Forum Moderators: buckworks
Later on I get an email from the buyer wondering why the order was cancelled-I explained I do not ship intl. etc...
This person really wants this product, so I have been emailing back and forth with her (I sell designer womens clothing) I explained shipping for this to japan would be $180, she was trying to tell me it shouldnt be that much for shipping, but she really wants this product.
few emails later I am still wondering what I should do...I know with Ecommerce it comes down to personal pref on what and whom you decide to sell, but this sale would be really good for me-getting rid of inventory thats kinda just sitting. But quite a risk at $2000 (I am a small store)
Anyones thoughts on this intl order?
Also paying $2000 without asking for a discount is extremely suspicious.
[edited by: derekwong28 at 4:30 pm (utc) on April 18, 2005]
Have them wire you teh money directly into your bank account, I wouldnt accept an order that large from someone I didnt know.
I suspect that its a first order? And way above your average order.
Did they ask for speedy shipping? have you run the address through Google to confirm if its a mail forwarding address?
Me thinks you did the right thing I voiding the order.
run the address through Google to confirm if its a mail forwarding address?
I keep seeing references to email forwarding scams but don't know how to determine this. Do you put the entire address in G?
the advice above comes from 3 of the most experienced int'l traders on WebmasterWorld that I have met. or 2 that I have met, and 1 who wants lunch at the Ritz :)
I say forget the japanese client and move on.
smells dodgy
Shak
A big clue is what they ordered and how they've responded to you. If she's putting up a fight about the shipping charges, that increases the odds that its a valid order. Fraudsters care more about getting goods quickly than they do about the cost.
Does the story she's giving you about the large order make sense? (Is $2000 an abnormally large order for you to begin with?) If so, that increases the odds of a good order.
You could also try having her run the order through PayPal - and rely on their fraud detection capabilities to screen problems. It won't completely let you off the hook, but I generally make the assumption that PayPal is better at fraud prevention than I am.
And finally, if you have an Amazon.com store, you can ask her to run the order through there. You'll pay 15% for apparel to Amazon, but they accept responsibility for collecting and eat any chargebacks that result. (I send all orders that I'm not 99.999% certain about through our Amazon store for just that reason.)
You should be able to send an email to customer support asking how to join the merchants program and get all the information. Its an "invite only" program, so you'll need to request an invite. It took about 2 weeks from the time I originally inquired to the time I was accepted and started putting products online.
Note: they charge you 39.99/month for the privilege of listing on Amazon.com. Most feedback on Webmasterworld about the program has been negative - folks do not sell enough to justify the time/expense of listing. My experience has been very positive with the program, but your mileage may vary.
As far as the woman ordering from you goes, ordering multiple sizes is actually a negative since it isn't the behavior of a "normal" customer. If she is planning on making a profit on the goods, she should be willing to do an international wire transfer to make it happen.
You say she wants to use American Express. WATCH OUT! If your merchant account is internet only, no card present, she can get the goods, then call AX and claim fraud. AX will give her the credit, you will be out the goods and get a chargeback as icing. Check the terms of your Amex account before going one more step.
It should be noted that any AMEX holder can do that - its not specific to orders from outside the US.
As a practical matter, any Visa/MC holder can do it as well.
Last time I check, Amex allows merchants to dispute MOTO charges.
AMEX has been sending MOTO/ecommerce merchants addendums to their merchant agreements stating that the merchant will be notified of chargebacks, but will not have an opportunity to contest.
if you come up with a dodgy site drop teh order.
If it's too good to be true it usually is :o)
