Is Hong Kong in UK ?
By topffer
@topffer (42156)
France
February 28, 2013 5:26am CST
Yesterday night the ac/dc power adapter of my laptop died. I have another one for an old laptop, but it is a 50W adapter, when the dead one is a 65W. To avoid overheating, I reduced the power consumption by using a processor scaling tool. At half its normal speed, the processor of the laptop saves 13W, is still fast enough to watch a video in full screen mode, and the fans are never at full speed, so it saves 2 or 3W more. Tweak successful 
!
Then, as I don't want to run this laptop more than a few days in turtle mode, I looked on Ebay to buy another power adapter. The cheaper were in China and Hong Kong, but to get it quickly, I wanted to buy one in Europe. I choose a pro seller with a French user name and a French postal address, although he was obviously not a French speaker. According to the page the -- I translate literally from French -- "Stocks in the English - United Kingdom". The item was a bit cheaper than other offers in France, and I thought it was because a power cable that I already have was not included and sold separately. I paid with PayPal and received a "thank you" from an auto-responder with a mail address... in Hong Kong
. I have asked today how many long I would have to wait for this power adapter supposed to be delivered from UK. For the moment, I am waiting for a response and I hope that I will not have to start a PayPal dispute in a month... The seller has good evaluations, but giving a fake postal address to sell an item in France at approximately the same price than other French sellers that are delivering it in 3/4 days, is not fair at all
.
Have you been tricked like this when buying something on Ebay ? Why Ebay accepts this behavior from "power sellers", when somebody like me giving a fake address to sell my items in a foreign country would be probably banned quickly ?
!
Then, as I don't want to run this laptop more than a few days in turtle mode, I looked on Ebay to buy another power adapter. The cheaper were in China and Hong Kong, but to get it quickly, I wanted to buy one in Europe. I choose a pro seller with a French user name and a French postal address, although he was obviously not a French speaker. According to the page the -- I translate literally from French -- "Stocks in the English - United Kingdom". The item was a bit cheaper than other offers in France, and I thought it was because a power cable that I already have was not included and sold separately. I paid with PayPal and received a "thank you" from an auto-responder with a mail address... in Hong Kong. I have asked today how many long I would have to wait for this power adapter supposed to be delivered from UK. For the moment, I am waiting for a response and I hope that I will not have to start a PayPal dispute in a month... The seller has good evaluations, but giving a fake postal address to sell an item in France at approximately the same price than other French sellers that are delivering it in 3/4 days, is not fair at all.
Have you been tricked like this when buying something on Ebay ? Why Ebay accepts this behavior from "power sellers", when somebody like me giving a fake address to sell my items in a foreign country would be probably banned quickly ?4 responses
@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
28 Feb 13
Hi,
I think you bought from a merchant who is a drop shipper, not very sure but i think this is allowed in Ebay. For the information of everyone reading this, a drop shipper is a merchant who sell but does not actually have what he is selling but transfers you directly to the wholesaler, warehouse or manufacturer, and mind you this can be done cross country. I think to better understand the practice here are some links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_shipping and http://www.shopify.com/blog/6492023-drop-shipping-the-easiest-way-to-sell-online#axzz2MDJQVdX7
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
28 Feb 13
Hi louievill,
I have nothing against drop shippers when they tell it honestly, and I thought that this seller was a drop shipper working with a UK business.
But if he is a drop shipper, he works with his twin brother 
: the Ebay address is in France, at the same name than the Hong Kong address. And if he tells that the adapter is sent from UK, he has to send it from UK and not from Hong Kong.
To sum up, he uses a fake French address, has a French user name and gives a fake provenance of his objects, to make people buy his items in France : this is called "dubious operations" in French criminal law and a swindle offense, so it cannot be allowed in France by Ebay
.
I am exasperated by this behavior : if I had needed to receive this adapter in less than a week, I would be in big troubles. I am also exasperated because the price is more expensive than all other sellers in Hong Kong and China telling honestly that they are in these countries, and it is another proof that he is a swindler. People doing this should be banned definitely because they tarnish Ebay.
: the Ebay address is in France, at the same name than the Hong Kong address. And if he tells that the adapter is sent from UK, he has to send it from UK and not from Hong Kong.
To sum up, he uses a fake French address, has a French user name and gives a fake provenance of his objects, to make people buy his items in France : this is called "dubious operations" in French criminal law and a swindle offense, so it cannot be allowed in France by Ebay.
I am exasperated by this behavior : if I had needed to receive this adapter in less than a week, I would be in big troubles. I am also exasperated because the price is more expensive than all other sellers in Hong Kong and China telling honestly that they are in these countries, and it is another proof that he is a swindler. People doing this should be banned definitely because they tarnish Ebay.@topffer (42156)
• France
1 Mar 13
It is not forbidden to pay somebody to put a mailbox at his home here. Some people are making money from this business of renting out mail boxes with an optional resend of the mail to another address : it is good for a small foreign company wanting a French address for French customers, but that has no office in France, and I suppose he has just a mailbox here. Or he had when he opened a French Ebay account : he asks to send mails to H.K...
It is not the end of my troubles : I received yesterday two emails from him via Ebay. The first was "Thank you for your payment" when I paid with PayPal, and the second "Your item has been sent". And today I have an email coming from Hong Kong that says "We have not found your purchase record". I send a screen copy of the PayPal payment, but I am 50% sure today that I will have to start a dispute in a month to get a refund. I think that he has no stocks at all, and I have seen several "thank you for the refund" in his Ebay profile, so I believe he gives immediately a refund before or when the buyer starts a dispute when he cannot send something. And these people are giving him a + when their money worked for this guy during a month!
I don't post a screen shot or his user name... at least not until I have finished with him
.
. I send a screen copy of the PayPal payment, but I am 50% sure today that I will have to start a dispute in a month to get a refund. I think that he has no stocks at all, and I have seen several "thank you for the refund" in his Ebay profile, so I believe he gives immediately a refund before or when the buyer starts a dispute when he cannot send something. And these people are giving him a + when their money worked for this guy during a month!
I don't post a screen shot or his user name... at least not until I have finished with him.@louievill (28851)
• Philippines
1 Mar 13
i agree with you friend that in any online transaction, nothing or no details should be hidden from the buyer, first things first. I think the seller is really in France and created his account there cause ebay does not allow false locations, next is he sells internationally so he might had posted in ebay U.K., now he has a contact in Hong Kong that sends the item to who ever buys.
Now for this seller in my opinion to be fair, he or she has to meet certain criteria and things clearly stated in description + postage and handling, the item should be as described, he should state where the item would be coming from, like " we will be shipping from our warehouse in Asia Blah blah..( that's where most of this things come from anyway), now shipping to Europe so and so days... shipping to America so and so... etc, i think failure to do this is deception . Hope you can send me a screen shot friend of he's Ebay posting
I bought an item from a H.K. seller and it took almost a month
, and come to think of it we are both in Asia!
), now shipping to Europe so and so days... shipping to America so and so... etc, i think failure to do this is deception . Hope you can send me a screen shot friend of he's Ebay posting
I bought an item from a H.K. seller and it took almost a month, and come to think of it we are both in Asia!1 person likes this
@dainy1313 (2370)
• Leon, Mexico
28 Feb 13
Hi
dear friend Topffer, as you know I´m at the ecommerce business, specially in that kind of ecommerce of ebay platforms.
This practice is common know as dropshipping, is a term that is teached to us and proposed by several suppliers.
The seller may be in the United Kingdom, but he hasn´t real stock, each time he sells something he just drop the sale in the supplier houseware. The supplier ships to you, and the seller gots his/her sale quote. Suppliers know to do all this without giving their address and sending to your address, given by the seller.
Look around the web with "dropshipping" you´ll find a lot of suppliers who offers dropshipping for those who sale online just like me.
I sell by catalogue I don´t have stock I profit of my suppliers warehouse, but it´s my who ships to them. I don´t do national dropshipping because at Mexico is a new term not developed. I´m afraid to do international dropshipping. I´m affraid not to have a trusty supplier, and of course I´m affraid of the complaints of my clients, but I know a lot of sellers that are brave at my country and do dropshipping from Asia.
We are taught that we can sell by ebay worldwide. I know it´s new to you, but I was familiar with since 6 years ago.
I was thinking to sell jackets, and leather clothes at ebay, all over the world, but I´m just affraid. I sell some baby toddler leather shoes at US, but just once. But I specified that product was at Mexico.
Or I´ve thought of doing dropshipping direct from China to my country, but I´m not so brave. Many sellers at my country do, but I have just read neat complains of some costumers, just like yours.
I see your point of view, and I understand it. If you dislike what is happening you have learnt with this experience, and you can avoid it from now on. I´m sure you´ll get your item, you need to be patient, because your seller has a good rating.
I think you´ve learnt something new
today dear arqueologist.
Blessings Topffer... dainy emarketer
dear friend Topffer, as you know I´m at the ecommerce business, specially in that kind of ecommerce of ebay platforms.
This practice is common know as dropshipping, is a term that is teached to us and proposed by several suppliers.
The seller may be in the United Kingdom, but he hasn´t real stock, each time he sells something he just drop the sale in the supplier houseware. The supplier ships to you, and the seller gots his/her sale quote. Suppliers know to do all this without giving their address and sending to your address, given by the seller.
Look around the web with "dropshipping" you´ll find a lot of suppliers who offers dropshipping for those who sale online just like me.
I sell by catalogue I don´t have stock I profit of my suppliers warehouse, but it´s my who ships to them. I don´t do national dropshipping because at Mexico is a new term not developed. I´m afraid to do international dropshipping. I´m affraid not to have a trusty supplier, and of course I´m affraid of the complaints of my clients, but I know a lot of sellers that are brave at my country and do dropshipping from Asia.
We are taught that we can sell by ebay worldwide. I know it´s new to you, but I was familiar with since 6 years ago.
I was thinking to sell jackets, and leather clothes at ebay, all over the world, but I´m just affraid. I sell some baby toddler leather shoes at US, but just once. But I specified that product was at Mexico.
Or I´ve thought of doing dropshipping direct from China to my country, but I´m not so brave. Many sellers at my country do, but I have just read neat complains of some costumers, just like yours.
I see your point of view, and I understand it. If you dislike what is happening you have learnt with this experience, and you can avoid it from now on. I´m sure you´ll get your item, you need to be patient, because your seller has a good rating.
I think you´ve learnt something new today dear arqueologist.
Blessings Topffer... dainy emarketer1 person likes this
@dainy1313 (2370)
• Leon, Mexico
28 Feb 13
Hi dear Topffer, I enjoy that you look at the positive side of this issue..
So I see now! That´s not fair! To be trick/trap is what is not fair. If you look into ebay China, almost all sellers are trick/trap, it seems it´s a common asian practice. Many Ebay China auctions are treat trick because most auctions are priced very low, but the shipping cost is overquoted. They gain with the shipping quote what they lost in the auction.
Well you´ll save some energy for some days, but I´ll miss your faster system. I´ll be patient.
Blessings lol Topffer... dainy
.
So I see now! That´s not fair! To be trick/trap is what is not fair. If you look into ebay China, almost all sellers are trick/trap, it seems it´s a common asian practice. Many Ebay China auctions are treat trick because most auctions are priced very low, but the shipping cost is overquoted. They gain with the shipping quote what they lost in the auction.
Well you´ll save some energy for some days, but I´ll miss your faster system. I´ll be patient.
Blessings lol Topffer... dainy1 person likes this
@dainy1313 (2370)
• Leon, Mexico
28 Feb 13
Some people offers you a complete dropshippers already made eshops, linked to dropshippers warehouse. You just have to sit and sell. That´s all, nothing more.
Blessings Topffer... dainy
Blessings Topffer... dainy1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
28 Feb 13
You are the second in this discussion to speak about dropshipping, Dainy. He is not a dropshipper : this seller is in Hong Kong, has opened an Ebay account with a French name, uses a fake address in France and writes that his stocks are in UK, when they are probably in China. If I accept to pay more to buy something in Europe than in China, it is because I expect a fast delivery, and it will probably not be the case here. I believe I am not alone, as he writes something like "please discuss with me before giving me a negative rating" in his pages, but, yes, he has a good rating and I believe I will receive this adapter. I just hope it will not take a month... I have often bought items in foreign countries on Ebay, but there was no trick/trap like here.
Seeing the things positively, I am making some savings on electricity with my scaled-down-by-necessity processor actually, and if it is not so fast than usually, the sensors have never been so cold, so it is good for its health.
. I believe I am not alone, as he writes something like "please discuss with me before giving me a negative rating" in his pages, but, yes, he has a good rating and I believe I will receive this adapter. I just hope it will not take a month... I have often bought items in foreign countries on Ebay, but there was no trick/trap like here.
Seeing the things positively, I am making some savings on electricity with my scaled-down-by-necessity processor actually, and if it is not so fast than usually, the sensors have never been so cold, so it is good for its health.1 person likes this
.@anil02 (24688)
• India
28 Feb 13
Yes Hong Kong is in Asia and UK is in Europe so Hong Kong is not is UK but earlier it was under control of UK. Indeed image of China's product is not good. I also saw a photo state machine which is designed in Japan and assembled in China. China's people using name of other countries.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
28 Feb 13
I am not against buying Chinese products, but here I wanted a fast delivery and it is why I bought in Europe ; then, after I sent the payment, I received an email with a postal address in Hong Kong, while the Ebay address is in France. I have asked how many time I have to wait and if it was sent from UK, and I have received for all response that the adapter was sent today. This guy thinks that I am stupid.
.1 person likes this
@jennyze (7028)
• Indonesia
3 Mar 13
So sorry to hear something like this. I know a friend of mine was once also tricked by a seller in Ebay and he had to report to fix it with Paypal...
Maybe, this is for us all to learn that never trust anything that is not using the proper language... I mean when in French you should speak like a French... Well, at least that is what I'd do, when people tried so sell something using English when I know their English is worse than mine....
Maybe, this is for us all to learn that never trust anything that is not using the proper language... I mean when in French you should speak like a French... Well, at least that is what I'd do, when people tried so sell something using English when I know their English is worse than mine....1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
3 Mar 13
Thank you Jennyze. Things could have been worst, because this seller has good evaluations, and he refunds buyers when he cannot send an item. I hope I will not have to start a PayPal dispute, but for the moment I don't know if I will receive or not something and how long it will take : I received an email telling me that the adapter was sent, and another one that he could not find my purchase record.
For the language : this guy was obviously an English speaker using an automatic translation, but people can freely move from an EEC country to another, and we have a lot of people from UK living in France -- and a lot of French in UK too --. As he was telling that his stocks were in UK, I did not distrusted him. Next time, I will be more careful.
I am perhaps not able to judge it, but I have never found anything wrong with your English.
.
For the language : this guy was obviously an English speaker using an automatic translation, but people can freely move from an EEC country to another, and we have a lot of people from UK living in France -- and a lot of French in UK too --. As he was telling that his stocks were in UK, I did not distrusted him. Next time, I will be more careful.
I am perhaps not able to judge it, but I have never found anything wrong with your English.