New Paypal Scam to watch for

[avionsunantiques]

After selling on Ebay for many years, I thought I'd experienced every buyer scam via Paypal that existed.

I was wrong, there is a new one, which I was just hit with.

It was used on my two items 290560893673 (US $2850) and 380336207148 (US$1525).

The buyer was in China.

The buyer wins the auction as usual.  The buyer then asks for a lower combined shipping total.   As the items are high value, and fragile porcelain vases, I think its safest to ship individually, but I agree to charge a lower combined mail shipping price.  ie, I pay about $150 of the shipping cost myself.

I send the buyer two individual invocies.   The buyer pays with one Paypal Payment.

The buyer asks me to declare for just $10, and states that the package will not be accepted if it is declared for more (does this via Ebay's message system).

I reply that the insured value can not exceed the declared value.

I think about it for a while, then decide there is no way I can ship $4375 worth of vases with just $10 each in insurance.

The items were sent by Canadapost Express post to be sure they will be tracked, and signed for on delivery.  The maximum available insurance per package is $1000, so I insure each package for that amount.

The buyer asks me to ship to an address which is a bit different than the address provided by Paypal.

I contact the buyer and tell her that I must ship to the address provided by Paypal - she accepts this, saying that the address difference is just home vs work.

I ship to the address provided by Paypal, by online trackable mail, with a signature on receipt - as per Paypal's seller protection rules.  I figure I'm covered by paypal - I've followed their rules to the letter.

The two packages go out on May 17.

On May 27, I get an item not received complaint from Paypal.

At first, I assume the buyer is just wondering where there packages are.   So I track the packages, and find the following (last 3 entries).

[pierrelebel]

"why would they have to pay taxes on items that originated from that country?"

I will let the British Parliament pass the laws governing residents of Britain.

In Canada, the tax laws are passed by the Canadian Parliament.  We may not agree with them but need to obey them.  Used goods are taxable in most instances.  That's the way it is.

When a Canadian purchases a used car for example, he still needs to pay consumption taxes (GST/HST/PST) although the car had been taxed originally.  Is it fair?  It is not a question of tax fairness.  The law requires the tax be paid.  Period.

Let's look at some of the logistics.

Let's say you buy a new car for $25,000 and trade-in your old car for $10,000.  When preparing the sales contract, the car dealer will substract $10,000 (old car) from $25,000 (new car) so the consumption taxes (GST/HST/PST) are only paid on the difference.  So that $10,000 used car on the lot does not really have any tax attached to it, does it?

[simplytclub]

I do obey them - this is why I collect and remit HST - which I lose alot of Canadian buyers.  I certainly do not agree with it on used items - however still abide by it.

Your example of the used car trade in - no taxes were passed as it was probably paid when the car was new.  Very complicated but if I feel that I can help a buyer - I will.  Because of the price of my items - the duties can be heavy and the price they pay is not necessarily correct value.

When I say - the buyers are honest - they are - they are generally telling me that they do not want to pay anything extra - that is honest.  Also, they always let me know when they have received it, which I really appreciate.

It's just difference in opinions which is neither right or wrong. 

[femmefan1946]

The simple fact is that when you purchase from an auction house - be it Ebay or Sotheby's or any other, you enter into a contract whereby you agree to purchase for the amount you have bid, and to reinburse any delivery charges paid by the auction hosue on your behalf.

EBay is not an auction house. And most listings on eBay are not auctions but Fixed Price.

I've once paid about $32 Duty on $25 tea cup because the seller insured it upto $200.  Paid it.

You could have reduced that by showing CBSA the eBay invoice with the correct amount you paid for it.

Your post describes some of the worst and dumbest business practices I have run across that were from an obviously honest seller, abeit one who decides on her own which laws she is willing to obey.