what is possible risks to ship a bag to a bidder in foreign country?

J

jinny

Member
Oct 24, 2006
30
0
#1
Hi,
I am trying to sell my MJ Stam hobo on ebay.
Someone in Taiwan just placed a bid on my bag without asking me in advance if I will ship it to Taiwan. That person later asked me after placing her bid and I answered I could...

I just researched the bidder and she does not have any feedbacks for more than a year and most of her previous feedbacks are in foreign language (Taiwanise?). Now I am a bit worried. I am not familiar with ebay system and only sold 2 things so far only within US. Is there any risk if I ship the bag to Taiwan even if I ship it after I get paid through Paypal?

Many thanks in advance!!
 
#2
As everyone here knows, I just went through this as well...although my bidder was in Germany.

Here's the deal. Since her address is Taiwan, it cannot be a confirmed PayPal address, which is one of the things that you have to have to be covered by PayPal's seller protection policy. So, if she claims an INR against you, well....you didn't ship to a confirmed address.

(It is slightly sketchy here, as well, though. I don't see how PayPal could side in the buyer's favor when you have USPS receipts and customs forms and stuff that you filled out.)

In any case, PayPal COULD potentially screw you with a chargeback, were it to come to that.

However, there are safer ways to pay, if you are wary. For example, you could do a bank transfer or an international MO. The latter is going to take quite a while to get to you and longer to clear, as well as there may be fees...the former is speedy and safe on your end.

(I feel like I'm repeating all the great knowledge everyone gave me!)

In any case, it's all about how you feel about the transaction. I know in my case, the buyer and I talked a lot back and forth. She was willing to pay in any form that would allow me to ship her the bag.

A new buyer ID doesn't necessarily mean anything either. We all have to start somewhere. If you're curious about feedbacks, you could always translate it with freetranslation.com or something like that.

Regardless of the way that you pay, I would never let a bag leave my hands without being insured. (Found out today that Global Priority can't have insurance....or at least that's what the Postal lady told me today...)

I would also highly recommend tracking and signature confirmation, as well as return receipt if you are worried.

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask me. Like I said, I just went through this before, and got REALLY stressed out. But with this board, you're in very good hands.
 
#3
Thanks HATs..

I guess I was bothered since she placed her bid before she got the response from me. Moreover, I am not sure how I can recover extra shipping cost. I am already regretting about putting this bag on sale such a low price and I do not want to bear extra cost for shipping and insurance. :sad:

Unfortunately, her feedbacks show up as "?????????" on my computer, I guess my computer can not recognize their character.
 
#4
How about asking the bidder to pay via BIDPAY? That's what I generally require for overseas bidders (unless it's repeat customer that I've dealt with many times before and developed a trusting business relationship with).
 
#5
Well, as for the extra shipping, you might want to inform her that it will cost a little extra to ship overseas.

Just like you, I have no experience with overseas shipping. What was the original price that was listed in your auction? I went with all the bells and whistles on mine, and it was $39.

If the buyer isn't willing to pay the extra money too, you might inform her that it would take a little longer.

Personally, I would take a hit on the shipping if it meant getting the bag there quickly and safely.

BidPay would be worth looking into also, although I'm not very familiar with that. If the buyer really wants the purse, he/she should be able to work something out with you that you both feel comfortable with.
 
#6
Cancel her bid!! Her feedback with all ???? indicates a possible scam/stolen account of sorts. You don't KNOW for sure so do not send her this bag. Its not worth the hassle and aggravation if she takes it and runs with it.
 
#7
Judge Judy 58 said:
Cancel her bid!! Her feedback with all ???? indicates a possible scam/stolen account of sorts. You don't KNOW for sure so do not send her this bag. Its not worth the hassle and aggravation if she takes it and runs with it.
Click to expand...


All the ???? means your computer can't recognise the chinese characters.

PM me with her user id and i'll check her FB for you if you wish

You should ship via EMS Global express as it has tracking and insurance, and of course, you need to advise her of the shipping costs before close of auction. Just check the rates at USPS.com and estimate the shipping weight to Taiwan for EMS. If she does not agree, then cancel her bid. Plain and simple..

Also, if you don;t want paypal, register for Bidpay as they make Auction only payments up to $1500, otherwise, get her to do an bank wire transfer or MO.

PS: i'm in Australia and can't have a confirmed address, although i am verified but pay with paypal all the time
 
#8
I recently had a sale to Taiwan. At first I was upset because she is registered in the U.S. but is actually is Taiwan. Also she was new and low feedback. I considered not selling to her, but she bought at my BIN price and it was pretty good. I finally told her MO only and it has worked out quite well. I had the MO in a few days, cleared in a few days, and I have no chance of any chargebacks. Offer her other options to pay (MO, Bank transfer), do not accept Paypal and do not ship untill all funds have cleared your bank. Insure the bag and you should be fine. Good Luck
 
#9
Hats said:
(It is slightly sketchy here, as well, though. I don't see how PayPal could side in the buyer's favor when you have USPS receipts and customs forms and stuff that you filled out.)
Click to expand...

Paypal can still side with the buyer, I shipped to an unconfirmed address in Australia. They filed a chargeback saying that it was fraudulent use of credit card, Paypal took back my money & the receiver had the goods. Lost both money & item :sad:
 
#11
yeah, I would also say, don't use paypal - better safe than sorry. I know this sounds awful bec I am an international buyer and get pretty annoyed when sellers dont accept paypal, but as i have to judge your end, be safe.
 
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