Returns to non-existent address / Chinese seller faking UK location

Wings_of_Ambition

Had a really unusual situation.

Purchased an item on eBay that was marked as 'UK seller', though item is very common (I think 'cheap tat' probably sums it up, haha) and the description was written in poor English.  Took about 1.5 weeks to arrive, with a customs form and chinese text on parts of the label, so I think it's fair to say it came from China.  Item was not as described, so opened a return, and a postage label was generated for an address in South Wales.  Packaged it up, sent it off, tracking showed it enroute so fully refunded.  About a week later, knock on the door and postie hands back parcel as returned to me with a "No such address" box ticked on Royal Mail's little red sticker.  Checking online, the postcode doesn't exist, nor does the road (checked Royal Mail's address finder).

It seems that Chinese sellers are pretending to be UK based, accepting that any returns will just be lost money, and providing a completely false address for returns.

Anybody else had similar?  I wonder if it's worth reporting, but my personal experience was ok - a full refund with no questions asked -  albeit a bit time-consuming.

pbartlett

I think it seems fair to say there are many Chinese sellers on there pretending to be UK based. Not sure how to avoid buying from them, although I would have thought if it gets much worse people will start avoiding eBay so I would have thought it in eBay's interest to sort it out.

soolin

It's not just ebay, I rarely buy from marketplace sellers on Amazon now due to the fact that so many of my orders suddenly switch from a UK based seller to a Far east one. However so many things I want are on Amazon that I do sometimes get tempted.

I've just had a goodwill refund from Amazon for an item that has been delayed for a week or two now and is suddenly showing a fake tracking number from China post - seller feedback is dropping like a stone either with non arrival complaints, or from wrong item received- they have gone from 90% when I purchased down to 44% when I last checked today. I couldn't open a proper A-Z as although my item was due last week it has now switched to end of May /beginning of June and has the message 'this is despatched but is running late'. Amazon just gave me a credit note for slightly more than the cost of the item and said due to feedback and location concerns the seller would be reported.

I also sell on etsy, and again lots of Far East sellers all selling brand new 'vintage' items supposedly in the UK but with 3 -4 week delivery estimates/

Cuilean

Pretty much the same thing.  Bought a cheap Kindle cover for the kids, seller supposedly in London.  It turned out to be entirely the wrong size for a Kindle, so I opened a case.  Within minutes, a returns label was generated, with the address of a flat in Coventry.  Sent it off at the post office, got my refund, and forgot about it.  A couple of weeks later, the thing came back to me with the "No such address" box ticked. I tried reporting it to eBay, but they weren't bothered.  I'd had my refund, so their part was done.  I kept the case for about a year and then gave it to the charity shop.  

No idea why Chinese sellers do it.  I can only assume that using a random UK address - even a fake one - is a ploy to convince eBay that they're UK based.  Highly unlikely that they've made a profit once they've paid out for an eBay returns label, especially on low value items.  They may as well just have issued a refund and said to keep the item.  These days I cut out the middle man and buy any necessary cheap tat directly from China through Ali Express, although that's not without its share of peculiar seller behaviours either

Jerry_Cornelius

I had a very similar issue with an item I bought from Amazon that turned out to be a Chinese seller. The item I received was fine, but It wasn't what I wanted; when i went to return it, that's when I found out. After messaging them, they offered me a 10% discount if I'd keep the item, but i responded that i wanted to return it, they then sent me an email offering me a 20% discount plus a return address if i still wanted to return it - in Clermont, France (I'm in UK obvs). I duly sent it to the address with tracking, the tracking showed it had got there and an attempted delivery was made and then it went quiet. After about 10 days with no more info or refund I was about to email the seller again when the item was returned as undeliverable! So i rattled off another email and they replied again offering me 20% off or a return address - this time in the UK! Why they didn't send me the UK address in the first place i'll never know, but as I'd already wasted money sending it to the first address, I was loathe to do it again, I decided to keep it and resell it. Amazon wouldn't help either. Makes me very wary of Chinse sellers now on Amazon and eBay.

One thing I do notice on eBay is if you search for an item, and you use the UK Only filter, you still get some Chinese sellers who seem to be registered in the UK somehow, and yet the delivery times are from China. I don't know why eBay permits this, its misleading.

Spoonie_Turtle

Jerry_Cornelius said:

One thing I do notice on eBay is if you search for an item, and you use the UK Only filter, you still get some Chinese sellers who seem to be registered in the UK somehow, and yet the delivery times are from China. I don't know why eBay permits this, its misleading.

This is when the report function comes in useful.

soolin

I've seen a sort of variation on this- I mentioned it in another connection on a different thread- but I ordered something from a UK seller on Amazon and it switched from arriving in 3 days- to coming via China post in 2 1/2 weeks. My Amazon order still shows as shipped within the UK but now 'despatched but running late'.

Lots of messages from buyer telling me they weren't actually able to post my item and saying they had refunded- but still marked it as despatched - got onto Amazon who agreed that seller looked scammy as they had made no attempt to cancel sale or refund- so refunded me anyway.

Seller feedback is dropping like a stone- down to 40% now with people saying they are being scammed- and now buyers, including myself are receiving a single mini sheet of cartoon characters- fully tracked! I'm lucky as I have y refund and will watch carefully to ensure it isn't clawed back- but others are now getting their claims rejected as seller is proving delivery.

This seller still shows a UK address, they are still selling and advertising 3 day deliveries - I did a live chat with Amazon again who just said they would refer the matter to their team again as seller looks like a scammer- but he's still there .