanding I post item or negative feedback will be left, add a few insults to the effect I as going against auction rules, if so poor he'd pay a bit more etc. I replied I just wanted it done correctly i.e. pay the extra postage and all will be fine.
TBH I wish I'd just given it to a charity shop or advertised it here (Mamiya 645 auto extension tubes - 2 off).

I have asked him to check his bank account because if the money has gone out of his account I haven't received it. He also said he'd send me £5 if I'm that skint by letter post as he has no other way of paying me, PayPal Gift? If he cant pay me the extra by PayPal/E-bay how did he pay the extra postage costs? Why does he have an e-by registered address in Litchfield but want it posted to Eire (which was the address that came up when I looked further into it, but the "create label" was going to give an address of Litchfield not Eire). All seems very odd.
Havent heard back since just past midnight when he was going off on one.

Is this going to be a scam of some sort and he's after my details, to be fair he seems to have a good rep to this point so I'm a bit surprised it's going belly up.
 
I would just cancel the transaction and see what happens, also keep all emails and messages in the paypal, ebay system.
 
He's saying I cant cancel, tbh I'd like to resolve it and send the item, that's what I would want as the buyer, but the way it's going I can see I may have to cancel (if I can).
Cheers.
 
cambsno said:
Scam - Never post to an alternative address
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This.

Never post to an address that is not on the PayPal receipt. But, its such a small amount, I just don't see it being a scam, other than he's trying to avoid paying the extra postage. Just place a request to cancel and when he refuses speak to eBay/PayPal.
 
I had this - selling a SCART lead for a games console. I was only selling it because it was still in the packaging but was a bit too niche to give to a charity shop. I wanted it used not binned and didn't expect to see what I'd paid for it back.
Person cheerfully put a full Ireland address with UNITED KINGDOM on the last line to get around the UK only listing :(
I contacted them and told them they could have it but would have to pay the postage - they countered with "just put UK postage on it and it will arrive fine, I do it all the time". I refused as when it didn't arrive they'd be giving me negative feedback.
I cancelled the sale and there were no issues after that.

May not be a scam on you but certainly not someone I would deal with at all - if the PayPal is in the UK then that's where it should go.
Keep everything recorded in case it blows up later.
 
As you have been given a Lichfield address to post to, the item has probably been sold under EBay’s 'Global Shipping Programme' where you pay postage to the Lichfield address and EBay charge your customer the international portion, usually at a 'premium' rate. EBay’s UK GSP depot's postcode is WS13 8UR.

My guess is your customer (and yourself) hasn’t realised this shipping charge will be added on without your (the seller) being privy to the amount charged.

I have come across this many times before as half the stuff I sell goes abroad via the GSP programm. Some customers find it a bit expensive although it is a good service imo.

If you look back over your listing you may find you have inadvertently ticked the ‘International postage (GSP)' box which might explain it.
 
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What he said^^^^^
You ship to a UK address and then eBay forward it to the buyer outside of the eu.
it should be obvious if this is the case as the address isn’t a usual house type address but a forwarding agency with a reference code in it usually.
 
whoa there fella is the lichfield address marked GSP as thats the address for e/bays global shipping program ... did you list it for international sale .. I sell loads via GSP as in cartus post above thats correct you just post to them they do the rest for you . but you MUST attach that label to the goods
 
Contact Ebay, they will be able to clarify the postage / GSP situation. Check the postcode out on Google maps street view, is it industrial or commercial properties shown?
Just keep the buyer in the loop with all your actions and then they have no reason to give you bad feedback. If it we're them selling would they just dip their hand into their own pocket to cover the extra postage?
 
Cartus said:
As you have been given a Lichfield address to post to, the item has probably been sold under EBay’s 'Global Shipping Programme' where you pay postage to the Lichfield address and EBay charge your customer the international portion, usually at a 'premium' rate. EBay’s UK GSP depot's postcode is WS13 8UR.

My guess is your customer (and yourself) hasn’t realised this shipping charge will be added on without your (the seller) being privy to the amount charged.

I have come across this many times before as half the stuff I sell goes abroad via the GSP programm. Some customers find it a bit expensive although it is a good service imo.

If you look back over your listing you may find you have inadvertently ticked the ‘International postage (GSP)' box which might explain it.
Click to expand...

I believe this probably what has happened, seems to make sense.
Neither of us aware that I post to LIchfield and then it's sent on to the buyer.
What a ridiculous way to do things given it's not exactly clear. There was some old guff about printing labels and such like, again wasn't exactly clear.
Anyway I have refunded the purchase price, he's gone off the deep end and sent me 19 mails ranting on about me trying to con him, so it's not ending too well at present, and all for £11-50!!!

Maybe I'll get back in touch with the buyer.

Thanks.
 
Having refunded him what he paid me and cancelled the transaction I assume Ebay will refund his postage so he wont be out of pocket.
Now he's asking me to post the items to him and he'll pay when he gets them.
Like I'm going to do that.
Last time I sell anything to anyone outside of the UK via E-Bay.
 
To be fair, you can’t blame the buyer. You should take the time to familiarise yourself with eBay more.
The buyer did pay extra postage and then in his eyes you tried to fleece him for even more.

There are quite a few clues that this was a gsp sale, and it will tell you several times in your account that this is the case. Quite likely in the email you got from the payment it will mention it, and probably in the sales email before the payment. Not to mention the postage address likely says it too. You must have also ticked the gsp box when making the Listing.

This is what happens when people don’t properly read things and just rush through.
 
TCR4x4 said:
To be fair, you can’t blame the buyer. You should take the time to familiarise yourself with eBay more.
The buyer did pay extra postage and then in his eyes you tried to fleece him for even more.

There are quite a few clues that this was a gsp sale, and it will tell you several times in your account that this is the case. Quite likely in the email you got from the payment it will mention it, and probably in the sales email before the payment. Not to mention the postage address likely says it too. You must have also ticked the gsp box when making the Listing.

This is what happens when people don’t properly read things and just rush through.
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I tried at all times to tell him I wasn't trying it on. I suggested once this came to light we start again afresh but he wouldn't hear of it.
I had/have no idea what a gap sale is, I believe I am quite computer savvy so it was clearly not obvious what was required. I believe (now) the listing includes Gsp by default, which isn't clear at all.
There was some old guff about opening a RM account etc, again not clear, when I tried to print postage label.
The only thing that was in the email was the despatch address in Litchfield but no mention why.
 
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Sorry Matt but it’s 100% your fault once you list it internationally it should go via the GSP .. re list the item and be aware of it , with the pound at a all time low foreign buyers are watching our stuff more and more , I posted a lens off this morning via Lichfield going to France
 
the black fox said:
Sorry Matt but it’s 100% your fault once you list it internationally it should go via the GSP .. re list the item and be aware of it , with the pound at a all time low foreign buyers are watching our stuff more and more , I posted a lens off this morning via Lichfield going to France
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I was quite happy to let the guy pay again, with the option of gifting me the postal cost difference between UK and eire and post direct. Neither of us realised what was going on and after having it pointed out on here I tried to explain to him what had happened. I would be happy for it go via Gsp now I understand and apologised accordingly. But he wants none of it and has black balled me, I can live with his one out of a total of 250 transactions. Neither of us knew about Gsp.
The item will either go in here or the charity shop once eBay/PayPal have had their say.
 
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