on 18-06-2012 01:58 PM
One of my wholealers is now selling retail on eBay, and hence - is now my direct competition. I was the first to sell these products on eBay, and im sure you can see why im a little 'pissed'. I've written him emails and asked him if he thinks his customers will be annoyed at him, and his reply, in broken english, was, 'the world is now flat and this is business'. That's funny, because im sure the world is round..., but bloody hell.... A wholesaler selling on ebay?? I have about 10 wholesalers, and if they all sold their items on eBay, i would be stuffed.. Im ready for a fight, im ready to win... but i don't know how. Competing with the Chinese isnt easy. He informed me that he would make his prices more expensive, which he hasn't done. There is no way i can sell them at his prices, with FREE POSTAGE. Im mad... Does anyone have any 'FIGHT BACK' ideas, apart from ridding the world of the Illuminati.... 😉
on 27-06-2012 10:00 AM
Business is war. Just learn to live with it. The wholeseller owes you no favours.
on 27-06-2012 10:08 AM
If they are saying the item location is China then a lot of Aussie buyers would not be looking at their items anyway.
I bypass the Chinese sellers and buy from Australian sellers. Of course if there are huge $$ difference I would think twice, but normally I exclude Chinese sellers.
on 27-06-2012 10:28 AM
As the last poster said - focus on your advantages:
* Being local - its quicker delivery
* Easy returns if something is wrong
* Review photos and decriptions - and in particular try and make them different to your supplier so that it won't be so obvious
* Find another suppleir
Also, English is your first language so will be easier to communicate with you.. Although, some of the e-mails I get from HK and Chinese sellers are quite funny
on 27-06-2012 10:49 AM
A lot of good advice above. And as said, they may find it too hard.
If it was me, I would write something along the lines of -
Integrity and business ethics are held in high regard within my business, so it surprises me your business did not inform me of your intentions prior to opening your store on ebay.
As you have decided to become a retail supplier of the same items on the same retail site, should my sales decline, I may be forced to deal with a new wholesaler of same items. Perhaps you are able to offer our business the items we purchase at a reduced rate?
Awaiting your reply.
on 27-06-2012 01:13 PM
agree with tonalidesigns.
never mind the wholeseller selling on ebay, it is not easy as they think, and they do not have enough labour to take care the retail parts.
on 29-06-2012 10:44 AM
Hi,
while there is some great advice here, you might want to be careful with requesting a company to sell at the same price as you to maintain the same standards as it can be viewed by law as anti competitive and can be seen as price fixing in the eyes of the ACCC.
on 08-07-2012 07:14 PM
Thanks all. Im happy to say the items in question have not suffered, but i suppose they also have not improved. From this has stemmed a new best seller for me.. Haha! What goes around comes around.. 😉
on 08-07-2012 08:30 PM
The best thing to run a successful business anywhere is to plan!
Set up a business plan and make sure you have contingencies in place for any or at least as many things that can affect your business as possible.
One of these is how to better the opposition. Now this unethical wholesaler is in china and there are many people like me who have had enough bad experiences from china over the years that do not deal with business from China and will look for the same products from Australia, even if they are a little expensive.
In my experience, they will get enough bad reports that it will affect their business...
However, the truth is you don't have to deal with them.
Where else could you get similar items at a reasonable price???
You are the one who makes your own destiny, and while you may have been on a good thing, it is time to look at other options and try to figure out how to improve your business by offering better reasons why someone should buy from you, find better stock offering better value or competing directly over the same products.
Business if fun and exciting but should never be left to stagnate or this will happen every time.
on 30-07-2015 10:40 PM
on 30-07-2015 10:51 PM
@14smiley12 wrote:
If an aussie eBay seller sells for $10 ebay Australia makes roughly $1 including the shop fee, if Chinese sells the same thing for $2(0.20 cents fee) then ebay looses $0.80.
e.
If an Aussie sells something for $10 and 500 chinese sell the same thing for $2
You do the math. How is ebay losing on that deal? Why would they restrict
chinese sellers?
And how did you even find a thread 3 years old!