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What alternative to Ebay do we have?

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What alternative to Ebay do we have?

Old 08-23-08, 09:55 AM
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What alternative to Ebay do we have?

In the Ebay thread(s) I read how Ebay is screwing the small sellers and forcing them off the site.

So where can the small seller go?

I know a few random auction sites have popped up here and there, but nothing that can compete with Ebay, and nothing that I can think of off the top of my head right now.

I know for books, movies and music, there is Alibris, but I don't know about the turn over time on that site, the fees, etc.

Amazon.com likewise charges fees that are considerably high, but I've sold a few things on there that I made a decent profit on regardless of their fees (because I managed to get the original material at amazing low prices.)

But where is the best place to go if Ebay and amazon.com can't help you?
Old 08-23-08, 10:50 AM
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There's nowhere to go. If a new site does form, you know it's going to be full of whiney eBay rejects (who offer bad customer service). And I wouldn't buy on there anyways.

I complained in the last thread. But the feedback changes haven't really impacted us. If anything, it shows that we're actually really good sellers. Once in awhile I see one of those 'WTF' negatives. But, for the most part, we're doing really well.

I don't like the 'forced' PayPal thing. But, to be reasonable, people who buy stuff from us on eBay hardly ever mail checks anyways. And people who see our listing and then call and buy direct always pay with a credit card or check anyways. And, for that matter, people who buy very expensive items ($1000+) usually call first. It's just another chance to hook them on the phone and keep the sale off-eBay.

Bargainland Liquidation (one of the biggest eBay liquidation guys) started their own website and is doing quite well. It's located at http://www.bidtopia.com/ Supposively, they're trying to get some of the other 'liquidation giants' to start selling on there too.

I had to open a PayPal dispute this morning for a $500 hydrualic pump that I purchased. It's been almost two months since I paid. PayPal made me turn the dispute into a claim, which means the seller apparently has a suspended PayPal account. If this is the kind of shit that 'regular folks' have to go through sometimes when buying from other 'regular folks', then I'm glad eBay is cutting down, making us use PayPal, etc. People really shouldn't have to put up with crap like this.
Old 08-23-08, 03:57 PM
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You can try half.com (ebay owned) which was the original Amazon marketplace. It's cheaper for media (until ebay raises fees) but I think fewer people are going to half.com than before.
Old 08-24-08, 01:16 AM
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I highly, highly, highly recommend Amazon Marketplace after selling on there for a few weeks now. You can sale things incredibly fast, it couldn't be easier to receive payments, and it seems to be much safer as far as I can tell. I'm considering switching to AM as my primary site to sell stuff on.
Old 08-24-08, 01:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Brent L
I highly, highly, highly recommend Amazon Marketplace after selling on there for a few weeks now. You can sale things incredibly fast, it couldn't be easier to receive payments, and it seems to be much safer as far as I can tell. I'm considering switching to AM as my primary site to sell stuff on.
Their flat shipping rates rather suck, though. I sold some box sets on there and took a loss on the 2.98 shipping.
Old 08-24-08, 05:45 AM
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I think many, many people do not account for actual shipping costs and it screws not only themselves but everyone else. I admit I did in the beginning but don't any more.
Old 08-25-08, 08:52 AM
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Has anyone had any experience with ioffer.com ? Its not bid based, but asking price based kind of system. I am going to check it out, as I have a few random dvds, board games, etc. I want to get rid of and I also don't like the changes ebay has been making.
Old 08-28-08, 10:59 PM
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Originally Posted by calhoun07
Their flat shipping rates rather suck, though. I sold some box sets on there and took a loss on the 2.98 shipping.
Plus, they charge a massive 15%, a variable fee, and .99 for whatever. No matter what I sell, Amazon ends up with 75% of my profit. It's awful when you sell stuff over $200 dollars.
Old 08-29-08, 05:15 PM
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^Yeah, Amazon can take a big chunk. Sometimes, they've made more money than I have on an item.
Old 09-02-08, 11:59 AM
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I shop on the Amazon Marketplace all the time. I have bought several DVD's and cd's from there that most of the time have been used but they are still very good to play.
I have saved a lot of money there buying things used. I relaize most of the posts are by sellers here but I appreciate the Amazon Marketplace and will continue to use it to find good buys.
As a matter of fact, I just bought a used DVD for $3 there today, you can't beat that.
Old 09-02-08, 12:18 PM
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I recommend Half.com over Amazon Marketplace simply because, as has been noted, Amazon's fees are slightly ridiculous.

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