Ebay selling related terror

[Vetinari]

Soo I've sold a few things on evilbay before - nothing for megabucks, don't really expect bjd kind of cash for my paltry items. But frankly it's a way to clear space without Smother's hoarding getting too irrational.

Thus far everything's gone relatively smoothly, but I've just run into one of the reasons why the site is called EvilBay. My most recent sale is raising alarm bells. Especially galling about the terror of a possible negative feedback situation since it effectively went for charity shop money!

Slightly suspicious ebay message asking for item number on outside of the box. ...And there's the company name/purpose, which in no way was indicated by the ebay ID. They're a broker who sells to Japan, and go by the name Shop Airlines Europe B.V.

I'm not too bothered by the fact that they're a broker. However they're infamous for... Several weeks after the transaction giving neg feedback and demanding a full refund. Effectively pushing their international shipping liability onto the unawares seller at the other end who had thought they were selling to another human being rather than a middleman. Despite paypal rules stating that seller liability ends when the item arrives at the initial destination.

Any advice for preemptively covering my ass on this - given that ebay is somewhat infamous for siding with the buyer every time? I can't really back out of the sale since they've paid already, and I suspect cancelling the transaction at this point would result in automatically getting -ve feedback. (Tempted to send the item tracked despite the fact that they did not pay/ask for it. But then that would likely translate into negative money given UK shipping costs) I'm not even entirely sure how to contact evilbay to ask them - none of their online options seem to cover this sort of thing, and I dread the fed-up call centre worker.

However - despite all of the above hearsay, the Ebay ID in question somehow has 100% positive feedback. Sooo do as they ask and just document absolutely everything? Urgh I just hope my next batch of evilbay items doesn't attract another infamous buyer in disguise!

[maywong]

Maybe you can cancel the transaction, saying that the item was flawed or broke , or that you don't ship overseas and refund their money.
Then make sure you block them for future buys.

[SetsunaKou]

I'm so sorry----sometimes it IS a hassle to be a seller on eBay!

There's really no way to cover yourself, aside from tracking information and even then, on eBay, it has be INSURED and trackable! (With just tracking but no insurance, eBay STILL holds the seller responsible.) Are you able to utilize the Global Shipping Program?Is your buyer in the UK or another country? Or is that program not an option in the UK? That gives you insurance and tracking once it reaches the eBay shipping hub. You just have to get it safely to that hub point. Once it reaches there, eBay then takes care of getting it to your buyer.

On another point, I have had buyers request to put the item # on the outside package and it worked out fine, (no problems), but these buyers also didn't have the reputation your buyer has. I'm so sorry!! :hugs to a fellow eBay seller in a dilemma:

[Vetinari]

Thanks guys - I've decided to use this sale as a test of them as a buyer, since it's very much loose change money we're talking about and it's a damned if you do damned if you don't situation!

Yeah I looked at insured/tracked - but it really would end up costing more than the item, and the seller didn't pay for/ask for it. Urgh the whole thing is irritatingly dodgy, basically I'm shipping to a UK address. And if I hadn't googled them I'd be unaware that they're a broker.

Their website claims that they'll check the item meets their QC and then ship it to the person who bought it on the other end. Seems they tend to hold you responsible for their international shipping. But I didn't agree to this set up at all.

Fingers crossed their eBay feedback page is the thing that holds true rather than their less than stellar reputation.

[kenaiqueen]

Fingers crossed for you! I've been on ebay as buyer and seller for years with only a few problems, one that resulted in a very unfair neg feedback for me but that was years before their current rules about requiring sellers be 100% on their feedback. Sometimes it just turns out to be a costly learning experience tho.

I always make them pay for all shipping costs including tracking and insurance. Period. Just make sure in your next sale, post rules about returns and shipping because once you post that, they are agreeing to your rules if they bid. Giving them 14 days to return for full refund minus shipping is pretty standard.

[Vetinari]

Well... several months later and they +ve feedbacked me (finally... It's been 2 months!) gods looks like it arrived safely in Japan and the buyer was happy with it - but yep somewhat terribly they're blocked from further buying from my account, I'm happy to use the global shipping scheme - but I'm not happy with the level of stress that that particular unnanounced broker induced.

[Kirahfaye]

I do not ship internationally on Ebay. I have my account set to block anyone outside the US or Canada from bidding. For me, Ebay selling is stressful as it is - adding the uncertainty of international shipping is more than I want to handle.

I'm glad it turned out okay for you!

[Kae915]

I can't even get ebay to show the correct postage amount in the US so I also don't sell international on ebay to avoid any more issues and inconveniences xP Sorry for your experience. It sucks some people are like that.