Sold perfume to someone in Brazil!

Fidget

Hi,

I'm really worried as I have just sold a bottle of eau de toilette to a person in Brazil, I had no clue there could be a problem sending an item like this until after the sale. They sent me a message asking me to wrap it well and to mark the item as a gift, which is also something else I don't like the sound of. It only sold very cheaply well below what it is sold for in the shops.

I've only been selling a few items and unwanted gifts and am not hugely experienced selling abroad and didn't realise there could be problems like this.

It says "caution flammable" on the bottom of the box so I'm pretty sure looking at the RM website that it's prohibited. What should I do? How do I work things out with the buyer? If anyone can help or has experience of this I would be most grateful for any advice. Is it likely I'll end up with a neg from this?

arriva

if it can't be sent through RM why you put it on sale in the first place?

they asked you to mark it as "gift" otherwise they will have to pay custom taxes and to wrap it well as it they probably want it in one piece. I don't see any problem here.

If you buy something from Brazil you will ask the same seeing how they hammer parcels through the doors here.

Fidget

Blimey. Thanks for your erm *help* but as I said in my original post, I have only found this out after the sale and did not realise there was a problem with this being fairly inexperienced. I have never sent perfume before and thought of it as any other personal grooming item until I came to do a search regarding labelling items "gifts". But people make mistakes, hey? I'm sure you aren't above making them.

As regards putting "gift" on to help them to evade taxes. I'm not comfortable with this because it is not a gift and would be a lie.

soolin

Defrauding HMRC or the equivalent in other countries in not a good idea and it is you that would have problems not the buyer. Items must go correctly marked, don't be persuaded into anything else by the buyer.

The Royal Mail website does have this which might be helpful:
If you are not sure about what you cannot send, please call our Customer Service Centre on 08457 740 740. Textphone users should call on 0845 600 0606.

macfly

You need to contct the buyer to cancel the sale. Perfume has to be below 70% alcohol for posting.

Fidget

Thanks for that, I have contacted the buyer asking for them to cancel the sale. Then do I just refund him? What do I do about the listing, do I have to click on anything?

What if he does not agree to cancel, I'm thinking he won't because it was at a very good price and he was already very abrupt in the email he sent (though I'm hoping that is just because his English isn't fluent).

I've bought perfume that came from France before so I just assumed this could be sent through the post but it might be that they used a courier. Lesson learnt!

Fidget

Ooh and yes Soolin I'm glad you have clarified that about the "gift" option, which is exactly as I thought. He was very insistant about it and said more than once in the email that he "NEEDS" (in capitals with multiple exclaimation marks, lol) me to put it as a gift as he does not want this to cause him problems.

soolin

Fidget wrote: »

Thanks for that, I have contacted the buyer asking for them to cancel the sale. Then do I just refund him? What do I do about the listing, do I have to click on anything?

What if he does not agree to cancel, I'm thinking he won't because it was at a very good price and he was already very abrupt in the email he sent (though I'm hoping that is just because his English isn't fluent).

I've bought perfume that came from France before so I just assumed this could be sent through the post but it might be that they used a courier. Lesson learnt!

Refund him immediately, there is no way he will agree to a mutual while you hold funds.

If you have sent a formal request to cancel through ebay then buyer needs to agree, if he does not agree you lose your FVfs unfortunately. If he does not respond then your fees are returned by default. I think he has 10 days to respond.

You don't need to do anything with the listing although the buyer does remain able to leave you feedback.

Fidget

I refunded him just before I sent the cancellation request and he has fortunately agreed to this but just added a bit of a huffy "I buy perfume all the time from abroad so I find it strange that you can't send it" though I can understand his disappointment as he won it fair and square and got it for a really good price (I think because the weather was so lovely here when it ended). I was really lucky he was fairly good about it though as was my fault for not knowing, I don't think he will leave feedback though now.

I'll ask the couriers I work for whether they will send perfume and look at that as an alternative for the future.