After 10 years, I'm done selling overseas.

[everard6920]

Today was the final straw. I received four chargebacks from an overseas buyer, for transactions dating back to October. Buyer left positive feedback and is claiming unauthorised transactions.

It's funny because the buyer has been a member of eBay for a VERY long time, buys VERY specific items in one category (mine), and today, filed these chargebacks and promptly changed their username to a phrase that reflects a popular character in my category. What I'm saying is, it's evidently the same person, or else it's a massive, massive coincidence that the "unauthorised" person buys exactly the same items in exactly the same category. They also leave the exact same feedback with the exact same wording.

Despite all of this, I will still lose the case.

They bought four items, and paid for each separately. Of course, I couldn't refund their payments and re-invoice, because I'd receive a defect for refunding their payments.

So I went ahead and posted all four of their items, using large letter (the items are only worth between $3 and $6 . . . so it was not worth it to post  using registered/pack and track). So I can't prove postage, and because they paid for each item separately that means they were able to file not one but four chargebacks (and I will have to pay the $15 chargeback fee four times. $60 fee on four items that amounted to less than $20. Joy). 

Merry Christmas to me?

I realise that this happens with domestic transactions too, but the postage cost is far less prohibitive and therefore it can be sent with tracking without it being too expensive. That isn't the case with international postage/buyers.

[chameleon54]

Ebay is getting to be a very risky place for international sellers. The ridiculous OS postage costs, FVF on top of that and the new crazy return policies mean you have to have nerves of steel to sell OS now. I regularly sell $40 items overseas with $80 to $90 postage cost on top. Its not doing my nerves any good, but I need the international sales to keep my figures looking respectable. Like many others have said, Ebay is just not fun anymore.

[clarry100]

You only have to pay the $15 fee if you fight it. If you just accept liability because you will lose they don't charge this fee. Er had one case like this a few months back and PayPal csr advised me not to contest it. This way were just lost the item costs.

[clarry100]

Doesn't make any difference if you sell overseas or just in oz. Same rules apply for chargebacks. If you use large letter you will always lose so never fight these. It's hard yo just accept liability tho when you know you have done nothing wrong.

[cq_tech]

I was under the impression that the $15 chargeback fee was only imposed if you fought the case. If you agree to accept the chargeback, no fee should be payable, and under the circumstances where it obvious that you don't stand a chance of winning if you were to argue the point and fight the case, you can at least save yourself the $60 by accepting Paypal's decision.

[best-health-now]

Hi
It sounds a bit obvious, but have you contacted the buyer?
Only asking, because I recently (not intentionally) initiated a charge back myself, non Ebay related.
I was checking my credit card statement, and rang the bank to get more information about a transaction as I didn't recognise the merchant, they immediately initiated a chargeback. I still don't know what the transaction was (and the bank said it was fraudulent), but if a merchant had contacted me to say it was theirs, I could have reversed the process.
You have nothing to lose by contacting them politely.
Good luck.

[clarry100]

Very true CQ. This exactly happened to us. No contest no fee and as we use regular large we would have simply cost ourselves the $15 fee by contesting it.

[Anonymous]

I havent posted overseas since they added fvf to postage. Just too expensive and now too risky and I wonder how legal if you have all the evidence of postage is this 15.00 charge, I would certainly go to the ACCC with that.

[clarry100]

The minute you contest a chargeback you will be slugged with the $15 fee. Win or lose the case. This is the fee they charge to "look in to it" for you.

If you win the case because you had all the evidence of postage required then you would have to appeal to PayPal to reverse the fee. This was as decsribed to me by a PayPal CSR when we faced one of these a while back. Since we use large letter we chose not to contest and hence no fee. But we automatically conceded the case as lost by doing so.

[phorum_junkie*]

You will get nowhere complaining re the $15 fee if you contest the chargeback. It is a charge made by the bank who is disputing the payment and Paypal are perfectly entitled to pass that charge on to you if you have no defense against the chargeback because you have no evidence of posting. Just refund voluntarily and you will not have to pay the fee.

Sending with or without tracking is a choice you make in the full knowledge that you have no seller protection if you cannot prove you sent anything to the buyer.