**Has anyone successfully started again on eBay, Etsy or another platform?**
Sales have tanked since June, and I have also had so many FBA refunds that I am seriously considering leaving Amazon and starting again elsewhere.
Last Saturday, I received an email from a buyer claiming that her order had not arrived. Royal Mail tracking showed it as delivered, the GPS matched her address, and the delivery photograph showed the parcel at her front door. I even compared the door and property with Street View and sent the evidence to the buyer.
Instead of checking again, she raised an A-to-z claim.
After more than 15 years of selling on Amazon, I increasingly feel that the platform is training sellers to tolerate unreasonable buyer behaviour rather than helping us develop products, improve our business model or provide better service.
So I would genuinely appreciate advice from sellers who have moved part or all of their business to another platform.
Has anyone successfully started again on eBay, Etsy, their own website or another marketplace?
I understand that every platform has problems and that starting again will be difficult. I am not expecting instant sales. I would like to know:
* Which platform was easiest to begin with?
* How long did it take to receive regular orders?
* How do eBay and Etsy compare with Amazon regarding buyer disputes and seller protection?
* Did you move gradually, or leave Amazon completely?
* What would you do differently if you were starting again today?
I would not really be starting from zero because I already have products, suppliers, photographs, stock, a brand and years of experience. However, I would be starting from zero in terms of traffic, reviews and marketplace visibility.
Perhaps this is not only an ending. It may be another new beginning.
**Has anyone successfully started again on eBay, Etsy or another platform?**
Sales have tanked since June, and I have also had so many FBA refunds that I am seriously considering leaving Amazon and starting again elsewhere.
Last Saturday, I received an email from a buyer claiming that her order had not arrived. Royal Mail tracking showed it as delivered, the GPS matched her address, and the delivery photograph showed the parcel at her front door. I even compared the door and property with Street View and sent the evidence to the buyer.
Instead of checking again, she raised an A-to-z claim.
After more than 15 years of selling on Amazon, I increasingly feel that the platform is training sellers to tolerate unreasonable buyer behaviour rather than helping us develop products, improve our business model or provide better service.
So I would genuinely appreciate advice from sellers who have moved part or all of their business to another platform.
Has anyone successfully started again on eBay, Etsy, their own website or another marketplace?
I understand that every platform has problems and that starting again will be difficult. I am not expecting instant sales. I would like to know:
* Which platform was easiest to begin with?
* How long did it take to receive regular orders?
* How do eBay and Etsy compare with Amazon regarding buyer disputes and seller protection?
* Did you move gradually, or leave Amazon completely?
* What would you do differently if you were starting again today?
I would not really be starting from zero because I already have products, suppliers, photographs, stock, a brand and years of experience. However, I would be starting from zero in terms of traffic, reviews and marketplace visibility.
Perhaps this is not only an ending. It may be another new beginning.
61 replies
Seller_KlbXZHzQGSDZv
It really depends on what you sell. We have our own website and sell on etsy and ebay as well as here and generally here is about 30% and the rest spread around the others. Starting afresh from a website point of view is a dubious descision the footfall and advertising that Amazon brings to the table just cant be beat. Set up your website then you need to try to get punters to visit. We have been running all for 10yrs and it only the last 3 or so that the website has picked up.
Listing again depending what you sell can be a double edged sword if its on amazon allready and been listed correctly than its the easiest system to use. If its not on here or is on here under wrong brand / title /picture then best to walk away. If your listing on Ebay/ Etsy your own website you have to create the advert which can be time consuming but has the advantage that you can get titles/pictures/brands correct and change them if bneeded but to set an advert up can take 20 mins as opposed to 2 on amazon when everything works right.
Bit late now as you have allready pulled thepin on AMazon but my advice would be to start the other sites and run them in tandem. As far as a-z claims etc you will never get passed that but a lot depends on the type of stuff your selling if that appeals to the barhgain hunters who know how to abuse the system your always going to get claims. Best to adjust your prices effectively like a bricks and mortar shop allowing for shoplifting which is essentially what an a-z claim can be in the wrong hands.
Seller_7wGddgDV71K4J
After almost 20 years, this week I took the decision to leave Amazon. It was my best selling platform. The final straw was last month, when they changed the dispatch time policy from 48 hours to 24 hours. As I make quite a lot or products to order it's impossible to keep up and my best seller, because it's a model railway item and classed as a toy was removed as I can't provide the documentation for it. Having to wait almost 3 weeks to be paid out also contributed to my leaving. I've got 2 ebay shops, a website and I do loads of B2B anyway so I'm afraid it's goodbye Amazon.
Seller_ptACUJHZ3hhUx
The option remains to increase your prices to cover the fake returns/not received. Although I wouldn't be too quick to accuse customers of fake no deliveries, Amazon's GPS shows my house as a restaurant down the road, a cause of endless headaches. I am more inclined to wonder about the frequent deliveries I find in my bin and at the end of my drive and think it is the prolific number of changing drivers that are at the heart of this. If you are selling low-volume, big-ticket items, then switching to a personal website and social media strategy might work, but Google Ads, etc is a tough market if you haven't done it before. Wishing you the best.
Seller_iUcF35YSDwxDs
apparently there is a new marketplace being launched soon called Zoipler that fixes a lot of amazons issues.
Seller_JiKgVP3KDGWwF
Best option is your own site. No hoops to jump through. No seller fees, Use direct marketing to existing customers, social media to market. control your SEO and simply build sales and reputation. If a small business you can set up a off the shelf site with online-outlet uk for just £20 per year. no limit on number of products. They have options to help you build a website if you are not confident about adding products or require a more tailored site
Seller_pxSYIvNuThJVv
Hi
I was forced to go the other way, from eBay to Amazon, as my main product is VIP Memorable Mobile Numbers. eBay are totally paranoid about sellers and buyers doing business away from eBay, hence their AI bots are constantly on the lookout for sellers giving away their 'personal details'. Unfortunately the AI bots were unable to tell the difference between phone numbers as 'personal details' and VIP memorable mobile numbers for sale! Hence, on Christmas Day, I had 600 listings removed and my account restricted, both for supposedly 'divulging personal information' and also supposedly 'encouraging illegal activity'. My main product is now banned from sale on eBay.
I briefly tried OnBuy (but found they didn't have the pull power of Amazon) and so now have my own Shopify store, which is gradually building traffic as well as being a very happy new customer of Amazon.
I still have my two eBay sites for selling other products, but have downgraded them both, so no longer pay the monthly shop fees.
So my advice would be to spread your wings - don't necessarily ditch anyone altogether!
Seller_eX5PU1b0GGPXn
Yes ,nearly 9 years ago
As a collector I needed to free up space
I listed a few items and over time was given permission for an unlimited amount I could list
What I list here is totally different
But if AI decides I can no longer list a book as it is now BRANDED etc etc I move it
I get returning buyers I can actually message within the rules
If there is a problem I can talk to a human
Good Luck
Seller_3SP5c0fPWImCr
We do ok on other sites rather than Amazon.
Personally, and we can't be the only ones, if you say anything negative about amazon on here you get listings removed for issues that are not relevant. About 80% of the time it will happen.
I think it's been over a week since our last sale on here.
Plus we have to constantly redo listings, upgrade listings etc etc etc, the majority of the time it's not down to change in laws, it's just what amazon want you to do.
Like give us a break
Seller_y01KBStHF2VUn
Add the option NO SAFE PLACE to your Royal Mail packages. This should prevent them just leaving the package outside.
Seller_58y2FhNkywdyp
on ebay there are many good things,
the ability to promote listings to get sales above the lowest priced ones works well for me,
international sales are easy by using ebay to post abroad,
the abilty to bundle items is great for me (media - example - 4 bob dylan cds job lot instead of 4 individual listings)
lower fees
you can also use ebay simple delivery which guarantees no refunds as long as its scanned in at your end
downside for me is the time it takes to list an item, on amazon with software its seconds to list an item with ebay doing pics, writing descriptions etc means at least 5 minutes per item.
thats my thoughts
Seller_2E45mQMkRKLY5
I have an eBay store and its so much less stress to sell on eBay as eBay has your back, unlike Amazon who seem only interested in the buyer not the seller
I rather spend that 15% fee on eBay than Amazon.
Also I don't get penalised for when customers are not in to receive the item or theres a delay outside of my control as ebay looks at the dispatch on time date.
Lastly as I list the items I'm in control from start to finish so I'm spending more time now on eBay
