Note from buyer: I am sending this to someone and I don't want him to find out that the item is from

[square-monkey]

I've had a few sales with a note from the (same) buyer:  

'I am sending this to someone and I don't want him to find out that the item is from ebay so kindly don't put any receipt or invoice in the parcel and send it in plain packaging.' These have all had different postal addresses. The only thing I can think of is my/these items are being sold by the buyer and getting me to ship direct to their buyer. The only problem I can see is if my item hasn't been correctly described in their listing, I'm more likely to get a NAD return request, and bad FB. Anyone else see any potential problems?

[**peaseblossom**]

If they're reselling your items I would think they'd recycle your description too.    

[cobwebcottage]

Always send your items to the address on the order.

If you are not happy with the instructions, block the buyer. 

[papso22]

Is there any evidence from the buyer's account that they are buying to sell?  If they are doing as you suspect then the item they bought from you would have to already be listed/sold by them on their account.

You don't sell things that look like they would be gifts!

I would block the buyer from future purchases if their actions are making you uncomfortable.

[*vyolla*]

How many orders are we talking about here?

[square-monkey]

Maybe not advertising on ebay, as they didn't want anything relating to ebay on or in the parcel.

[square-monkey]

Yes  i do, but these have been different addresses for all purchases.

[square-monkey]

Only 2 recently and 2 a while back, it's just the total value is over £300!

[sianchris]

If you decide to send the items just DON`T send to any address other than his registered address which is on eBays order details, you could be in for an even bigger headache with it all 

[papso22]

You no longer have to send to the registered address.  Buyers can put any address for delivery when they checkout, that's the address sellers must use to get any seller protection.

[sowingseason17]

This buyer is engaging in dropshipping, which is technically against the terms of use for eBay, but I think that applies to selling, not buying.

"Dropshipping is an e-commerce business model where you sell products online without keeping any inventory yourself. When a customer buys from your store, you forward the order to a third-party supplier (like a manufacturer or wholesaler) who ships the product directly to the customer. Your profit is the difference between what the customer paid and what you pay the supplier"

Sounds like a massive headache to me, personally, and not a profession I'd like to have. The stress involved if an item showed up damage makes my head spin, and personally as a seller I would rather that drop shippers not be entitled to refunds as a seller I can look at feedback and make judgements based on it... to block sketchy sellers or those who have feedback that warns about selling to them. When you sell to a drop shipper that no longer exists.

[sml192]

---

@sowingseason17 wrote:

This buyer is engaging in dropshipping, which is technically against the terms of use for eBay, but I think that applies to selling, not buying.

---

It does appear that the buyer may be engaging in a form of 'dropshipping' but no real way of proving that.  Dropshipping in itself isn't actually against eBay policy if conducted correctly, i.e. where the seller has a formal agreement with the supplier.  What this person appears to be doing would be against policy though.

[bravergrace]

I have something similar happen occasionally, where one buyer buys several of my items and wants it sent to different addresses.  It isn't necessarily "dropshipping", though.  Here are three examples:

- one buyer is doing their shopping on eBay, and buys 12 matching ties for a special event (say, a funeral or a stag do), but wants them all sent to the people who'll be wearing them.

- the buyer works for the costume department of a film company, and buys things for 3 different films.  They want them sent straight to the places where the films are being shot, to save them having to wait for them to arrive and then post them on.

- the buyer's job is to source things for customers: say books, or antique pub decor.  They want the things sent to the customer.  But they don't want the customer to know where they got it, or else they're doing themselves out of a job!

- someone is buying Christmas presents, but doesn't want an argument with Auntie Jane who doesn't approve of eBay, or Uncle Tom who thinks everything sold on eBay is stolen or a fake.  It's easier not to let them know ...

[jefftopman]

Hi with simple delivery your parcel would have a market place postage label. Difficult to hide.

[sml192]

---

@jefftopman wrote:

Hi with simple delivery your parcel would have a market place postage label. Difficult to hide.

---

Yes, not only 'Marketplace seller' but 'Paid by eBay Simple Delivery' aswell so a complete giveaway.

[pillarboxred]

f (s)he is listing your items on other sites while your listing is "live" then that is against eBay's rules and would be illegal. Your photos would have to be pirated.
I take it the items were sent to different addresses which the buyer had entered on eBay as alternative, "gift" addresses, a practice which eBay allows. As long as you send to the address on the eBay invoice and label, you are "in the clear". If your buyer has relisted the items, any NAD claim from their buyer would have to go to your buyer, not you. Depending on the time window, I doubt the buyer would then be able to raise a claim against you as time would have run out. Your buyer should have opened a NAD claim on receipt. It is a curious situation but perhaps not as dangerous as you fear.
The key is to insist on sending to an address listed on eBay for that item. As your address will not be on the parcel, the third party buyer would not be able to return the item to you without being told it was an eBay purchase. If your buyer asked for the item to be returned to him, he would swallow that cost.

[pillarboxred]

Yes: I couldn't think up examples although there might be such an explanation for the OP's curious situation. I wish I had a similar problem right now.