02-11-2014 08:06 AM
By Kenneth Corbin
EcommerceBytes.com
February 11, 2014
Late last year, an eBay seller took to the social site Reddit to announce the discovery of a purported "scam and theft ring," whereby items bound for buyers overseas sent through the Global Shipping Program weren't making it past a processing facility in Kentucky, and were then resurfacing on another eBay store under nearly identical listings.
The seller claimed to have recently "lost a $500 item from eBay's Global Shipping Program," and then discovered the same item being resold by an eBay seller with the name (removed)
Suspecting theft, the seller dug up seven listings believed to have gone missing, only to resurface on the GSCP store.
As it turns out, eBay has a more benign explanation for the situation.
"On occasion, items are unable to be shipped internationally through the Global Shipping Program due primarily to size, but also to import/export restrictions," eBay spokesman Ryan Moore said.
"In the rare cases that an item cannot be shipped internationally, eBay will compensate the buyer through eBay's Buyer Protection policy, while the seller will keep their payment from the buyer if no fault is found," he explained.
For more: http://www.ecommercebytes.com/cab/abn/y14/m02/i11/s01
02-11-2014 02:41 PM
"In addition - and as outlined in the terms and conditions - participating sellers in the Global Shipping Program have given eBay and Pitney Bowes (eBay's global shipping and technology partner) the right to dispose of or liquidate parcels that are undeliverable.
And I wonder how many sellers are aware that they did agree to that?
Still. The buyer is not out any money. The seller is not out any money.
EBay is out some money but recoups it in part through consignment to the eBay seller named in the article.
Feels uncomfortable, but the seller's idea was to turn his stuff into cash and that part was successful.
Any idea who the seller really is and how he lucked into such a cushy consignment deal?
02-11-2014 02:45 PM
"Any idea who the seller really is"
No. At least not yet. I did some key word search through search engines but could not find anything relevant.