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Just sold something on ebay for £250, and the buyer is Alfaparcel , who seem to be a forwarding firm for Russia and Ukraine. I'd set the price high enough that I'd hoped people would just get in touch, make an offer and we could settle it outside of ebay (and avoid the risk of fraudulent buyers - it's how most of my ebay sales end up going).
I'm a bit nervous about this one. Other than getting the fully insured, signed for postage option and plenty of photos of the package, is there anything else I can do to try and avoid getting relieved of both the goods and the money?
I share your nervousness! I now cancel transactions like this, my view is if I don’t understand it and am not comfortable then I won’t follow through with the transaction as a vendor. eBay is too biased to dishonest buyers nowadays. Also be careful about dealing outside of eBay I got an official warning when someone contacted me directly!!! I replied saying I had the item listed elsewhere! Then got reprimanded for it! I have all but given up using eBay now. It’s become to greedy and a joke!
Unless it's being forwarded through eBay own international postage scheme. I'd cancel the sale.
I buy things from around the world through Aramex which is a forwarding company. They provide different addresses, eg a UK one, and anything sent there is forwarded to me in 3 days or so.
I've bought ebay things and the issue is more than on the purchaser's side as they have their package signed for by the courier company without seeing the goods.
Your call though, and Russia / Ukraine does ring alarm bells, but not necessarily suspicious.
I'd look at their feedback and previous purchases. I've got over 500 ebay purchases and 100% feedback on a range of items which helps me.
I suppose so long as Alfaparcel signs for the package, my responsibility stops there - I don't even know the identity of the actual buyer. Alfaparcel has 18k+ feedback as a buyer, so clearly quite an established business. Obviously any disputed transactions won't show, as sellers can't leave negative feedback.
I do hate ebay, but it's the only way to get some stuff shifted for a decent price.
Our business sends stuff to these forwarding types frequently, sometimes they are transparent and we know about it, sometimes not. I'd say they are no more problematic than any other UK address, as long as items are tracked you probably won't hear anything more.
A warning for dealing outside ebay?
i’d have told them to jog on, a new email adress costs nowt.
I've had the warning too. Tend to just disconnect all payment methods from Paypal if they start getting arsey.
Ooh, I sold something to Alfaparcel on the 15 March and never clicked they were a forwarding service, apart from no feedback being left I’ve not had any problems so it’ll probably be ok..
probably...
I’ve had three warnings for going outside of ebay up to yet for buying and selling, they can kma tbf..