Very unusual ebay situation

Posted 7th Mar 2023

Have 2 identical nintendo items on ebay buy it now listings, recieved a good offer from someone with good feedback to buy both posted to an address in wales, but upon checking the account is registered in brazil and the ebay user name is identical to a Brazilian online gaming shop.
His feedback all seems to be from gaming related items in the uk and is all positive so doesn't seem dodgy but just seems very weird.
Why would someone move to the uk from brazil and then buy items here to sell online in Brazil, it doesn't add up unless this person just copied the name of a Brazilian business for his user name which just happens to be in the same sector as all the items hes buying.
I decided to decline the offer, would you have done the same ?

Post

Share with WhatsApp

Share with Messenger

Retailer Offers and Issues

New Comment

40 Comments

sorted by

Player_One
7th Mar
Buyer could be based in Brazil , but is buying items to send to someone he knows in the UK. Then when all the items have arrived with his friend, his friend will post them to him.

I actually do this same thing all the time in the USA. My account is UK and I buy on Ebay.com with it and have items sent to my friends in America to hold for me.
Mark_Hickman Author
7th Mar
Fair enough, ive already declined now though and saves me taing a 50/50 risk
gslcjunk
7th Mar
He’s probably importing stuff to Brazil as the cost is extortionate over there example being a PS5 will be about $950 USD
Mark_Hickman Author
7th Mar
I guess thats a possibility, these are only £40 each though so i wouldn't have thought so in this instance
Kb64
7th Mar
I have heard games and consoles are very expensive in places like Brazil
J_Dietrich
11th Mar
You've heard right. Brazil has notoriously high tariffs and taxes on imported goods. A 128GB iPhone 14 costs £849 over here, but costs more than £1200 in Brazil. Obviously that creates a lucrative business opportunity for people who can evade the normal channels and avoid paying those taxes. It's like the old days of the booze cruise, but with eBay and gadgets rather than an Austin Allegro full of plonk and fags.
carpainting
7th Mar
Hacked account, instant decline.

Had similar with a guy who wanted me to post to a dodgy address, googled and was a Russian forwarding service. Said he was a UK based cycling fanatic but his profile location was Kazakhstan

connor.jackson
7th Mar
Registered for 4 years, 148 feedback, and 100% positive... All purchasing game related items, and still trying to purchase a gaming related item. Hacked account would not be my first assumption... Also, 100% covered under eBay's guarantee either way..
charlie12
7th Mar
This is legit and @Player_One is correct, except the “friend” is a forwarding service. The “suite” number in the address is the customer ID for the service.

It was fair to be suspicious but it’s hardly “very unusual”.
Mark_Hickman Author
11th Mar
You were spot on with this, the buyer has been in touch with me since via messaging and his surname on ebay is carvalho matching the Brazilian shop and his ebay account user.
It is a forwarding service and he sells the controllers he offered me £65 each for at 700 Brazilian real which is £111.
Now im curious how you knew there was a suite number ?
Also how does someone set themselves up as a forwarding address (edited)
HellRazer
7th Mar
You did the right thing OP. It's easier to avoid any POSSIBLE hassle vs. having to deal with trouble buyers. Decline away!
Willy_Wonka
7th Mar
You only post to the address given by ebay at point of checkout

You do not post to any other address regardless of conversation.
Buckyball
7th Mar
Can someone get those games in Brazil or are they just exclusively sold in other regions?
Mark_Hickman Author
7th Mar
They're nintendo switch controllers not games, but i still dont see how that would be profitable to buy items here then advertise in brazil and post them there either direct or to friend or family, seems like a really odd way to do business (edited)
thepostie
7th Mar
Doesn't seem that bad especially if they have good feedback, if they're willing to pay more for postage then like the above post said your pretty much covered by ebay. I once sold my N64 on ebay and this is going back about 10 years or more but the person who bought it was from Iceland. Cost quite a bit to ship but he paid it. (edited)
Mark_Hickman Author
7th Mar
I think you've not understood the situation here, he doesn't want it posting to Brazil, he wants it posting to a flat in wales but his account is registered in Brazil
Firehorns
7th Mar
Decline why bother taking the risk
Mark_Hickman Author
7th Mar
I did decline straight away but then afterwards realised although the account is registered in Brazil it all seems to be legit looking at buying history, feedack etc..
Which is just really weird, why would a Brazilian account be buying items in uk delivered to wales, just really odd but all feedback for past 12 months is positive and all game related items from uk (edited)