Buyer wants to arrange their own postage.

[ems.treasures83]

Hi, a buyer has messaged me wanting to buy two items, the price has been agreed but they want to arrange their own postage and asked for my address for the postman to collect it - one item is a ring which I stated I want to send out special delivery for compensation purposes - I'm really not keen on this and would rather remain in control of posting items out myself but wondered if this was safe to do anyway?

[jckl1957]

I would stick to your guns and just say a firm 'no'.

You need tracked postage that you have paid for so that in the event of loss, you are able to make a claim.

This sounds a bit 'dodgy' to me - it is not something I have been asked in 20 years.

[double_o_heaven]

I can't see the value of the ring, but assuming it is at least a few bob, DO NOT allow it to be collected by anyone.

I didn't even know you could send a "postie" to an address like you can a courier tbh, but even if you can I wouldn't allow it.  You have zero reason to, and plenty to not!

[plum993]

Keep transactions on the ebay site and stick to posting special delivery, entering tracking on the order details page when posting for ebay to view when you dispatch the item.

No need for a buyer to collect in person (not an option I could see on the listings),as the rings I viewed are not of high value and when you do sell  on ebay the buyer chooses the collection point for click and collect if that is an option they choose, so they don't need your address.

Sounds a bit like a red flag to me.

[john1297576]

It is possible to have items picked up by Royal Mail, but only by buying postage from them and arranged through your local delivery office.

What is being requested is not on, I suspect that the caller would not be a genuine postie.

To be honest, in my opinion you should have nothing to do with this seller, cancelling the sale, there used to be a reason something like “buyer is requesting a service which I am not offering” and add to your blocked bidders list. I think if you continue with this sale you risk losing the ring, and having no money.

[double_o_heaven]

Yes, I was aware that the Post Office will collect from a seller - but at their request, not the buyer's.

To give a buyer your home address for them to then send literally anyone as you say, is a definite no-no!  And not something they can do through the post office anyway, so the request has to be bogus!

[red_magpie]

I don't think that anyone has asked this before.

As you offer collection as an option you could allow collection by courier, so presumably also I suppose by Royal Mail.

Theoretically the transaction would not be covered by eBay's money back guarantee because it was collected by a third party. However, I don't imagine that RM would participate in eBay's collection code or QR code system, so you would have no evidence of collection. This would leave you vulnerable to a money back guarantee claim or chargeback.

It doesn't seem a good idea. In any case, I don't see what the buyer hopes to achieve by this as you already offer delivery by Royal Mail.

[ems.treasures83]

Thanks for the replies and helpful advice. After receiving further messages from the buyer,  I think they wanted to get cheaper postage by going online and doing the royal mail click & drop service for tracked 48 which offers collection from your address  (as the sender)- so thats why they wanted my address I think so they could arrange it as if it was me arranging it (if that makes sense) rather than the buyer just asking me if I would combine the postage (which I wasn't offering  to do as one item is a ring so isn't covered for compensation under tracked 48) I just thought it was strange they wanted to buy and arrange postage on my behalf rather than just ask if I would send both items together as tracked 48 (which they never asked me)