ebay/paypal query

[fiddlecollector]

Are you covered as a seller if you post something from the UK to  a  US PO BOX. If you cant get a signature ( PO box) how would  you prove to ebay/paypal if the buyer were to claim he hasn`t received the item?? I usually only send by recorded services that require a signature to cover me.

[Greg F.]

I'd say it's pretty much impossible for the seller.   Most everything on ebay/paypal is biased in the buyer's favor.  

FWIW, I've been selling (and buying) on ebay for about 20 years with somewhere around 20,000 transactions, including ones to all parts of the world.

[MarkBouquet]

You could send a package with delivery confirmation. I really don't know if eBay/PayPal would accept that as proof of delivery. And what if you bought USPS insurance? Couldn't you then rely on the Post Office to document the package delivery? Furthermore, who says you can't require a signature when shipping to a P.O. box? Then the Post Office holds the package until the recipient shows ID and signs for receipt of it. P.O. boxes are usually inside Post Offices. I think you have a lot of options and it's not really a problem.

[fiddlecollector]

Ordinarily i wouldn`t have a problem with sending to PO box and i know that the recipient would have to collect the item and usually sign for it. But with ebay /paypal the address given is the PO Box and the tracking would stop on delivery of the item at the PO BOX. The signature would not appear on my tracking search , which means i would have no signature proof that the recipient signed for it  and so nothing to stop a buyer claiming that it hasnt been received.

[martin swan]

Pretty much all courier insurance policies exclude musical instruments in their small print.

It's a few years since I sold anything on Ebay but I'm sure you have to send to the buyer's paypal registered address or you are unprotected. Since it's not possible to use a PO box as a paypal registered address I would say don't do it.

[fiddlecollector]

Problem is the their ebay registered address is a Name , PO Box number etc.. so likely the paypal is the same though havent seen it yet!

I tend to trust people too much ,so unsure how to proceed.

I had PO box blocked in  my ebay preferences ,so their one attempt at payment via paypal failed.

[Richf]

Is ebay's Global Shipping Program available to you in the UK?  If so, you should be covered if you first send it to one of their collection centers and let them post it directly to the buyer.  Of course, it's possible the program wouldn't accept PO addresses either.  Have you asked the buyer for a different address?

[martin swan]

The Global Shipping Programme is a complete rip-off in which Ebay pockets large amounts of theoretical import duty for doing absolutely nothing.

For business buyers it's a nightmare since none of the import duty can be reclaimed.

[MarkBouquet]

I think the eBay global shipping program came about because so many sellers, like myself admittedly, simply didn't want to deal with the inconvenience of going to the Post Office, often paying for parking, more often than not waiting in line, and filling out customs forms for what are often low priced items. So, like me admittedly, they simply checked the no international sales box on the listing page. eBay was desperate to keep their forum international, so they came up with the global shipping program. I admit that I'm often appalled at the shipping cost international buyers sometimes have to pay under the global shipping program, but I just figure that's their choice. Remember that for non-international sales I can simply buy and print the postage on my own computer, tape it to the package, and drop the package off during off hours. I'm just a hobbyist seller, forever cleaning out my house or selling the occasional estate sale bargain. I guess I'm just not customer service oriented enough.

[fiddlecollector]

Ive decided to cancel the transaction which hasnt been paid for yet. Too many irregularities , like phone numbers belonging to someone with a different name  when doing  reverse look up and other things i would rather not go into.

Can`t be bothered with the hassle!

[l33tplaya]

22 hours ago, fiddlecollector said:

Ordinarily i wouldn`t have a problem with sending to PO box and i know that the recipient would have to collect the item and usually sign for it. But with ebay /paypal the address given is the PO Box and the tracking would stop on delivery of the item at the PO BOX. The signature would not appear on my tracking search , which means i would have no signature proof that the recipient signed for it  and so nothing to stop a buyer claiming that it hasnt been received.

In the US, delivering to a box with return receipt requested, or signature required, forces a signature, which is captured and included with the tracking information.  I assume that information would be available in the UK as well?  In any case, on Paypal, I registered both my addresses, perhaps your customer can do the same.