Selling on ebay- selling to Malaysia

[factor-fiction]

I've put some items up for sale on ebay and have specified that they are for sale to UK addresses only with payment via paypal.
I've had a few bids from the UK but I've also had 8 emails via ebay from overseas buyers who claim to be really interested and asking how much I'll charge for postage to Malaysia/Thailand/Singapore.
Sounds odd to me that so many people in these countries would want my family's old clothes!
I am being overly suspicious or is there some sort of scam being lined up here.
Thanks.

ƒαсτøɾ30

[snags]

Someone from SE Asia wants your second hand clothes? Personally I'd avoid.

[factor-fiction]

So you are not going to bid then, snags?

But what could the scam be? They all appear to gave good feedback scores?

[snags]

My reply was based purely on the additional hassle of posting the items out and any potential scam that I'm not aware of. To me it wouldn't be worth the hassle (unless your items are worth a decent amount of money. I guess if they pay via PayPal you are covered though...

[factor-fiction]

Yes , i agree it's not worth the hassle since I'd need to research postage costs and run the risk of being held liable for any import duties. I am not sure the post tracking system will cover Malaysia so I'd be struggling if the buyer says it hasn't turned up.

But I can't get my head round why so may people in Malaysia would be happy to pay £10 for postage to Malaysia for a £2 second hand t-shirt. If it is a scam why would they do it on such a cheap item that they can't then sell on for much?

[alavahalf]

They win the auction and pay the postage ... you get your money through Paypal.
You now post the goods to an address 10,000 miles from the UK.
They lodge a claim with Paypal saying they have'nt received the goods ... Paypal will side with the buyer, and reclaim their money from your account.
You will loose your money ... and your old clothes..!
Paypal are very quick to remove money from your a/c when there's any dispute.
Stick to your guns ... UK only.

[ELVIS68]

Delete all their bids and messages, not worth the hassle

[factor-fiction]

Maybe, alavahalf.
But all they gain each time is a second hand T shirt which is worth no more than a couple of quid. They'd have to do this on a few hundred items a week to make a living from it, and why bother with 100 old T-shirts when they could do it on something like just one Xbox a week.
And if it's this scam couldn't the scam be operated in the same way by a buyer in Glasgow or Plymouth or anywhere in the UK?

[boxtops]

Factor, I haven't sold to Malaysia but I have sold worldwide on eBay from Alaska to Australia, I insist on payment by PayPal for any purchasers outside the UK, and as long as they have paid me, I will mail the goods.
There is no difficulty in looking up postage, this is my bible http://www.royalmail....53800712&catId=400036 and you can make it clear that the recipient is responsible for any import duties. When I have bought from the USA and the purchase attracts a Customs levy, it's always been me that's paid, never the seller.

All I do is obtain a certificate of posting at the PO when I mail from here in the UK, and even though I have had items go astray now and again, the Royal Mail has always coughed up for the value of the item (less postage) so I can refund the buyer if need be.
If you really don't want to do that then all you need to do is point them to the line in your description which says that you only want to sell within the UK .

[boxtops]

Alavahalf, PayPal have NEVER taken money from my account for disputed eBay transactions. The buyer doesn't lodge the claim with PayPal, they lodge with eBay through the recognised and easy to operate dispute process. If goods haven't arrived which I've sold, then I have claimed the money back from the PO and when that money arrives, I have issued a refund to the seller via PayPal. If you keep eBay and the buyer informed at all times I cannot see why PayPal would want to act in such a draconian manner, without any authorisation from the account holder. I have undertaken nearly 1000 transactions on eBay and all but a handful have gone through PayPal, with nothing like you describe having happened to me. PayPal is for me a safe and secure way of remitting and receiving money without anyone else having access to my bank details. This is digressing from factor's OP but I can't see how this can be a scam, as factor says the value of the items are so small.

[boxtops]

Thank you for Eddie ^ for corroborating my own experience as a seller ;-)

[factor-fiction]

Thanks boxtops. Maybe I'm being too cautious but i am still uneasy, simply because I'm getting so much interest from this part of the world. But I'll mull it over as the auction progresses
My advert makes it clear it's UK only but still they make bids from Malaysia
If an overseas buyer wins the bid and I don't sell to them can i then offer it to the second bidder or would I need to relist?
Ta

[snags]

''Remember that imported clothes are a big status symbol in a lot of the more remote overseas places.''

I thought of this angle earlier. Whilst back packing around SE Asia I was offered silly money for a pair of old trainers I was wearing: they wanted them as a template to copy and then mass produce for sale in the SE Asia region. factor... are the clothes you are selling trendy Western brands/items? There are sweat shops in Bangkok producing copies of the latest Western fashions... it's big business.

[factor-fiction]

Hi snags- yes TopMan/River Island/Hillister type stuff.
Maybe they just are just keen to get hold of this stuff

[boxtops]

factor, you can block bids from certain buyers before they start to bid - have look here http://pages.ebay.co....anage_bidders_ov.html so you can either prevent that potential buyer from making an unwelcome bid in the first place, or you can cancel the bid if they do bid and you don't want to sell outside the UK. Bear in mind that a t-shirt sale to the Far East is likely to cost about £6 in postage & packing (depending on the weight) - as snage says, if you are selling designer stuff then it could well be attractive for £8 overall to a willing buyer.

[boxtops]

PS if you have any doubts about bids already made, do contact eBay via the "contact us" link at top right on the eBay page. I find they respond very quickly.

[TheWinner]

Hi, When I first started trading on ebay, I listed a book up for sale to the UK only. When the auction ended, the winning bidder was in the USA. The postage I quoted, was applicable for postage to the UK. I contacted ebay for help. They told me that as I had listed the sale to UK ONLY, the sale could be cancelled. Which I did. If they email and ask you how much is postage to (anywhere abroad), email back and say "my listing says FOR SALE TO UK ONLY, and if you bid, the sale will be cancelled". Hope this is of help.

[factor-fiction]

Thanks for all your help everyone. Maybe I'll just sell one or two of the cheaper items to overseas buyers this time and see how it goes, then I'll know better what to do in future