Hmmm... eol, this is a bit of a curly situation, though.
As I understand it, it's not the buyer to whose address the item is sent who has any reason to lodge a dispute. (I think of them as the "end buyer".) Rather, it's the buyer who actually makes the purchase from the OP (using the end buyer's address, but obviously not using the end buyer's account). I would call that buyer the "interim buyer".
Interim buyer is obviously the seller with whom the end buyer has placed an order. (Almost certainly the "interim buyer" and the "interim seller" are different accounts, but the same person/people.)
End buyer purchases from interim seller. [Non-fraudulent payment made to interim seller.]
Interim buyer (aka interim seller) purchases from end seller (OP), but uses end buyer's address as the delivery address. [Fraudulent payment made to end seller using an unrelated person's stolen credit card details.]
End seller (OP) sends item to the specified address (end buyer's address). End seller will have proof of postage (receipt) and proof of delivery (tracking) to the address in the eBay order.
End buyer will naturally assume that the delivery has come from the interim seller.
However, interim seller will have no proof of postage (the receipt), even if they usurp the tracking information from end seller.
If end seller (OP) is notified by eBay of a chargeback, end seller has the required proof of postage and delivery, as per eBay's requirements for seller protection.
If unrelated third party (credit card owner) requests a chargeback, they should be able to demonstrate that the delivery address was not theirs, nor was the eBay account used theirs. Ergo, they should be reimbursed.
But... this shouldn't impact on the end seller's payment. End seller can provide all of the required information.
But what a very messy situation it is.
OP... I wonder if you could include a card that summarises some of the problems, and gives your phone number and business address and perhaps even a link to this thread...?
Along these lines:
Dear buyer, Thank you for your purchase; we hope you enjoy this item. A cautionary note: our business has recently been the victim of "triangulation fraud" by other eBay / online accounts. This is when a genuine buyer purchases from an online shop or eBay account, thinking that the shop/account is a genuine seller. In fact, what that shop or account does is to then order the item or items from us (the genuine seller), but using the genuine buyer's address as the delivery address and paying for the order using a third party's stolen credit card details. If you purchased from our eBay store [store name], all well and good! However, if you've ordered from a different eBay store or online site, you've inadvertently bought from an account using this particular scam. Your payment would have gone to the scammer, not to us. (Usually there's a chargeback for the fraudulent payment to us by the scammer who used stolen card details.) In that case, would you phone us on [phone number] and perhaps we can ensure that the scam account is dealt with? You can also read the thread [thread link] on the eBay Community Discussion board (Sellers): [link]. You can read about triangulation fraud on the Equifax website (https://www.equifax.com.au/knowledge-hub/risk-solutions/ecommerce-fraud-prevention-and-detection-bes...) Once again, thank you for supporting our business{, and please use this code for a 15% discount on your next purchase with us}. <- optional Regards, [name] |
You'll know more about your business and the sort of customers you have better than I, and you'll be able to decide whether such a card is a good idea or a bad idea.
