Potential eBay scam? (I'm the seller)

Octavio

Apologies if in the wrong section, but I didn't know where to post. I'm hoping someone has experience with this.

I sold some studio gear on eBay (a sampler) for a substantial amount of £. Although the listing was open to offers it was bought outright, which seems a little odd (but more £ for me, right? right??)

The postal address provided was a newsagents in South East London. After a Google Map search it looks 'interesting'. The buyer has been on eBay since 2017 and has 22 positive purchaser reviews. The newsagent has 15 positive Google reviews. As it's a business address: Harrys Food, Lovelinch Close 15 Sharratt Street
London, London SE15 1NR

Am I being over cautious? Is it common for people to list their local newsagents as their postal address, maybe they live in a flat? There is the possibility that he owns the newsagents, but the forename of the business doesn't match his postal name. It could be his place of address an an employee, but still. 

My spidey senses tells me something is off. Could this be the beginning of a scam? If it does arrive successfully, there's still the potential for it to go missing.

What do you think?

BillDL

I've bought things outright when there was the option to make an offer because I wanted the item, didn't want to see somebody else buy it, and I couldn't be bothered with rejected offers slowing the process down, so that in itself isn't necessarily suspicious or odd.

I used to know somebody with a newsagents and sometimes gave that as the postal delivery address if I was going to be working on the expected delivery day, but I don't think this will be a common practice.  If there are flats above the newsagents and there is a door adjacent to the newsagents leading to the stairs they may all be under the same postcode but just differentiated by flat number.  A friend of mine often had to go and ask the people in the kebab shop below his flat if they had received his packages in the late afternoon as they were preparing to open.  The newsagents should be registered with Companies House where you might be able to see names that bear some similarity to the eBay user name, but finding the registered company name behind a trading name might be harder.  A search just using the postcode and street number should show company names that have been and currently is registered there.

Despite there being possible logical explanations for having used that address I believe my nerves would probably also be jangling.  Even if there is a photo included as a proof of delivery they can't photograph peoples' faces, and if there are a number of people involved in the business that perhaps use different common names rather than full real names, then there is the possibility any one of them could deny having accepted the delivery.

AntonHunter

Does it matter though? Do signed for and won't ebay release the funds as soon as it's been delivered?

Caveat: it's been years since I sold anything on ebay.

Octavio

AntonHunter said:

Does it matter though? Do signed for and won't ebay release the funds as soon as it's been delivered?

Caveat: it's been years since I sold anything on ebay.

Me neither but I'm seeing a lot of protections for the buyer, but not the seller. I think there was some posts here about sellers no longer using eBay.

Address added if anyone is curious.

LionAquaLooper

I once sold a pedal to someone who listed a petrol station as the address. Was fine.

As a buyer I regularly use my office as the delivery address when I'm buying something that won't fit in the letterbox. I don't want my purchases being left outside my door.

If in doubt just ask the buyer nicely why his delivery address is a newsagent. That way the conversation is recorded on eBay in case anything goes wrong. But if you use tracked delivery as soon as that item is delivered to the provided address, you've done what you were supposed to and the tracking will confirm it. 

prowla

It could be that the buyer is never in for deliveries or has had issues with missing items and has an arrangement with the business (or like you say works there, is related, etc.) making it reliable for deliveries.

The suggestion of asking them is a good one.

GoFish

There are shops near me in SE London that act as postage hubs - I even once found out that a parcel sent to me had been delivered there and marked as "received". Was fine. 

Messaging to confirm sounds like a good plan. 

ElectricXII

I've shipped an eBay item to a corner shop address at least a couple of times. It's not that unusual, but for a high value item I might be a little more wary than usual.

Grangousier

I have stuff delivered to my work, as the local delivery office is terrible (Mandela Way - might be the same as your buyer). 

Octavio

Update. Was told it's his local, he works anytime between 7am-7pm, and it's his collection point. He also said he's "almost brothers" with the owner so nothing to worry about. I'm wondering what name to put on it.

Sounds reasonable. Still a bit uneasy but will have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

LionAquaLooper

Octavio said:

Update. Was told it's his local, he works anytime between 7am-7pm, and it's his collection point. He also said he's "almost brothers" with the owner so nothing to worry about. I'm wondering what name to put on it.

Sounds reasonable. Still a bit uneasy but will have to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Don't deviate from how the buyer specified the delivery details. Send it to whichever name is on the purchase.