eBay

handmadefun · ‎10-18-2008

Hi everyone, I have a Russian customer contacts me ask if I can mail item by DHL/UPS. I tell him that it will be very expensive to mail with DHL/UPS. Then he ask my phone number, saying that he can provide a shipping label for me to ship item to Russia. He has not bid the item yet.

Did anyone has an experience of using buyer provide shipping label to ship item? I'm not familiar with DHL/UPS so I was wondering how does it works.

I wonder why he can't tell me how to do it by ebay message.

Thank you so much for your help.

recped · ‎10-18-2008

Two situation which come up....

1 - you are asked to use the recipients DHL/UPS/FedEX account number.

This is a bad move, the account number is usually "borrowed"

2 - you are provided a prepaid shipping label

This is usually ok, the recipient is the on the hook

If you have concerns check with the shipping company when you get the label, they can tell you if it's legit.

Companies like DHL/UPS offer HUGE discounts to their big customers, if your buyer has access to these discounts the shipping costs may not be anywhere near as high as the retail counter rates.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

lina-mallows · ‎10-19-2008

Sounds like a scam to me.
Why are people so desperate for a sale, common sense is being thrown out the window?

Try this test question- Is there anything that you are selling, that is so unique, or unavailable, that a buyer in Russia, would be wanting to purchase from you?
If the item is readily available elsewhere- why is this buyer trying to purchase from you?

If the item they wish to purchase is commonly available, and available much closer to home- why ship from Canada?
This sounds like a scam.

gifts_of_elegance · ‎10-20-2008

Sounds like a scam. I have shipped with UPS and DHL where the shipping cost was charged to the purchaser. He simply gave me his account number.

recped · ‎10-20-2008

I have shipped with UPS and DHL where the shipping cost was charged to the purchaser. He simply gave me his account number.

That's very risky, if a stolen/borrowed account number is used YOU will be charged later when UPS/DHL find out.

A prepaid shipping label on the other hand is different and MUCH safer.

"What else could I do? I had no trade so I became a peddler" - Lazarus Greenberg 1915
- answering Trolls is voluntary, my policy is not to participate.

handmadefun · ‎10-23-2008

Thanks for everyone's help.
A little update:

I decided to block this buyer yesterday. Today I received a message from ebay called "MC139 NOTICE: eBay Communication Partner Warning". The following is the content of the message:

Our records show that you recently received an email from (buyer's id) through the Ask Seller a Question or Contact eBay Member features. This email may be fraudulent and an attempt to do one of the following:

- Obtain your eBay password
- Gain access to your eBay account
- Use your eBay account for fraudulent activity
- Set up an outside-of-eBay transaction which may be fraudulent

This kind of email is often called a "phish" or "phishing attempt," and the people who send them are known as "phishers." Phishers use these methods to try to get your personal information, such as user names, passwords and credit card details. Because the emails may sometimes come through the eBay system, the phisher may seem to be trustworthy and have a good reason to contact you.

Don't really know what is happening...