Can Someone Explain Ebid?!

mrs.maverick

I'm really confused here! I was thinking about starting a shop or two on eBid, but after a very careful perusal of the site, it seems to me that no-one has ever actually sold anything!!!

There is no way to tell if goods are ever sold. If you go by the feedback of individual sellers, they are either shown as having no sales/feedback, or else they have hundreds, but on a closer look, it has all been 'imported' from the bay or other sites.

It's a shame, because I have a lot of low value items I want to sell, and frankly the bay is just too expensive to list them, especially with the free p+p policy they are so keen to implement. Whereas eBid would be ideal with it's one-off payment for up to 5 shops but there is no point if you are not going to have any actual sales.

I'd love to know what OPs think of this. I don't want to feel that the bay is 'the only game in town' but I rather think it is.

wigglebeena

I have sold a few items every so often on Ebid, but it's rather up and down even then. (Although to be fair so have my listings been, I've had almost nothing listed on occasion). There really isn't remotely the footfall or sell-through of *bay. OTOH I have finally come to the conclusion that working my a*se off only to hand over most of the profit to *bay is a mug's game, and am dumping my *bay shop.

Having paid my £50 for seller+, my listings are free so I figure there's nothing to lose at this point and I might as well have as much as possible listed on Ebid whatever the sell-through.

cyberbob

The problem with ebid is there arent that many customers. Its very randome if things will sell. Its a bit of a shame really

boombap

Ebid don't seem to promote themselves at all which is a shame. They really could do with a TV and print advertising campaign. I know that it's easier said then done but I'm led to believe that advertising on TV is cheaper than it's ever been.

The only people who seem to be aware of eBid's existence is those who've been kicked off ebay and are looking for outlets for sales. Thus the site is pretty much exclusively sellers.

Come on eBid, let's see some ads!

S.

soolin

They have resisted ads for 9 years and have resisted taking advantage of the seller disatisfaction every time ebay make changes.

There is an ebid thread on here, but I have given up with them now as it wasn't cost effective to use them as I spent hours listing over 5 years and never made a sale.

RFW

squee wrote: »

Ebid don't seem to promote themselves at all which is a shame. They really could do with a TV and print advertising campaign. I know that it's easier said then done but I'm led to believe that advertising on TV is cheaper than it's ever been.

The only people who seem to be aware of eBid's existence is those who've been kicked off ebay and are looking for outlets for sales. Thus the site is pretty much exclusively sellers.

Come on eBid, let's see some ads!

S.

TV and print advertising is now suffering from similar problems to Ebid, it doesn't work that well. Ebid don't seem to have much online advertising either, they seem content taking their £50s from disgruntled Ebay sellers. I'm surprised they all seem happy to part with it. Ebid has been going in the UK for almost as long as Ebay, I think they started a year or two later and even with Ebay dipping they're still poles apart
http://siteanalytics.compete.com/ebid.co.uk+ebay.co.uk+ebid.net/

cyberbob

RFW wrote: »

they seem content taking their £50s from disgruntled Ebay sellers.

Thats part of the problem they have the reputation of being full of ex-ebay sellers with a huge chip on there shoulders (just look at there forums)

frivolous_fay

squee wrote: »

Ebid don't seem to promote themselves at all which is a shame.

Sure they do, they used to send spammers over here all the time :rotfl:

mrs.maverick

Thanks everybody for your comments. It tends to confirm what I thought really -it's the bay or nothing!

wigglebeena

I had a nice Ebid.net sale today. Quite pleasing.