Buyer wants me to use her fedex account?

[Apricot Summers]

You're missing a big point here -- where did you confirm that Fed Ex considers the OP the sender when it is using anothers account for payment of the charges?

And what if the Fed Ex account is misappropriated (someone is using a fed ex account without authority or knowledge of the account owner)? Who is liable for shipping? Who can reroute and make changes to the order while in transit?

It is MUCH SAFER if you cannot afford to lose the merchandise, or assume the risk of having to pay the entire shipping bill, to ship yourself. You retain control - it's your money at risk.

[galwaygirl007]

[QUOTE=luvtami;12904486]


7. FedEx may not reroute shipments when Adult Signature Required has been selected as a delivery signature option.

Thank luvtami ^^^^^ this is a useful peice of information!

It is a bank holiday monday here so I will be contacting fedex tomorrow and if I can get signature on delivery and access tracking information to get proof of deliverly then I will be happy!
My only concern was if I would not be autherised to access the tracking info if the shipment was paid for using her fedex account.

[galwaygirl007]

Update,

I got through to fedex customer service in god knows where and asked them to check the account number as she wants the shipping to be paid by a third party. The third party is a Hospital in the US! The fedex lady I spoke to said I could still track the dress as the fedex guy would give me a tracking number and I could specify signature on delivery and no re-routing of the package without consulting me first.

However, I still think it is messy! I charged €25 for shipping as I had planned to use the Irish postal service. If I pay fedex to ship with full insurance it will cost me €83.86. I am going to e-mail her and tell her what I have found out about the 3rd party (? employer?!) and see what she says. Think I might just stick to an post (Irish postal service) this is messy!!!

[noshoepolish]

See I knew she was using a work account. I would report her to her employer for employee theft.

[galwaygirl007]

I have e-mailed her and await her response. Honestly some people! I cannot see in any way how a US hospital would authorise paying for the shipping of a herve leger minidress to Switzerland, can you?!!!

[mmmsc]

Originally Posted by galwaygirl007

i have e-mailed her and await her response. Honestly some people! I cannot see in any way how a us hospital would authorise paying for the shipping of a herve leger minidress to switzerland, can you?!!!

Maybe she is head of her own clinic? Seriously I would send the way you usually do and THEN you will hold the cards for tracking, insurance etc.

[Apricot Summers]

They wouldn't. They would deny the charge was authorized by them.

Then Federal Express would pursue YOU for those charges, and potentially any duties or VAT due for the shipment.

So instead of making the buyer pay the 25 ... you get stuck with a bill for over 85.


NEVER let the buyer control the shipping. You take a financial risk when you do so.

Noshoepolish nailed it right on.

[karmenzsofia]

I agree that most of the time, when a buyer requests to use "her" FedEx account, it means her employer's FedEx account. I would avoid that situation. I also agree that you should control the shipping--unless there's no chance that using a buyer's personal account can come back to haunt you--kuz in the end PP will come after you if something goes wrong.

[mmmsc]

OK reading this over again, has anyone thought how fishy this entire transaction (not just the FedEx shipping part)might be? I mean could this be a hijacked account since they are asking to use a third party address for shipping? And the third party address, a hospital in the US, has WHAT to do with the buyer in Switzerland? Where are they asking you to send the item? If it not to the confirmed PP address, you will not be covered. I would question this sale altogether.

Originally Posted by galwaygirl007

Update, I got through to fedex customer service in god knows where and asked them to check the account number as she wants the shipping to be paid by a third party. The third party is a Hospital in the US! The fedex lady I spoke to said I could still track the dress as the fedex guy would give me a tracking number and I could specify signature on delivery and no re-routing of the package without consulting me first. However, I still think it is messy! I charged €25 for shipping as I had planned to use the Irish postal service. If I pay fedex to ship with full insurance it will cost me €83.86. I am going to e-mail her and tell her what I have found out about the 3rd party (? employer?!) and see what she says. Think I might just stick to an post (Irish postal service) this is messy!!!

[galwaygirl007]

Buyer has got back to me, it gets more complicated! Why me?!

She says the owner of the account is, get this, the Father of her best friend who happens to own the hospital in question, which I will not name here (very upmarket!). She gives me the name of her friend and offers to send me an email to state she has permission of the account holder and I am not responsible for any charges.

My bull***t detector just blew up !!

She says she has used this account with all her other e-bay transactions and that no-one has ever asked before about the account so she didn't mention it, and notes she probably should have told me!

The address she wants it shipped to is Switzerland and the name and address on her paypal account and e-bay match.

[karmenzsofia]

Listen, drop this. Tell her you can send it to her PP confirmed address using the shipping method you noted in the auction--end of story. Enough already... If she continues to create obstacles, tell her it's best you two agree to a mutual withdrawal and cancel the transaction.

ETA: Did she even ask about the FedEx thing before buying the item? Or did she just assumed you would agree to drop the shipping method you had chosen for this item?

[galwaygirl007]

Originally Posted by karmenzsofia

Listen, drop this. Tell her you can send it to her PP confirmed address using the shipping method you noted in the auction--end of story. Enough already... If she continues to create obstacles, tell her it's best you two agree to a mutual withdrawal and cancel the transaction. ETA: Did she even ask about the FedEx thing before buying the item? Or did she just assumed you would agree to drop the shipping method you had chosen for this item?

She asked after buying the item. Will do the above!

[karmenzsofia]

^ Good.

Perhaps you're dealing with a decent person, though a considerate and smart buyer would've discussed her shipping needs/wants before buying the item, not after. In any case, you need to protect yourself.

[galwaygirl007]

Originally Posted by karmenzsofia

^ Good. Perhaps you're dealing with a decent person, though a considerate and smart buyer would've discussed her shipping needs/wants before buying the item, not after. In any case, you need to protect yourself.

Thanks karmenzsofia.

The buyer says she is insulted I would think she is misusing anyone's account and that she has permission to use her friend's father's account and does it because it is a buisness account and gets cheaper rates. She is agreeable for me to ship via Irish postal service.

Buyer has 18 feedback as a buyer and all her feedback is positive. I don't want to offend her but I'm not willing to risk it!

[LindaP]

Originally Posted by galwaygirl007

Thanks karmenzsofia. The buyer says she is insulted I would think she is misusing anyone's account and that she has permission to use her friend's father's account and does it because it is a buisness account and gets cheaper rates. She is agreeable for me to ship via Irish postal service. Buyer has 18 feedback as a buyer and all her feedback is positive. I don't want to offend her but I'm not willing to risk it!

Well this is Ebay and she is a stranger to you, don't let her make you feel guilty about checking up on it. I think you've handled this very well!

Linda