PSA: Avoid High Dollar eBay Sales to Canada

[MegaMan]

Alright I'm stinkin' mad here, but figure everyone should know this sooner rather than later since it may affect some people on here. I posted this to a different thread a few days ago:

"Curious to hear generally how eBay handles delivery disputes myself. Just got a refund request from a buyer on a $1,250 card. Canadian resident. Did label through eBay - w/ signature and insurance. Canada Post says delivered to “resident’s safe drop zone” … after several phone calls with USPS and Canada Post, turns out they’re still under Covid regs up there so they’re not getting signatures for delivery confirmation.

Wish someone had made that clear up front! I assume certain Canadian scammers know as much now as well, and that’s what I suspect I’m dealing with here. eBay is currently reviewing the case to make a decision."

UPDATE: I just got an email from eBay saying they resolved the case ... IN FAVOR OF THE GODDA**N BUYER. I have appealed, but given that they already have all of my evidence, specifically, PROOF OF GODDA**N DELIVERY FROM THE CANADIAN POST OFFICE, I don't know how I expect that an appeal will go any other way.

It was a BGS slabbed card so I have the serial number and am going to keep an eye out, but assuming the scammer is smart enough to crack it before listing it (or sell it in any number of a thousands other ways). Probably pulling all my other eBay listings and done with them for good. I know, I know, eBay is the worst, etc, etc. and one shouldn't sell on there in the first place. I get it, but this is outrageous, at least as far as I'm concerned.

[boxbuster7]

I've always been weary of shipping to canada. Hope this works out for you. $1,250 is a lot to be on the hook for.

Did the buyer have low feedback?

[mc1]

Ive never sold or shipped internationally. Including Canada, of course!

Im also never selling to anyone with a mailing address in Delaware.:)!

[Brobocop]

I know the ebay global shipping program gets a lot of hate but it's the only way I'll ship internationally. I know it's not 100% foolproof but in times when I used it, there wasn't a single issue.

Hope this gets resolved for you OP.

[mc1]

Guy, did you really need to post this in every section of the forum?:doh:

Youre asking to get reported.

[Arianny_Fan]

And ebay will be launching ebay vault for storage of trading cards. Yeah right ebay.

[Ericc5Bears]

The same thing happened to me on a $2000 sale except the buyer claimed "the package was ripped open and empty" when it got to him. Messaged him multiple times to provide proof, never did, ebay still decided in his favor. My guess is that international buyers feel a lot more comfortable scamming on sales like this because they know you live in a totally different country. As another poster said, this is why the international shipping sender is actually a great thing.

[Unwrapit]

I usually use SMC but when I do receive locally to the drop zone you still have to sign. This seems really fishy, he would still have to scan to receive unless it was a group mailbox. That would be slip only. Sry to hear but doesn’t make sense.


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[montej1695]

Man, sorry for this situation, really deters anyone from shipping outside of the US.

[bmf]

I stopped selling to Canada years ago. Was just tired of the scams and never got any help from Canadian authorities. No offense intended to our great Canadian members here, just telling it like it is. Not worth it.

[craigmacg]

I don’t know why so much hate for GSP as a seller. I’ve never had an issue with it. I’ve been selling soccer lately and it opens up sales to a lot more buyers. And it costs the same to ship to the Kentucky exchange as anywhere else and once it arrives there it’s no longer my problem. I recently had a $1700 item go through GSP to Canada in 13 days with no issues and positive feedback

[Blake050]

Do some items shipped to Canada go through the international exchange location in Kentucky, and others don't?

[rj.cataldo]

I agree with those who commented on GSP. Only way I’ll ship, as it opens up to too much liability otherwise. International buyers - especially those I’ve dealt with in Canada, offer try to get around it because they don’t want to pay duties. It may turn off some international buyers, but it’s the only way I’ll ship.


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[Karnage]

Wouldn't such a high dollar value card go through the authentication process now?

You would only have been obligated to ship to CSG, they are responsible to shipping to Canada.

IF you are shipping direct, label the package "DO NOT SAFEDROP", rather than leaving the package unattended (even with signature option, yeah CP is stupid) the item would be left at the nearest post office for pick up where a signature would be obtained.

[mc1]

Wouldn't such a high dollar value card go through the authentication process now?

You would only have been obligated to ship to CSG, they are responsible to shipping to Canada.

OPs card was graded and slabbed.

[Cardwax]

One of the reasons I keep it domestic. Sorry this happened man.

[DynaEtch]

Wouldn't such a high dollar value card go through the authentication process now?

You would only have been obligated to ship to CSG, they are responsible to shipping to Canada.

IF you are shipping direct, label the package "DO NOT SAFEDROP", rather than leaving the package unattended (even with signature option, yeah CP is stupid) the item would be left at the nearest post office for pick up where a signature would be obtained.

Ebay says directly on their website items are only eligible for Authenticity Guarantee when both the seller and the buyer are located in the continental US. You cant sell to someone in Canada with AG. That, and as mentioned it was a BGS graded card, also not eligible (in theory, some odd exceptions to this recently).

[jamcas997]

I always use EBAY GLOBAL ! If they want the item bad enough they will pay for it.

[boxbuster7]

I can also agree that I have never had a problem with the Ebay GSP. The buyer does get soaked for the shipping, but it is the most secure way to sell to other countries.

[valleynuckfan]

I agree with those who commented on GSP. Only way I’ll ship, as it opens up to too much liability otherwise. International buyers - especially those I’ve dealt with in Canada, offer try to get around it because they don’t want to pay duties. It may turn off some international buyers, but it’s the only way I’ll ship.


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The so-called "duties" are the actual scam- on the part of Pitney Bowes/GSP.
There are NO duties on cards coming into Canada, just PST and GST. The GSP inflates the shipping cost to an unrealistic level.
If the GSP simply shipped tracked/signature then it would be fine. But their shipping charges are really not realistic to the actual cost. They are in fact usually at least double or more than what the cost should be.
No shade being thrown at those that only ship Int'l with the GSP since it covers your a** for a $4 mail out to Kentucky.

For about $14 a US based seller can ship with tracking to the GWN and open their market (specifically hockey) to a much larger audience and buyer base and be covered the same way they ship domestically to all of their US buyers.
Most Canadians have zero issue with paying $15 for a $75+ card.
I ship to the US and charge $12-$14 for tracking and have never had an item not be delivered. Only time this happens is when I ship without tracking ($4) for lower value items to compete with cheaper US shipping.

And as noted in the Hockey B/S/T Forum same thread the OP also dropped, I'm not sure about some of the comments in his original post. There were several responses from Canadian members confirming that signatures are required if called for.
But the thread seems to be gone now and those posts deleted for whatever reason.
We here in Canada are really under no Covid protocols right now. Canada Post requires me to sign for items that are sent with signature confirmation and have for several months now.
Also, if the tracking shows delivered then this sounds more like an Ebay issue rather than a Canada Post issue.
And maybe the purchased shipping label although noted as being bought with insurance and signature in fact did not and was just sent as a Tracked Packet?

In the other thread (now gone) I asked for the OP to post up the buyer's Ebay ID and location. Not necessarily because he may/may not be a scammer but so we would Know that maybe there is a delivery issue in a specific area that sellers want to avoid. Or the buyer needs to be blocked by some?
Also, post a pic of the card so we can look out for it.
If the sale was to the Vancouver area we have a monster show this weekend and who knows- maybe it makes an appearance?

[valleynuckfan]

The same thing happened to me on a $2000 sale except the buyer claimed "the package was ripped open and empty" when it got to him. Messaged him multiple times to provide proof, never did, ebay still decided in his favor. My guess is that international buyers feel a lot more comfortable scamming on sales like this because they know you live in a totally different country. As another poster said, this is why the international shipping sender is actually a great thing.
I've been on the receiving end of a bubble mailer that was slit open with the card removed about a year and a half ago.
As the buyer it really sucked. Was a $200 card that is currently selling in the $1300 range.
Getting restitution was OK, but knowing the card was a blue-chipper virtually guaranteed to increase in value really hurt.

[DynaEtch]

So any update on this?

Or info what the card is so people can look for it?

[DynaEtch]

Since no follow-up, I'm guessing OP was made whole somehow, probably refund from ebay (correct me if Im wrong). People generally make noise when there is a problem and not so much noise when there's not a problem. I remember this thread was spammed on all 4 sports hobby talk forums originally when there was a problem, to now no word.

The reason it would be nice to know is because people probably ship to Canada a lot (I dont, but surely many do), and if ebay really made someone be out both the money and card on a $1250 card, who did everything right (sig confirmation, insurance), then it's important to know. And the buyer's ID should probably be posted in any case. But guessing OP was made whole.

[valleynuckfan]

Since no follow-up, I'm guessing OP was made whole somehow, probably refund from ebay (correct me if Im wrong). People generally make noise when there is a problem and not so much noise when there's not a problem. I remember this thread was spammed on all 4 sports hobby talk forums originally when there was a problem, to now no word.

The reason it would be nice to know is because people probably ship to Canada a lot (I dont, but surely many do), and if ebay really made someone be out both the money and card on a $1250 card, who did everything right (sig confirmation, insurance), then it's important to know. And the buyer's ID should probably be posted in any case. But guessing OP was made whole.
OP has been on the board numerous times since he started this thread being so 'stinking mad', up to yesterday in fact with no updates or comments regarding the buyer's ebay ID or a pic of the card in question.
I agree it seems to be a lot of whining until he was made good.
Or just a lot of whining period?

[DontToewsMeBro]

Sorry for your bad luck running into a scammer

But scammers are everywhere. It's not just Canada. Soooooooooooooo many US buyers do the same thing.

NEVER... EVER... send anything worth over $200+ through Canada Post or USPS. Use UPS or FedEx or Purolator. They will never "drop" a package. The buyer must go in to a depot to get it if they are not home for signature.