Big purchase just made from my store and I'm nervous to say the least

[canada_goose_whisperer]

Hi all, this is my first post here - please go easy on me.

I sell sports cards that I ship via lettermail. Most are between $0.50 and $2 in value, though I have some listed in the $7 to $20 range. Shipping I charge is via lettermail: $2.15 in Canada and $2.65 to the USA. I do combine shipping, but I don't have it set to do so automatically, so buyers need to wait for my invoice before paying.

Recently (a few hours ago), a huge purchase was made for fourteen of those high-value 7 to 20 dollar cards I have listed on my account. They didn't wait for the combined shipping invoice to be sent, and paid the $2.15 shipping times 14 cards ($30.10 total for shipping) right away.

To be quite frank, I am worried this is some kind of scam and I am going to end up losing the cards and the money, because why would someone pay that much money to ship 14 cards, without even asking me to combine shipping? The buyer has over 200 positive feedback from purchases and their account is years old, but I remember reading on these forums a while ago that the ones you need to watch out for are the established accounts, as they know how to get away with it, so I don't know what to believe. Furthermore, the name on the account and the name I'm shipping to are different (different first name, same last name) and the account says they're "based in the united states" but the shipping address is in Canada.

Are there some ways I can increase my chances of success with this transaction, or is there any advice you can provide?

I appreciate any help you can offer, thanks.

It is quite late at night, so I'm just writing it all out as I think of it - sorry if it seems like I'm rambling.

[intimewithmusic]

Thanks !  There's a couple things to think about if you phone your customer.

  eBay has no record of your phone conversation like if you use eBay messaging so always confirm any verbal agreements with a follow up message IE: "It's been great working this out on the phone. I'll confirm " such & such" with a follow up message to keep eBay in the loop so they can credit me back their fees for this adjustment."

   My background is decades of brick & mortar retail sales and standing on stages in front of 30,000 crazy people so  I'm very comfortable phoning anyone. I know what to say and how to politely end calls. For the most part the customer is thrilled just to be "un-virtual".  Some other posters complained about customers taking up too much of their time when they have called them. I think it's sad to think their time is better spent doing something else other than talking to their own customers. I learn much more from engaging with customers than from YouTube videos. 

  Here's one example.  After closing time one night in my music centre there was a tap on the locked door. I was in the back doing the books. I certainly could have ignored the tap thinking my time was more valuable but I let him in. That was over 30 years ago.

   To date "Somvang" was my biggest single customer. He spent $17,000 that day in 1992. It took 60 minutes. His name was Somvang Koonpackdee. He was helping out some friends who had suffered misfortune. Most of the customers I had in the 40 years of brick & mortar I can't remember their names.  I only gave this guy 60 minutes of my "valuable time" and I never forgot his name albeit extra ordinary. 

 He came back for more. The whole band came back for more... and more.

When opportunity knocks open the frickin door. 

ITWM

[ilikehockeyjerseys]

I think you are over thinking this. One of your items caught their eye, they noticed you had more items they wanted, and they bought more. They may not have read your listed, and did not know you offered combined shipping. Because of this, they checked out and overpaid for shipping.

You said 14 cards ranging from $7-$20. If you're looking at $150-$200, you were right to send it tracked. If the shipping was substantially cheaper than what they paid, you can send the buyer a partial refund for what they overpaid in shipping while politely explaining that you offer combined shipping, so you were able to refund some of what they paid. 

Getting scammed does happen if you sell on eBay, but I don't think anything outlined in your original post is an indication that you are going to be scammed by this buyer. 

[teenytrinkets]

When I have a Canadian buyer purchase multiple items like this, I pull out the big guns and ship Xpresspost (these days, small bubble envelopes are cheaper than Expedited to most of the areas I ship, anyway!). I will also message them to thank them for their big purchase and tell them I'm shipping tomorrow (or Monday).

Then when they get their package in a few days, if they're honest their they'll be impressed, and so grateful! And they usually come back to buy more! If they're dishonest, their only scammer option is to open an INAD. But for multiple items? All of them not as described? I mean, that would reek of a scam!