Buyer requesting item to be posted to shipping centre when it was UK Collect in person only

[achroin]

I have a set of 10 Duplo toy sets in boxes,  which having been listed a while , I made an automatic discount offer,  as it was eligible. Owing to overall size and fragility I set the listing to be collect in person UK only and I am definitely not enrolled in the  Global Shipping Programme.

I received a counter-offer which I was about to accept when I noticed that the buyer was resident in Hong Kong. I did not accept the counter-offer but messaged him to explain how he proposed to collect the item, was he going to employ a proxy courier to take it to a unspecified "transshipment centre" in London which he mentioned in his reply?

I later asked in another message, if the courier would be bringing suitable boxes as we had none available. As the deadline for responding was imminent, I accepted his counter-offer and the item (which does not appear as an order in Seller Hub) appears only when I select "Respond Now" in the Counter-Offer message and is marked "Pending Awaiting Payment". It does not appear in Seller hub "Awaiting Payments".

Then today the buyer messaged me to say that he wants to pay for postage and packaging outside of eBay,  (on trust),  for me to post the items by Royal Mail to the transshipment centre".

This is a red flag to me as it breaches my Seller Protections and probably other eBay policies.

I responded to the buyer thus:

I cannot see how I can cancel the transaction or withdraw the offer acceptance myself as it is not yet an order, anyone got any ideas about this unusual situation ?

Should I perhaps report the buyer or raise a dispute if he does not comply ? the buyer has not yet paid - will the offer time-out if he continues to do so perhaps ?

[moldosgifts]

Block immediately,

Add to your blocked bidder list and  reply to that message sorry cannot do that and i will be cancelling the order

You can cancel the order with reason problem with buyer address then also complain to ebay about this message 

[achroin]

I've done that now, thanks,  but there is still the thorny problem that I cannot see how I can cancel the transaction when it has not actually become an order or an awaiting  payment in Seller Hub,  (other than withdrawing the item from sale, if eBay will permit me to do it).

[achroin]

Went into "cancel bids" but it won't work as there was never a bid to cancel ....

[moldosgifts]

So it is just an offer so far?

If not paid nothing to cancel so just leave it alone and when the time comes raise an unpaid item case against the buyer hit the cheeky git twice.

Think you've to wait 4 days before you can raise an unpaid item case.

[achroin]

It's a counter-offer to an automatic offer which you can send to current watchers and future viewers when eBay deems it "eligible".

I think you are right that unless this individual does not actually make a payment, there is no case to answer.

I think that I will sit tight and see what he tries next, if at all.