Buying and Selling on eBay: Tips, Tricks, Problems & Questions

[dadjeans]

the forwarding company address is your eBay shipping address yes?

how is it that you have anything to do with custom forms anyways?

I think @othertravel is up here in Canada so he would still have to fill out a declaration to get it to the forwarding company in NYC. The forwarding company will likely copy his original declaration when they send it along.

As for the original question, I would put the ball back in his court and tell the buyer that you can't lower the price on the forms (because it's fraud, but you can tell him it's for insurance so that he can get a full refund if it goes missing) but you'll understand if he needs to cancel the sale.

Whether you cancel it preemptively or not, you shouldn't be stuck paying a penalty. If you do ship it, he can't refuse it and claim INR since you'll have tracking showing delivery to the forwarding company. He could, however, open up some BS SNAD case after he gets it or do something else to make your life miserable if he really wants to.

 

[HansderHund]

Like @dadjeans said, you can just let him know that you cannot lower it due to insurance. In the message, you can let him know that shipments will be made in X hours (24?) unless he would like to cancel, which you’d be happy to do. Likewise, you could just ship it and ignore his request. He knows the system, so he knows you’re not allowed to do it. If the forwarding company refuses delivery and it’s returned to you at your expense, you can withhold that amount in the return, assuming tracking shows this.

Should you run into any problems, give a call to ebay and point out the fact that he wanted you to reduce the value and that led to the refusal.

I get these requests every so often from non-EU countries and always explain that I can’t do it due to insurance. Some countries have an incredibly low threshold for gift value anyway that it makes it a moot point.

Funny enough, I’ve had people ask me to do this from other EU countries. Apparently, they have no idea that Austria is a full EU member state.

 

[othertravel]

Apparently, they have no idea that Austria is a full EU member state.

For now...

But in all seriousness, thanks for the advice. Wrote buyer a note about the insurance issue and gave him option for a refund.

 

[Fueco]

Question for anyone else who has encountered this scenario.

I just had an order from the US Virgin Islands.

When I created the label, I got a message stating that I might need a customs form. The system then generated the usual form for creating a customs form, but when I paid for the shipping, I got a normal US Priority Mail label, with no customs form. I'm all good, right? I've never sent a package to USVI before.

 

[Shoeluv]

Question for anyone else who has encountered this scenario.

I just had an order from the US Virgin Islands.

When I created the label, I got a message stating that I might need a customs form. The system then generated the usual form for creating a customs form, but when I paid for the shipping, I got a normal US Priority Mail label, with no customs form. I'm all good, right? I've never sent a package to USVI before.

No customs form required from US to US VI. US VI into the US does require a customs form.

 

[HansderHund]

For now...

But in all seriousness, thanks for the advice. Wrote buyer a note about the insurance issue and gave him option for a refund.

Ha, we’ll see, but Austria’s a pretty small country. I have a piggy bank filled Groschen and Schilling just in case.

My pleasure, good luck with a hassle-free sale.

 

[drlivingston]

Question for anyone else who has encountered this scenario.

I just had an order from the US Virgin Islands.

When I created the label, I got a message stating that I might need a customs form. The system then generated the usual form for creating a customs form, but when I paid for the shipping, I got a normal US Priority Mail label, with no customs form. I'm all good, right? I've never sent a package to USVI before.

Nah, you're in the clear. I have a few repeat customers in the USVI. The USPS gets stuff to them faster than I can get something to south Alabama. Damn rural state...

 

[Sartoriamo]

Why, yes. Yes I can! I was born yesterday and don’t care about protecting myself on a $1300 transaction. People these days.
View attachment 924328
But the message at bottom of the reply section (as I told him no) kind of chaps me. So if I were trying to exchange contact info it “may trigger fees”? Not sure how FeeBay can enforce that...

View attachment 924329

LOL. I'm happy to hear it's just not me. I had never seen that message until a guy who lives in a nearby town asked me if he could stop by and pick up a couple of suits I had listed. I said "sure", but before he arrived he withdrew his bids and then handed me cash when he got here. I thought nothing of it at the time, other than I needed to get the darn listings down so no-one else hit the BIN. Bad idea. As soon as those two listings came down, I started seeing that message appear. It wouldn't surprise me at all if they had quite a large staff dedicated to preventing off-platform transactions, given that those stiff fees provoke efforts to circumvent . . .

The new twist appears to be the threat of them collecting fees on anything they believe was sold off platform. Haven't seen that before, but it fits with the general philosophy of "maximizing shareholder value" . . .

 

[carreragt7]

Same item, different issue.
Sold, paid for, shipped, delivered. The item/listing was removed without notice to me after it had ended and I’d already shipped the item.
Alarmed, I contacted Ebay to see what was going on. Basically sounds like an account was hacked. But I supposedly get to keep my money since the item was delivered, according to both Ebay and PayPal I don’t have anything to worry about.
We’ll see.

 

[Spruce Moose]

I'm pretty sure that Ebay puts that there mostly to scare people. I would assume that some keyword in his reply triggered the response. I would be surprised if Ebay actually has someone looking at the messages that trigger the response.

That said, I would certainly not send something FC to Bulgaria...

It's an automated system that is certainly flawed. Myself and a seller got an official warning from eBay for attempting to buy something out of eBay except it was just me asking the guy if he would add a BIN and I could pay with PayPal right away. The seller agreed, cancelled the listing and relisted and I bought it.

I called eBay and complained and they apologised and said they removed the warning but who actually knows as I never got an email back.

 

[othertravel]

Hey guys,

Just an update on my question above. I'm going to cancel, refund, and relist. How do I refund through the ebay dashboard?

Or do I do it through paypal?

 

[drlivingston]

Hey guys,

Just an update on my question above. I'm going to cancel, refund, and relist. How do I refund through the ebay dashboard?

Or do I do it through paypal?

Through PayPal.

 

[ace13x]

Heads up if anyone is thinking about switching over to the Dymo label printer. I have a coupon for $25 off an order above $75 at Staples. Would take this down to just a little over $100. Let me know if you want the code.

https://www.staples.com/dymo-labelwriter-450-turbo-label-printer/product_796630

(This could also be used if someone wants to buy a shitload of tape or bubble wrap or other shipping supplies.)

Funny you should post this. I ran out of ink last night and had to run out to staples to get some. F'ing $30 plus tax. I was just about to search the thread gor which Dymo model was the preferred amongst you all. I'll snag that coupon if its still available.

 

[SpecialK2k12]

****, I should have bought a DSLR years ago, this D3400 shoots better out of the box than anything else I've ever used. Good thing I have a 4 day weekend coming up here, time to reshoot everything.

 

[My Main Man]

Funny you should post this. I ran out of ink last night and had to run out to staples to get some. F'ing $30 plus tax. I was just about to search the thread gor which Dymo model was the preferred amongst you all. I'll snag that coupon if its still available.

Ah shoot, I already gave the code out.

@c21ban if you don't use it, could you send it over to ace?