Covering your butt with international shipping. **Edit: It was a SCAM!**

[Mauzy]

Anybody have any useful tips to avoid the old "my box arrived empty" excuse? I forgot to not allow international shipping on my iPod auction and it was won by a person with a single, year old feedback in France. I haven't heard too much bad about customs, but I know crap happens or supposedly happens. Is there a way to kinda have a line of defense if I ship it and they claim I shipped an empty box or some other crap to get their money back through PayPal and to get the iPod free?

I don't want this to sound like a slam to the French or any other European nations, I just know that ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- happens especially to people with new-looking ebay accounts. Mine only has 4 feedback but that's because I used my parents account for several years.

Edit: I will probably be using the USPS unless someone can give me a good reason to switch to UPS.

[hypernova]

I just shipped a few things to two different Brazilians.  No problems.  I've never had problems with the stuff I've shipped overseas.

Also, you could just refuse to ship it, and converse with the winner about the mistake.  He may be totally understanding.  Tell him some crap about so many problems before (you could even mention this particular problem) and that you forgot to remove the int'l part.  Or tell him you don't want to try messing with it, since you've never done it before.

[RayB]

Technically you're just as likely to get scammed by americans, so I don't see what you're so afraid of Mauzy.

[Mauzy]

Technically you're just as likely to get scammed by americans, so I don't see what you're so afraid of Mauzy.

Hmm... His shipping address just changed to Nigeria and he sent an extra $20... I guess I was accidentally right this time...

I will hold the details until everything is square, but I'll get back to y'all...

[shmokes]

Technically you're just as likely to get scammed by americans, so I don't see what you're so afraid of Mauzy.

No you're not.  It's a federal offense to scam someone over state lines.  In America you have access to law enforcement who will help you.  Let's see you try to contact Brazilian or French police to help you after you get scammed.  Scammers know that they can ---fudgesicle--- foreigners over more or less with impunity, so they do.  You are WAY more likely to get scammed by foreigners than Americans.

[RayB]

Yeah, like the feds will give a crap about a $120 IPod.

[shmokes]

Local law enforcement enforces federal law.

[hypernova]

Definitely a scammer.  Run like hell from that transaction.

[ChadTower]

Ship the dude a broken ipod?

[shardian]

Sometimes I feel bad for the 2 or 3 honest people in Nigeria that want to conduct international business.

That would be a hilarious comedy sketch!

[Mauzy]

Ship the dude a broken ipod?

Ha! I actually considered that for a moment. This actually got me reading the 419 forums. Some people get some pretty good laughs out of this ---meecrob--- bags.

[Level42]

It often depends on _what_ you are selling. Any Ipod stuff and the likes are likely to receive scams.
Arcade hardware ? Much less likely.

It's really funny, I've been scammed only once and it was by an American from another arcade forum.

You should always use common sense national or international. And legal stuff is nice, but the costs of any legal action won't be worth it for such a relative low amount of money.

Also Hypernova is wrong. You agreed to a legal transaction by offering it on e-bay. It's a contract ! Technically you can't get away with it. This is for seller and buyer alike. Read the fine print.

[shmokes]

It's really funny, I've been scammed only once and it was by an American from another arcade forum.

Of course, when I said you're much less likely to be scammed by an American I was talking to an American.  For you an American is a foreigner and then the same cautions apply.  Essentially scammers know that they are MUCH safer scamming someone in a different country.  So they do.

[hypernova]

Also Hypernova is wrong. You agreed to a legal transaction by offering it on e-bay. It's a contract ! Technically you can't get away with it. This is for seller and buyer alike. Read the fine print.

Ooooooo!     Like the fine print's ever stopped anyone.

I don't give that advice to anyone to ignore a transaction for any dumb reason.  I only gave the advice because let's face it, once the address was changed, everyone's spidey-sense was tingling.  He originally wanted to get out of the transaction.  Via a courteous email and a full refund, this is easily accomplished.  eBay has options to cancel transactions.

I just had to opt out of a transaction to Brazil (different one) because Paypal flagged the transaction and held it.  About a week later, the guy deactivates his account, and the following day, emails me about hoping the payment goes through.  Once he left eBay, I contacted Paypal, and had them refund his money that was held, and told the buyer it was over.

Now it's not the same situation, but similar results.

[Mauzy]

I also got what turned out to be (after confirmed by ebay and paypal) fake pages saying that the address change was legit and a paypal page saying that $200 was put into my account ($50 more than the end price).

I've emailed ebay everything they've asked for (headers and such), so now its only a matter of time.

[Mauzy]

It's all square. eBay canceled the transaction and refunded my fees and such. All is good.


Anyone want an 80 gb Black Classic? Excellent shape! 

[Level42]

It's all square. eBay canceled the transaction and refunded my fees and such. All is good.


Anyone want an 80 gb Black Classic? Excellent shape! 

Naahh, you're not doing international sales (And I've already got a 16 GB Nano4)