Forum Moderators: buckworks
- Should I contact the local post office responsible for delivery of that package?
- Do I contact my local post office?
- Does insurance cover issues like this?
- Are there phone translation services that would help businesses traverse language barriers?
[edited by: lorax at 1:41 am (utc) on Mar. 30, 2006]
[edit reason] removed mod request [/edit]
Don't worry about the link, it was very appropriate.
Per the Ecommerce charter.
Links to authoritative educational material are allowed. [webmasterworld.com]
All members should feel free to post these types of links, when it is suitable to the thread.
paladin, thanks for taking the time to research the topic.
Over 95% of all overseas orders placed online use stolen credit card information...
That's a pretty brash statement. Your post indicates this statement is based on your personal experience. That's um... far from a scientific analysis of all overseas orders. ;) It may be true but I know there are merchants here that do business overseas - on both sides of the oceans - who may disagree with it.
I did some Googling but didn't find much for factual information - though I did find a few of the ads amusing like: "Find stolen cards online, Comprehensive list of manufacturers." :) Mostly merchants complaining of the high level of fraud on overseas orders as a way to explain why they no longer ship/charge more/want more ID info - but no studies or newswire reports.
Ok, back on topic.
Sorry sun818. I wish I knew what to do. This is a longshot but perhaps a call to the American Embassy in Israel to see if they might be able to give you some direction on who would be best to contact to get the shipment returned?
As suggested, the actual card holder now has their money back so I do not incur a chargeback fee.
This loss will not discourage me from shipping overseas. 99.9% of my transactions overseas are completed without issue. But everyone's business experience is different based on their industry, average ticket value, and fraud detection systems in place.
Can you write off this kind of thing as a tax loss?
Yeah, I don't see how one could not categorize this occurrence as a business expense of some sort. Good thing I'm seeing my tax agent Friday to ask!
Does that apply to the case of overseas merchants who ship to the US? ;)
Over 95% of all overseas orders placed online use stolen credit card information.
About 60% of our credit card payments are from overseas. Other than about .5% of our orders that come from Nigeria, which we don't bother to process, we haven't had more than a couple of problems.
Can you write off this kind of thing as a tax loss?
Makes sense. Its like someone stealing a CD from a retail record store.
I guess I'll just note shipping/postage as just an expense.
When we did ship overseas I had the customer send me a picture ID with the shipping address on it along with a Bill from some company Electric, water, credit card ect. We would have fraud charges but not 95% as most of them read what we wanted on all first orders. After that they were in the database and it was ok.
Alsways ask for proof of ID and residence as trying to call the card companies or Banks were the card is from is a waste of time in most cases.
This will cover you very well and all this information can be faxed safetly to you or emailed.
Just a little hint for you in the future Put in on your web site for all international purchases and make sure they read and accept the requirements of purchasing from your site.
International is fine done correctly.
PS always verify first time USA orders as well as there has been a large rise in fraud from US sources as well.
Also, shady customers can be filtered out by requesting that they bank wire the money to you before you ship.
I had a scam artist from Nigeria try to get around that for over a week.
billing address = U.S.
ip address geo location = germany
bin # origin = canada
that would be an order you would just cancel w/out any verification. AVS is pretty much useless for international orders. Hopefully the order this post is about did not have a U.S. billing address. If it did than you need to be MUCH more thorough.
Give up. You are now wasting time. Its gone for good. Do you actually expect some postal official in Palestine to help a merchant in the west?
I would try one last email. Tell them that you have contacted the postal authorities in their country and to get them to help you you led them to believe that what was being diverted into their country might be used in the making of explosive devices. Also include the names of any postal officials you may have at this point. This might just get their attention, to seal the deal though, explain to them that the only reason you are telling them this is that you have been informed by the authorities that the contents of the package will be kept until the conclusion of the legal preceedings... i.e, you'll never get it back anyway, and you are hoping that by telling them all of this that they will not pickup the package and it will get returned to you.
I know it is a big whopper but if but they don't have to completely believe it, just enough doubt to make it not worth the risk.
William.
