posted on December 22, 2000 08:44:35 AM
I have someone from Scotland that wants to pay with paypal, but send to a US address. Should I accept this? Is Scotland a place with fraudulent credit cards? Any help is appreciated!
posted on December 22, 2000 08:49:55 AM
I've had several overseas buyers want their items sent to a US address. Many of these people have friends or relatives in the US and they will get it when they visit or the person visits them. No big deal. I wouldn't worry.
posted on December 22, 2000 09:15:33 AM
Loosecannon,
I was wondering if maybe you could help me too. I have another sale that is from Canada. This is my first international sale, so I am a bit nervous. I wanted to try to do worldwide auctions to see how it went. I sold a book for 1.99 to someone in Canada. I check the USPS site for rates..it looks like 4.00 is the cheapest I can send this. Do you know anything about bookrate to Canada? I hope you can help. Also with the custom forms, are they hard to fill out? Thanks for your help if you can?
Kelly
posted on December 22, 2000 09:24:04 AM
Check first to see if Scotland is on Paypal's approved list of countries.
Secondly, remember, if for some reason it IS a fraudulent transaction, you will NOT be covered by paypal's seller policy for 2 reasons. International sales are not covered AND if you ship to an address other than the credit card billing address, you are not covered.
Customs forms are not a big deal. Under 2 pounds (I think), it is the green form, and just fill out the info needed. Over 2 pounds, it gets the big white form. Again, self-explanitory, and not a big deal. Info is sender address, receiver address, contents and value. Be sure to put what they paid, and do not inflate the value. If the recipient has to pay customs fees, they pay based upon the value you put. So, don't make them pay more then they have to!!
posted on December 22, 2000 09:27:15 AM
No, the customs forms aren't difficult. Just takes a couple of minutes. If you have any questions your postal clerk can help you out. There are two different forms and certain packages require one or the other. A small green and white is usally used on small packages and is very simple. There's another that is larger and a little more complicated and it usually goes on the larger/heavier packages.
I don't know about the 4.00 rate going to Canada. That may be the cheapest (and also the slowest) method.
Some may ask you to declare the item as a gift or sample on the Customs form rather than merchandise, and ask you to put in a lower amount than the purchase price. It's up to you, but it's against the law to falsify a Customs form I'm sure.
posted on December 22, 2000 09:53:24 AM
Thanks so much Kidsfeet, and loosecannon! This helps a lot! Thanks for the fast replies too.
As far as Scotland being on the protection list, it isn't. Should I not accept his transaction? He has 42 positives, 2 of which is the last week. Well thanks again for helping out.
posted on December 22, 2000 10:12:07 AM
I don't know about refusing the transaction. I wouldn't, but I'll let someone else give you advise on that one.
posted on December 22, 2000 10:29:54 AM
If he is from a country not on the approved list of countries from paypal, then he cannot technically have a paypal account.
I would NOT accept paypal from this bidder. He needs to pay via international money order, or Bidpay. Bidpay.com is a service that allows him to purchase a money order with his credit card. You do not have to join, and it does not cost YOU anything. Bidpay will send you TWO e-mails. One that the money order has been ordered, and the second that it has been approved,and the money order is on it's way to you. If it is a stolen credit card, bidpay will not approve the transaction.
Here is a link on avoiding fraud. Take the time to read it, as you already have a couple of red flags with this transaction.
posted on December 22, 2000 10:34:11 AM
Scotland is not a hotbed for credit card fraud---but you might tell the buyer that you can't ship if it is not to the billing address---ask them if their friend in the USA has a Paypal account and have them pay you---and they can pay the friend.
I'm sure they are most likely just trying to avoid the high duty fees from Great Britain--or they have arranged for this person to accept their purchases so they can bid on any auction--including 'ship to USA' only ones.
posted on December 22, 2000 10:56:29 AM
You can check postage rates at
http://ircalc.usps.gov/
It often helps to print out the results and take it with you to the PO. Seems some PO clerks are less than fully knowledgable about international rates.
US$ 4.30 is the small packet surface rate to Canada for 2 pounds, so $4.00 seems in the ballpark.
posted on December 22, 2000 11:16:22 AMZazzie is correct, Scotland is part of the UK, as is Ireland. They are not independent nations.
As far as PayPal, if the purchase cost isn't too high, I'd certainly go along with it. Shipping to a U.S. address is a common occurrence. So far, 60% of my foreign buyers have paid me with checks drawn on their U.S. accounts, and have had me ship to U.S. addresses. I've had NO problems with international sales.
posted on December 22, 2000 11:21:07 AM
I used to live in Scotland. Whenever I bought things on eBay I had them shipped to my US address because it was cheaper and I knew eventually my parents would send them along to me.
Is it possible this is just a US student like I was, with a PayPal account set up with their US credit card or bank account? Even if not, I doubt it's a case of fraud.
posted on December 22, 2000 11:21:12 AM
Puleeeeeze! NORTHERN Ireland! The country (free and independent from the UK since 192something) of Ireland would not take kindly to being lumped with the UK, which consists, I believe of:
England + Wales + Scotland + Northern Ireland
posted on December 22, 2000 03:34:17 PM
I live in Scotland and I buy stuff from Ebay all the time. I get it shipped to my friend in Ohio and pick it up when I visit. In fact I'm flying out again in 4 days time.
As to whether Scotland is a place where they 'have fraudulent credit cards', I would say that Scotland is no better or worse than this respect than the US. You are taking about the same sort of risk as if you took a check from a US buyer which later bounced, or a Paypal payment that was later subject to a chargeback. And most sellers, whilst aware of these risks, are still quite happy to accept these forms of payment.
I am totally amazed at how little people really know about Scotland even now in these days of the so-called 'Global Village'. I'm afraid films like 'Braveheart' have a lot to answer for. We don't all live in crofting cottages and wear kilts you know. Years ago when I was at St Andrews University, the parent of a new student who was coming from the US wrote to the Dean to ask if her son should bring an oil lamp as she had heard that many places in Scotland 'didn't have electricity'!!!!!!!!!
posted on December 22, 2000 06:05:32 PM
Just an aside. I personally am not worried about Scotland per se being a "hot bed of fraud". And it has nothing to do with geography lessons. As a merchant, I am ALWAYS concerned when someone in one country (no matter where) wants to pay via credit card, and send the merchandise to another country. A red flag goes up when I see that.
And, I ALWAYS check up on orders where people have give a credit card billing address and ask to send merchandise to another address. There are many reasons. It might be as innocent as someone sending a gift, or hiding a gift from someone in the same household. But, it might also be an ex-spouse trying to run up a credit card bill, or it may, indeed, be a stolen credit card.
As a seller with a merchant account, one of the first signs of fraud the credit card companies warn you about is when someone wants to ship to an address other than the billing address. A seller should proceed with caution when this occurs. If a buyer were to do a chargeback claiming they did not get merchandise, I am not covered if I do not send the merchandise to the billing address. A chargeback is automatically granted in that case, and I am out the money, the merchandise PLUS a $25.00 chargeback fee.
So, yes, I am always cautious whether it is Scotland, the US or any other place.
