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Is it better to sell on eBay or amazon.

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I recently went to a wholesale fair and got some details of some very good wholesalers. I was looking to buy from them and sell online. But i was wondering where the best place to sell would be. Ive never sold on amazon before and wouldnt even know how to start off selling there but i do buy loads off there. Is there anyway of checking how many quantities of a particular item has sold (as you can on ebay).

All help would be appreciated.
Many Thanks

Comments

  • soolin
    soolin Posts: 74,073 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    You can't check completed listings on Amazon as you can on ebay, the ranking though gives you a clue as to whether something is a good seller or not. The lower the ranking number the more have been sold.

    However if you are new to Amazon then watch your fees, they can be quite hefty.
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
  • HY91
    HY91 Posts: 83 Forumite
    Thank you.
  • Crowqueen
    Crowqueen Posts: 5,726 Forumite
    It might be a good idea not to put all your eggs in one basket and to maintain presences on both sites. They have their differences in policy, fee structure, and seller requirements, but as long as you keep up with the high standards both sites expect, it shouldn't be too difficult to juggle both.
    "Well, it's election year, Bill, we'd rather people didn't exercise common sense..." - Jed Bartlet, The West Wing, season 4

    Am now Crowqueen, MRes (Law) - on to the PhD!
  • lovinituk
    lovinituk Posts: 5,711 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    I would recommend using both if you can. I've just started selling on Amazon alongside eBay which I've been selling on for over a year as a business. Its worth going for an Amazon Pro Seller account - although the cost is higher (£28 per month), you can set your own postage costs which can make you much more competitve. The final fees I pay are only slightly higher than on ebay.

    I'm actually very pleasantly surprised how well Amazon has started off and I've made more sales than I expected to begin with. Apparently it gets better after 3 months as you can then qualify for the buy box.
  • HY91
    HY91 Posts: 83 Forumite
    Thank you for the help people :)

    I was looking to sell beauty or/and electrical products, and i really dont think i can deal with the trouble of buyers on ebay hence why i was looking on amazon. But thank you for all the help now i must choose the exact product :)
  • Hammyman
    Hammyman Posts: 9,913 Forumite
    HY91 wrote: »
    I recently went to a wholesale fair and got some details of some very good wholesalers. I was looking to buy from them and sell online.

    I hope you are going to register with HMRC as self employed or set up as a Ltd company as you are legally required to do, it being a business.
  • soolin
    soolin Posts: 74,073 Ambassador
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    edited 10 September 2011 at 8:17AM
    HY91 wrote: »
    Thank you for the help people :)

    I was looking to sell beauty or/and electrical products, and i really dont think i can deal with the trouble of buyers on ebay hence why i was looking on amazon. But thank you for all the help now i must choose the exact product :)

    I think for brand new items both ebay and Amazon have the same issues- in fact Amazon can be less leniant to sellers than ebay. Full returns of course if buyer changes their mind, full refunds for items lost etc. Ebay though may limit you to a few sales a month in the Health and beauty category and you need to check limits with Amazon as well as some of their categories are limited for new sellers.

    For Amazon you need to register a credit card to sell and you have no facility to block buyers by name, only by areas of the world. So remember that certain beauty items are not allowed to be sent to Germany.

    Make sure your business plan is robust, check the sale sout ebfore you purchase. What looks good wholesale when the quote the RRP at you is not necessarily going to make you a profit. So chekc out your likely gross sale price, take off all fees, make an allowance fo rlosses and returns- minus tax and nI and only then decide what is worth buying.

    That advice is from someone who bought a bit of stock (luckily only £100+ just as the market died and ended up giving most to a charity shop or selling at a loss)
    I’m a Forum Ambassador and I support the Forum Team on the eBay, Auctions, Car Boot & Jumble Sales, Boost Your Income, Praise, Vents & Warnings, Overseas Holidays & Travel Planning , UK Holidays, Days Out & Entertainments boards. If you need any help on these boards, do let me know.. Please note that Ambassadors are not moderators. Any posts you spot in breach of the Forum Rules should be reported via the report button, or by emailing forumteam@moneysavingexpert.com.All views are my own and not the official line of MoneySavingExpert.
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