Problems with overseas sale

[lupercal]

Ok, this is a bit complicated. I'll describe the situation, and see what course of action you'd recommend.

A guy in Norway bought a CD from me for $60.  I later noticed that the postage method indocated on the item was 'International Standard : tracked-signature (7 to 15 business days)'.  I have absolutely no idea how this happened. I never choose this option. All of my items show  flat rate standard overseas postage with no tracking let alone signature.  The item description contains the text:   "OVERSEAS BUYERS: Postage does not include tracking. Please ask for quote if required."  

The buyer has zero feedback.

I contacted the buyer to try to explain the tracking situation, and suggest that he might want to take out tracking.  No reply.  I then contacted him, offering to pay half of the tracking myself.  No reply.  That was three days ago.  I've since talked to ebay twice.  The first rep suggested I cancel the transaction. She told me that once the buyer had been refunded he couldn't leave negative feedback.  I was dubious about this, and spoke to a second rep the next day. She told me that he COULd still leave negative feedbnack, but that it would be ok - they'd delete it.

We talked for a long time - she was really as helpful as she probably could be - during which I decided to check, and noticed that the buyer had only opened his ebay accont the day he bought the item.  When she realised this, she investigated and found that he was using a 'guest account', and that he had an existing seperate account.  She figured this may be why he wasn't getting my messages. She told me she was writing to him at his main account, telling him to contact me.  That was two days ago. Still nothing.

This just feels wrong to me. I'm willing to pay the entire $20 extra for tracking myself, but I just have a sixth sense that this will turn out badly.

Ebay (or at least the two people I've spoken with) are cool with me taking either of two options.

1. Just cancelling the transaction and refunding him, becaue I'm unable to contact the buyer, and am concerned about verifying his address, and about  the item reaching him.   Worst case scenario, he negs me.  They say they'll delete it, but they also mentioned it might take a month, which isn't appealing.

2. Mailing the thing on Monday and paying for the tracking myself.  However I get a late strike against me, since this has burned up nearly a week, and the item should have been sent two days ago.  Plus I still have this spider-sense that the damn thing won't arrive anyway. The last thing I sent to Norway went missing.

[davewil1964]

As tracking is for a seller's protection, why would you expect the buyer to stump up anything towards the cost of keeping you safe(r)?

I'd cancel, but then I don't sell overseas.

[*tippy*toes*]

If the buyer has paid, then obviously they were happy with the price. If they paid the cost of tracking and SOD, send it with tracking and SOD. You have to remember that the Aussie dollar is really carp at the moment, so what looks expensive to us, looks cheap to the rest of the world. I certainly wouldn't be refunding the difference or offering to pay a percentage. They paid the price they were shown. Send it.

[lupercal]

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@davewil1964 wrote:

As tracking is for a seller's protection, why would you expect the buyer to stump up anything towards the cost of keeping you safe(r)?

I'd cancel, but then I don't sell overseas.

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Well, that's one way of looking at it, I suppose.  But when I buy items from overseas merchants who have a regular storefront, they generally offer tracking as an option, and they sure don't pay for it themselves.

[lupercal]

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@*tippy*toes* wrote:

If the buyer has paid, then obviously they were happy with the price. If they paid the cost of tracking and SOD, send it with tracking and SOD. You have to remember that the Aussie dollar is really carp at the moment, so what looks expensive to us, looks cheap to the rest of the world. I certainly wouldn't be refunding the difference or offering to pay a percentage. They paid the price they were shown. Send it.

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No, they didn't pay for tracking. That's largely why I've been trying to contact them.

I only noticed later that for some bizarre reason the item shows registered post with signature as the default mailing method. Like I said I have no idea how that came about. I never use that service. You coould look through all my other items and not find a single one which even offers it.  

Neither of the ebay reps I spoke to expected me to pay for the tracking, but agreed it was an option if if wanted to do it. This even makes me wonder whether that postal method is showing because of a glitch on their side. Whch sounds unlikely as well.

It's either cough up $20 and get a late strike, or cancel it and likely get negged. Neither of the reps I talked to could some up with a third way, other than trying to get the buyer to contact me, which hasn't worked.

[davewil1964]

Well, that is their business model, which presumably doesn't have to allow for eBay's MBG.

YOUR buyer bought as was advertised, whether that was an error or not. I certainly wouldn't be paying extra post-sale to protect a seller.

[go-tazz]

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@lupercal wrote:

Ok, this is a bit complicated. I'll describe the situation, and see what course of action you'd recommend.

A guy in Norway bought a CD from me for $60.  I later noticed that the postage method indocated on the item was 'International Standard : tracked-signature (7 to 15 business days)'.  I have absolutely no idea how this happened. I never choose this option. All of my items show  flat rate standard overseas postage with no tracking let alone signature.  The item description contains the text:   "OVERSEAS BUYERS: Postage does not include tracking. Please ask for quote if required."  

The buyer has zero feedback.

I contacted the buyer to try to explain the tracking situation, and suggest that he might want to take out tracking.  No reply.  I then contacted him, offering to pay half of the tracking myself.  No reply.  That was three days ago.  I've since talked to ebay twice.  The first rep suggested I cancel the transaction. She told me that once the buyer had been refunded he couldn't leave negative feedback.  I was dubious about this, and spoke to a second rep the next day. She told me that he COULd still leave negative feedbnack, but that it would be ok - they'd delete it.

No communication could be they are ignoring any messages as they've paid and want it sent with all costs on

you as they saw in the listing.

We talked for a long time - she was really as helpful as she probably could be - during which I decided to check, and noticed that the buyer had only opened his ebay accont the day he bought the item.  When she realised this, she investigated and found that he was using a 'guest account', and that he had an existing seperate account. 

With that I would cancel as why buy with a guest account if they have an existing account.

Chances are that it's so they think that they don't risk the excisting account that way and get a possible

"freebie" or simply don't want to communicate and it's possible that they can't due to the language

differences and they don't know how to get around that.

She figured this may be why he wasn't getting my messages. She told me she was writing to him at his main account, telling him to contact me.  That was two days ago. Still nothing.

This just feels wrong to me. I'm willing to pay the entire $20 extra for tracking myself, but I just have a sixth sense that this will turn out badly.

Ebay (or at least the two people I've spoken with) are cool with me taking either of two options.

1. Just cancelling the transaction and refunding him, becaue I'm unable to contact the buyer, and am concerned about verifying his address, and about  the item reaching him.   Worst case scenario, he negs me.  They say they'll delete it, but they also mentioned it might take a month, which isn't appealing.

2. Mailing the thing on Monday and paying for the tracking myself.  However I get a late strike against me, since this has burned up nearly a week, and the item should have been sent two days ago.  Plus I still have this spider-sense that the damn thing won't arrive anyway.

The last thing I sent to Norway went missing.

Then I would've blocked Norway as one of the destination I don't ship to.

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But I have all of overseas countries blocked and find it much easier that way.

[kopenhagen5]

If you like, send the message below which is asking if they want it sent without tracking or pay extra for tracking in Norwegian.

If no reply then I would cancel or if you get an answer, that at least will tell you if the buyer is genuine or not.

Jeg vil spørre om det er ok å sende varen uten å spore fordi den ikke var inkludert, eller foretrekker du å betale ekstra for sporing?

Vennlig hilsen.