shipping overseas

creighbaby

creighbaby

O.G.
Jun 4, 2006
2,441
163
#1
I got this message from someone about one of my items. My auction clearly states that I only ship to the U.S. and I only take paypal, but this person asked about paying with a money transfer and shipping to indonesia. I've checked the person's feedback on toolhaus and goofbay and it really is 100% positive. She is buying midrange/high-end items.

I will only take paypal, and can check into costs to indonesia. But I am curious about this request. Are there too many red-flags to not be a scam? I don't want to do anything illegal.

here's the query: if i won later, would you declare my item as a gift and fill the ship form with stated value below $50? because based on my experience, if the item not as a gift and the stated value above $50, i have to pay custom tax more than 50% from the original value. would you do that for me? i take the risk.
 
#2
talking from a buyer`s point of view - this is very nice and helpful from the seller if he/she agrees - i live in ireland and buy a lot from US site and i always ask first if the seller agrees to such a solution. It`s totally up to you of course and if the buyer seems liek a trustworthy person. :yes:
 
#3
This is a common request on eBay. It's really up to you whether you feel comfortable or not declaring the item for less than its value. You can also declare it as a gift, I believe. I have done this before at a buyer's request. But, there are sellers who will only declare the full value of the item sold. It can be tricky. But, regardless of what you do, make sure that you send the item with some sort of tracking to protect yourself.
 
#4
I usually say no to declaring as a gift, since it is mail fraud and technically you could get arrested for it (not that I've ever heard of this happening). You also wouldn't be able to insure your item for the full value - which could also be a problem. If you do send it, I recommend USPS Global Express, as this is traceable, and insurable (whereas Global Priority isn't).

The other thing to take into consideration is Ebay - they are stopping some high end bags etc being sold to Asia (China for sure, and I think maybe Hong Kong). I've put in a link for details: eBay Rolls out Major Initiative to Fight Counterfeits
It doesn't mention Indonesia, so it looks like you are okay.
 
#5
If she's paying by money transfer then it's really no risk to you. She's got good feedback so probably isn't out to scam you. And even if she is, if she pays by money transfer, and falsely claims the item doesn't turn up, it's not your problem - she can't get her money back. Send the item by Global Express so that she can track it. Do her the favour and lower the value so she doesn't have to pay tax - again no loss to you.
 
#6
Whether or not you decide to ship overseas is up to you but.......

creighbaby said:
I don't want to do anything illegal.
Click to expand...

Then don't do it. Falsifying a Customs Declaration form is absolutely, positively, 100% illegal. Why would you even want to risk dealing with international legal issues?

Also, when you mark an item as "gift" and declare it's value at less than $50.00 and the package gets lost, you now get the hassle of filing a claim and only getting back the amount you valued the item at on the customs form. Your buyer, on the other hand, will file an "item not received" dispute thru PayPal and get every penny they paid you sucked right back out of your PayPal account (if they pay thru PayPal).

It's not worth the risk.
 
#7
I wouldn't do it...whenever I send things overseas, I always mark it as "other" and put exactly what the item is on the customs form and the value as exactly what the item sold for, minus shipping fees. I have yet to have anyone complain about having to pay customs fees.
 
#8
^^^^Yes, Rebecca, I bought a lot from US. sellers on ebay and I had never paid customs fees. I think just bcos sellers did everything as you said.
I once paid the customs fees for item bought from HK. I still wonder until now why that seller declared the item higher than how much it's sold for me?!?!

Anyway, everything depends on what's a deal between seller and buyer IMO.
 
#10
I wouldn't do this at all. It leaves you far too open to fraud. I simply tell buyers that I declare items appropriately and any duties are their issue. I HAVE described items as repair returns but only when I've actually worked on the item in question (say, if I sold a laptop and upgraded it before sending it out... technically I repaired it and am now 'returning' it to the buyer).

I'm surprised no one's said more about the destination. Never ever sell to Indonesia or Nigeria. IMO so much risk and fraud is involved with those two destinations that it's just a safer bet to say no. For giggles, ask how that person intends to pay. My bet is that they either offer a credit card or Western Union... and then all you get is an Email "confirmation" that you have a western union payment. That confirmation is, of course, worth precisely nothing. Every auction I run, I can count on at least 3-5 Emails from people in Nigeria wanting "items for their store", and from "Indhonesia" wanting to know if I can charge a card directly. Western Union direct payments aren't allowed, PayPal won't protect you for such a buyer, you wouldn't want to accept a credit card from them, and wire transfer is very dangerous in that you must hand over your bank details. It's as easy to process an ACH debit as it is a credit and you use the same info you do for a wire transfer as for an ACH transaction (online bill pay, etc). Sure it's traceable if they clean out your account; do you really want that much trouble? NOT worth it IMO. I've tested this... I've entered the ACH details of someone COMPLETELY unrelated to me (a close friend, but not a relative). Different address, different name, etc, and remitted a payment to American Express online. It went through without a hitch, and came out of their bank account a few days later. Scary.

Even paper instruments are susceptible to fraud. Cashier's Checks, bank drafts, money orders, all are so easily forged and so well forged that it's impossible to know until you deposit. If it bounces, you know it was a forgery!
 
#11
The buyer is paying by bank transfer right? Not by Paypal? So it's really their risk and not yours if the package doesn't turn up. By all means, send the safest method possible, but at the end of the day if the package doesn't turn up the buyer can't do a chargeback. The customs thing is entirely up to you.
 
#12
May I ask you if the item has been sold already or it is still listed? Is it a lot more then $ 50.00 ? Based on that you can have different options. After all if they have/had confirmed address you are not at risk.
 
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