misrepresentation of item location

[bogus_jones]

misrepresentation of item location  is becoming more of a problem as sellers lie about the item location to get sales & higher selling prices.

I realize that ebay is allowing drop shipping operations now but were not back in around 2002 - 2006 when I was a seller but the buyer has a right to know the item is being shipped from the location & by the method the seller has described it in the listing.

As a buyer I buy mostly international Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Taiwan  mainly buying electronic & computer parts as I am a semi retired repair tech

The item location is important because it drastically effects the item price & shipping time.

If I buy an item from Hong Kong I can expect to pay about 1/3 more than buying the same item from China

however shipping time from HK by HK Post/Canada Post To Ontario is about 1.5 weeks to 2 weeks including weekends on average compared to 3 to 5 weeks from areas in China & Singapore.

So what I am finding now are more sellers are claiming their items are in HK & will be shipped HK post just to get a sale & higher price but once the item ships you find out the item was shipped out of China or Singapore & thus takes almost twice as long to arrive.

to me this is important because it effects the time lines I give to my customers for repairs.

eBay needs to take this kind of trickery seriously & make it mandatory that the shipping location be accurate as well as have the option for the buyer to decline the purchase if the seller cant ship from the location or by the shipping method stated in the listing.

sellers who fail to comply should have their accounts suspended if they continue  to offend

And shipping out an item by wrong shipping method should automatically allow the buyer the option to return the item to the seller for a full refund at the sellers expense for all shipping costs as many times I have had to go purchase a time sensitive item locally @ 4 times the price because something that was to go out EMS with an ETA of 14 days goes out China Post with a 30 to 40 day ETA then I am stuck with stock that I may never use.

My values are honest & simple If I make a mistake I make it right at my expense & I expect the same from all people in business if you cant do that then you are a scammer so GTF out of business.

Roger 

[reallynicestamps]

Having been around since 2001 (DH had was selling here even before that), I can assure you that eBay has always allowed dropshipping. There was even a seminar on it at an eBay University course I attended back in the Naughties. (They didn't advise it, but they did allow it.)

You can protect yourself against slow delivery by filng an Item Not Recieved dispute. Normally, I would allow 30 days for arrival from Asia, but since you are time-sensitive, you probably should be filing after Day 20.

As a businessman, your best bet is to put a note in your daybook, so that your personal deadline does not pass.

And of course note the name of the business. Although they change pretty fast and we don't have a Blocked Sellers list available to us.

If the item shows up on Day 21, you can end the Dispute. If it shows up after you have been refunded , you can either return it (surface and untracked, since the Dispute is over) or repay the refund from Paypal> Send Money.

Ethically, the one thing you can't do is keep the refund and the widget.

And there is a Report button on every listing. Report these sellers for incorrect item location. It is a violation.

You can also leave Feedback noting the true location of the goods. Calm and factual is best. "Slow shipping from China, not Hong Kong." for example.

[reallynicestamps]

Technically, Hong Kong is now part of China again and has been since 1999, when the colony was turned over to the PRC. But I do understand your point.

HK sellers have a better understanding of customer service .

[markbwolf]

I know this is a a 3 yr old thread but it came up first in my google search about sellers lying about item location. This is still going on. I always check then ask the sellers directly where the item ships from. If they list it just as Canada without a city or province in my experience in reality it'll ship from China. Unless you don't mind waiting 3 months and risk never receiving your products don't order from China. And if you have to return the item shipping will cost $50 for small item with a signature on delivery. Buy Canadian if you live in Canada, you might pay more but in the end you'll be happier.

[reallynicestamps]

ZOMBIE THREAD FROM 2014

The problem with zombie threads is that the information is often out of date and inaccurate.

nless you don't mind waiting 3 months and risk never receiving your products don't order from China

You can open an Item Not Received Dispute on eBay as soon as the estimated delivery date passes.

And if you have to return the item shipping will cost $50 for small item with a signature on delivery.

While eBay and Paypal require proof of delivery to refund, for items that are not as described , the Seller pays return shipping.

Only for Buyer Remorse returns does the buyer pay return shipping.

Only items valued over $650 (including shipping) is a signature required.

Those details aside, I agree with you.

[tyler@ebay]

Hey everyone,

Due to the length of time that has passed since this thread began I have locked it from future replies. If this is still an issue that warrants discussion, don't hesitate to begin a new thread!