Ebay - sending item to different address than the one on the ebay/Paypal account

Tunstallstoven

Hi

I've just sold something on eBay.  Buyer has good feedback, and we've been chatting and she seems nice.  She put an offer in which I accepted.  After sending payment she sent another message saying she had forgotten to update her paypal details and gave me an alternate address to send the item to.  

I seem to remember reading this is not a good idea, but can't remember why.  Also, if it is not a good idea, what should I do next?  

It's something she was hoping to receive ASAP so I'm hoping there is a speedy solution!  

Many thanks

soolin

For seller protection you must send to the address given to you by PayPal, if you use a different address then you have no protection at all.

If item is going untracked then your only worry is a claim for fraudulent use of a card which you would defend usually by providing proof of posting to the address given by PayPal. 

There is no simple way round this and it’s going to cost you as well. Ideally you need to refund the PayPal payment in full, and then ask buyer to repay after changing their address. However when you refund PayPal keep all their fees, so you will end up paying the fees twice. 

Tunstallstoven

Thanks soolin.

Has that always been the case RE PP keeping the fees?  Or is it a recent development?  Never remember it happening before when I've given refunds.

With regards postage, I'll be using Parcelforce 24 which I believe is a tracked/signed service.

Ta

soolin

Seagull27 said:

Thanks soolin.

Has that always been the case RE PP keeping the fees?  Or is it a recent development?  Never remember it happening before when I've given refunds.

With regards postage, I'll be using Parcelforce 24 which I believe is a tracked/signed service.

Ta

PayPal have retained the fees only since March this year. Parcelforce 24 is tracked so for seller protection against an INR would need to go to the address given by PayPal. 

Tunstallstoven

As luck / bad luck would have it, i had to do a completely different paypal refund earlier today.  It's hard to decipher, but I think only part of the fee was retained.  There was a total fee of 59p.  Upon the refund, I lost out on 30p and PP did a fee reversal of the other 29p.  

So how is that calculated?  

In case it makes any difference, that was with a buyer from Portugal, whereas the transaction I'm actually writing about now is UK.

EDIT:  If I can send it with signed for, does that make things a lot safer do you think and would it mean I don't have to go through the whole refund/relist rigmarole?  I thought all Parcelforce was signed for?  Is that not the case, or is it just not the case now because of covid?

soolin

Seagull27 said:

As luck / bad luck would have it, i had to do a completely different paypal refund earlier today.  It's hard to decipher, but I think only part of the fee was retained.  There was a total fee of 59p.  Upon the refund, I lost out on 30p and PP did a fee reversal of the other 29p.  

So how is that calculated?  

In case it makes any difference, that was with a buyer from Portugal, whereas the transaction I'm actually writing about now is UK.

EDIT:  If I can send it with signed for, does that make things a lot safer do you think and would it mean I don't have to go through the whole refund/relist rigmarole?  I thought all Parcelforce was signed for?  Is that not the case, or is it just not the case now because of covid?

If the address is wrong then signed for makes no difference to either an INR or a claim for fraudulent use. 

As for the fee , there is an explanation online which I can’t find , however how do you see where the 30p was taken, does it show as a separate transaction that you see in your PayPal , otherwise how do you know you paid it? 

The transaction shows say £27 paid by buyer and £25.50 received after fee, and on the refund it shows £27 refunded but the fee is just taken from the balance in your PayPal account. It’s exactly the same as the way they retained the 30p , they don’t show it as a different payment, it is just taken from the balance. 

Tunstallstoven

soolin said:

If the address is wrong then signed for makes no difference to either an INR or a claim for fraudulent use. 

That's very helpful to know - thank you.  

soolin said:

how do you see where the 30p was taken, does it show as a separate transaction that you see in your PayPal , otherwise how do you know you paid it? 

What I see is...  
The original payment page shows a Purchase Total of £8.49.  A fee of -£0.59.  Leaving a Total of £7.90.  The activity page shows +£7.90, so all concurs there.  
The refund page shows a Total Refund to ???Buyer??? of £8.49.  A fee reversal of -£0.29.  Leaving a Total Paid By You of £8.20.  The activity page shows -£8.20, so again, all concurs there.  

Thanks again for all your help with this.

Tunstallstoven

An update...  The buyer disappeared and has not responded to any messages I've sent trying to resolve this and get her item to her in time.  

Unsure what to do, I've just had a live chat with eBay.  The rep insisted that I am fine to send it to the alternative address.  As far as the rep was concerned, if something is agreed in eBay messages and they can see it in the messages, then it fine to proceed and I'll have full protection.  They were very insistent about this, even when I pointed out PP's policy, and the many articles on line saying goods must be sent to the verified address.  I think the rep's bottom line was that I might not be protected by PP, but that wouldn't matter because eBay would step in and protect me.  

So apparently I have two choices...

- Cancel the order seeing as the buyer won't receive the item as soon as she wanted to.
- Send the order regardless, seeing as the official deadline for dispatch is tomorrow so I am still in time.  I did ask the rep how I'd be able to do this if eBay are happy to go by what is agreed in the messages, and in the messages I agreed to get it to her before the weekend. 

I guess cancelling it probably my only real option, but it is annoying losing the sale and it ain't too great not having clarity from eBay on such matters....

soolin

Seagull27 said:

An update...  The buyer disappeared and has not responded to any messages I've sent trying to resolve this and get her item to her in time.  

Unsure what to do, I've just had a live chat with eBay.  The rep insisted that I am fine to send it to the alternative address.  As far as the rep was concerned, if something is agreed in eBay messages and they can see it in the messages, then it fine to proceed and I'll have full protection.  They were very insistent about this, even when I pointed out PP's policy, and the many articles on line saying goods must be sent to the verified address.  I think the rep's bottom line was that I might not be protected by PP, but that wouldn't matter because eBay would step in and protect me.  

So apparently I have two choices...

- Cancel the order seeing as the buyer won't receive the item as soon as she wanted to.
- Send the order regardless, seeing as the official deadline for dispatch is tomorrow so I am still in time.  I did ask the rep how I'd be able to do this if eBay are happy to go by what is agreed in the messages, and in the messages I agreed to get it to her before the weekend. 

I guess cancelling it probably my only real option, but it is annoying losing the sale and it ain't too great not having clarity from eBay on such matters....

Ah, the great ebay customer service rep lies strike again. No you will not be covered especially if buyer raises a paypal claim, ebay have nothing to do with paypal anymore so cannot reassure you that you are safe. This is a shining example of why ebay CS reps advice should never be relied on. The moment buyer raises a paypal claim ebay will ignore you on th ebasis that it is nothing to do with them and if it's an ebay claim you lose then they will apologise that you might have been given confusing advice and promise to ensure reps are better trained in future.

If buyer has gone quiet then there's a chance it means they were potentially looking to scam, that might just be my mistrust and it is possible that they just haven't logged back in- but it does look suspicious.

Personally now I'd cancel and take the hit, use the reason 'problems with buyers address' and you won't get a defect. It is unlikely now anyway that you stand a chance of getting it there for the weekend.

DayDreamerandGeneralWaster

I thought l read on ther Ebay forums that you can send it to whatever address tbe buyer indicates now. Will try to find it.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/postage-delivery/changing-delivery-details-purchase?id=4028

The buyer can change ther delivery address at checkout. I don't know how that affects PayPal protection. 

soolin

DayDreamerandGeneralWaster said:

I thought l read on ther Ebay forums that you can send it to whatever address tbe buyer indicates now. Will try to find it.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/help/buying/postage-delivery/changing-delivery-details-purchase?id=4028

The buyer can change ther delivery address at checkout. I don't know how that affects PayPal protection. 

Buyers can change their delivery address at any point before they pay, I have several addresses in PayPal and just choose where I want it sent, and that address shows when seller checks and they are covered as the address is fine.

Buyers can’t change their address after payment though, and your actual link, if you read it, states that clearly .

Changing your delivery address after you've paid

Sellers generally can't change the delivery address that you provided at checkout. If they haven't yet sent the item, the best thing to do is to ask the seller to cancel the transaction, then buy the item again with the correct delivery address.

If you made your purchase in the last hour, you can cancel the order yourself. We'll ask the seller to confirm that they haven't sent the item yet.