The eBay Revolution
Since eBay’s launch, there have been countless attempts to compete with the auction giant and to date most of them have failed. In what must be nearly ten years of service, eBay has always delivered above and beyond what both buyers and sellers expect, with their constant innovation, development and good customer service.
But, there’s a new kid on the block, and its name is Amazon. You may already have heard of them, they’re that multi-million dollar online ‘everything’ store. A few years ago they gave small merchants the ability to sell products thanks to a feature named Amazon storefronts and whilst this was widely applauded by the online retail industry, it has created a great deal of confusion and it has changed Amazons reputation irreparably.
Amazon is no longer a site which you can simply click buy now and get a brand new product. Instead, Amazon lists almost everything imaginable, including rare books and other items that you simply can’t buy anymore.
But where do they come from? Many of these items come from third party supplies which can now list items for sale on Amazon for a fee. Un-knowing buyers can accidentally purchase these goods which may or may not be new.
Whilst it’s a safe enough business transaction, Amazon has lost its charm for many, and the real fact is, if you want to buy second hand goods online, where do you go? eBay.
Both sites still do have their own niche markets, but this attempt by Amazon has encroached on eBay’s territory a little. It hasn’t affected either website greatly as eBay is as much an internet name as Google is.
eBay is a community focused auction site and its support tools for helping sellers and even buyers are second to none. The forums are vibrant with requests for help, tips and ways to increase sales revenue and target new customers.
For sellers, eBay has and always will be the premier choice, mainly down to the fact when a possible buyer eBay.com, they know exactly what to expect. Honesty comes automatically to eBay.com and unlike Amazon where users can be disappointed because they expected something new, with eBay, most people already bid under the assumption that products are used goods, or at the very best ‘new in box’.
This is a distinction that perhaps Amazon lacks, and now the site is filled with third party sellers. Whilst you can do a search which excludes them from the results, it would have been a great deal more user friendly and transparent to separate them entirely.
eBay is continuing to grow on a daily basis and the company is expanding daily. The basic premise of EBay hasn’t changed and it most likely never will. It’s the community that makes eBay so great, and the fact that there is so much variety contained within the millions of auctions. Whilst Amazon may try to be a bric-a-brac store, eBay dwarfs Amazon storefront by comparison.
