laguna
Well-known member
From a buyers perspective; eBay appeals because the one login and search bar can pull up hundreds of different results which can be sorted by price, nearest location etc. Pretty convenient if you don't mind paying a bit more for the bait and tackle you buy.
The cost of selling on eBay compared to a website means we're often paying around 10-15% more due to them being the middleman taking a commission on sales. Those who sell on eBay will know they charge sellers listing fees for items (different fees apply depending on category), monthly fees and allowances, and something they term 'final valuation fees' which also includes them grabbing a percentage on any postal fees too. Free P&P obviously means the cost is hidden/included, so not really free and is still charged for and factored in by eBay. After the sale is complete Paypal (as with all merchants) take their percentage cut for processing the payment, with the balance going to the seller.
Essentially eBay has taken over the role of the salesman (and distributor in most cases) and has become the middleman responsible for pushing the prices up.
Don't get me wrong though. eBay can be cheaper than a bricks and mortar business in most cases, as the shop owner has his overheads to consider but the main advantage is having one account and access to hundreds or even thousands of different items under one roof. Its why eBay is so successful. However if you want something cheaper you need to cut out the middleman all together and register on websites. If you plan on spending £10 you could save £1 or more - which for some of us is a very good saving!
Registering on a website such as ours, you will often find some things cheaper, but we do suffer from the fact that some (including myself) can't be bothered to register by filling in a quick form. I am guilty of paying more for the convenience of eBay with a single login like a lot of folk. mg: Anything over £10 and i'll do it for sure...
Our website uses Paypal too and we absorb the cost of processing payments but do not have the middleman taking his cut of whatever the customer spends. The shopping cart is custom designed which people find easy to use and it works great, however I do realise we need to change this and make it so people can just buy without having to register. I think Paypal shopping cart might work in this regard as most people already have a Paypal account. It uses their registered address for deliveries, so what other information is required from a customer? None that I can see and no extra sign up is a bonus.
Who here buys a lot of stuff from eBay, is it because of the price (perceived cheaper), or because you cant be bothered registering on all the different websites?
Appreciate you thoughts and opinions guys thanks.
The cost of selling on eBay compared to a website means we're often paying around 10-15% more due to them being the middleman taking a commission on sales. Those who sell on eBay will know they charge sellers listing fees for items (different fees apply depending on category), monthly fees and allowances, and something they term 'final valuation fees' which also includes them grabbing a percentage on any postal fees too. Free P&P obviously means the cost is hidden/included, so not really free and is still charged for and factored in by eBay. After the sale is complete Paypal (as with all merchants) take their percentage cut for processing the payment, with the balance going to the seller.
Essentially eBay has taken over the role of the salesman (and distributor in most cases) and has become the middleman responsible for pushing the prices up.
Don't get me wrong though. eBay can be cheaper than a bricks and mortar business in most cases, as the shop owner has his overheads to consider but the main advantage is having one account and access to hundreds or even thousands of different items under one roof. Its why eBay is so successful. However if you want something cheaper you need to cut out the middleman all together and register on websites. If you plan on spending £10 you could save £1 or more - which for some of us is a very good saving!
Registering on a website such as ours, you will often find some things cheaper, but we do suffer from the fact that some (including myself) can't be bothered to register by filling in a quick form. I am guilty of paying more for the convenience of eBay with a single login like a lot of folk. mg: Anything over £10 and i'll do it for sure...
Our website uses Paypal too and we absorb the cost of processing payments but do not have the middleman taking his cut of whatever the customer spends. The shopping cart is custom designed which people find easy to use and it works great, however I do realise we need to change this and make it so people can just buy without having to register. I think Paypal shopping cart might work in this regard as most people already have a Paypal account. It uses their registered address for deliveries, so what other information is required from a customer? None that I can see and no extra sign up is a bonus.
Who here buys a lot of stuff from eBay, is it because of the price (perceived cheaper), or because you cant be bothered registering on all the different websites?
Appreciate you thoughts and opinions guys thanks.