Possible Scam?

[rickc_97]

Hi, just sold my laptop for £500 but the buyer's account says they are based in the US, even though their  shipping address says Manchester. I am worried  this may be a scam, any help would be much appreciated. How to avoid the scam, if it is a scam etc.

Cheers!

[red_magpie]

Remember that for seller protection you MUST only deliver the item to an address that the buyer has registered with PayPal.

If the address they have given you doesn't appear on the pp confirmation, ask the buyer to add it.

If you send it to an unregistered address, the buyer can claim a full refund from eBay, even though you sent it to the address they requested. (This has happened, quite recently!)

If they don't do so very promptly, or you're worried about proceeding with the sale, you can cancel it through the resolution centre. Be sure to select "problem with buyer's address" as the reason, to avoid getting a defect for not completing the sale. If they leave you negative feedback eBay customer support might be willing to remove it.

By the way, be aware that the risks don't end when the buyer has safely received the item. EBay gives them 30 days in which to claim a refund, they can invent any fault to justify this. You would have to send them a prepaid return label, and refund them in full. If an item is returned damaged, or even switched for another one, many sellers have told us that eBay has still enforced a refund.

And keep your proofs of posting and delivery for at least six months, because that's how long paypal gives buyers to complain that their item didn't arrive. Yes, they could leave it until mid-June 2021, and if you couldn't prove it was delivered it would mean an automatic refund!

EBay is a very risky place to sell anything of value.