Over-priced items

[janni0844]

I thought eBay was a way to buy "bargain" items.

I just searched for an item and the cheapest was $100 plus postage.

Deals Direct supply the same item for $89.95 postage free.

Impressed?  Don't think so

[digital*ghost]

eBay doesn't exactly provide the best environment for a seller to be the cheapest online - a couple of primary reasons are final value fees as high as 9.9%, and giving different sellers more/less exposure based on criteria that suits them, not buyers. I'd hazard a guess for most (average volume) sellers these days, the lower profit margin / high turnover strategy doesn't keep a business sustainable here.

Different overheards, different stock price, different purchase price. I gather the 'not impressed' thing is based on thinking the eBay seller is making more money from the same item. They're probably not. 

[extra-keen]

Goodness, my advice would be to buy from them. We couldn't hope to compete! with all the fees and charges.

[bigbrickshop]

DD also has an eBay store. Have you checked whether they are selling the same item on eBay and what the price is? If the price is higher it would be to cover their eBay fees.

[lane-ends]

sellers learn to list items at prices that will sell, and often list large quantities, they cant spend all their day shopping around getting competitive prices for everything they sell to make sure they are the cheapest. Not sure there are any guidelines that say because you are on Ebay you have to be cheapest around. If you are selling new items you still have to pay for the stock.

I sell second hand items and I know sometimes I get more for them second hand that when they were new. 2 reasons, home delivery without having to go find them. Often they are no longer available. In short convenience and availability.

[1sweetap6v8]

It appears that you are all making excuse to why you charge more.

The OP dont care about your cost they are concerned at there cost and if its cheaper elsewhere thats where the business will go and is.

Was looking at a TV just now, Ebay $ 375 from the manufactures own Ebay store (starts with K ends with N). 12mth warrantee free standard delivery.

Then go to that manufactures own website and there it is exactly the same model number same unit  free overnight shipping  12mth warrantee up gradeable to 5 yrs for extra $35 all for the sum of $330 , Why would anyone buy from Ebay while this stratagy is in place.

Second hand well thats a different story and what ebay was first formed with in mind the home seller getting rid of his unwanted goods. That is slowly but surely becoming the past.

[wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts]

Quite simply sellers on ebay don't necessarily pay the same price for stock to begin with.

Some examples.... I have seen toys for sale at a lower cost in large retail stores than the wholesale price by the only Australian distributor. The ebay seller may sell a few of them but then discovers they are not moving and sells them below cost to get rid of them. Another wholesaler decides to clear stock on one of these clearance sites direct to the public; the wholesale price they are selling them to retailers is higher than the price they are being sold for on the clearance site.

These are just 2 examples I have come across with wholesalers/distributors I dealt with in the past.

Many retail outlets will clear excess stock on ebay or via deals sites. The models they are selling may be about to become obsolete or they may simply not sell. They may have elected not to reduce the price on their own website as they are getting a satisfactory level of sales at the higher price, or suspect stock will clear out soon anyway so haven't bothered to reduce the price.

Some sellers/retailers will undercut to the point they are making a loss as they feel they will drive out the competition adopting this approach. Once the competition has been eliminated prices rise.

[stashtardus]

The one advantage with Ebay sellers tend to ship faster within 7 days. I have learnt that Ozsales and few others can take more than 4 weeks plus to be shipped. Even Deals Direct can have long shipping times.

[wishuponastarcelebrationsandgifts]

It appears that you are all making excuse to why you charge more.

Was looking at a TV just now, Ebay $ 375 from the manufactures own Ebay store (starts with K ends with N). 12mth warrantee free standard delivery.

Then go to that manufactures own website and there it is exactly the same model number same unit  free overnight shipping  12mth warrantee up gradeable to 5 yrs for extra $35 all for the sum of $330 , Why would anyone buy from Ebay while this stratagy is in place.

The extra $45 the seller is charging on ebay is to cover the cost of listing and final value fees. Why wouldn't the seller list on their own website for less if it costs them less. That way both they and the customer are happy. They make the same profit margin and the customer saves on paying the ebay fees.

[booksnmusic]

I have recently experienced some very average service from other online retailers (would have purchased from ebay if those items were available here).

Most took days to respond to an enquiry (if at all), or at least a week to confirm posting (if they bother confirming at all).

I should clarify that I did not find my items from small individual websites that would very likely have provided a great service 🙂