Amazon V ebay any thoughts?
i don’t know if it’s just me but ebay buyers seem to be a different breed to amazon buyers for instance we would never send anything over £10 in value that is not tracked as in the past 2 out of 10 will claim INR as on amazon i have never had this problem,simply sending first class normal post is this coincidence or a different breed of buyer any thoughts?
150 replies
Seller_mBENc0rmDmw5W
TBH I think it depends on the type of items you sell raher than the site. There have been unpteen threads about INR on the Amazon forum.
Anyway, if you purchase postage on-line and enter the relevant tracking codes eBay will support you as the seller.
If you buy shipping via eBay the codes are automatically entered even fir LL.
Seller_1y9PYjveMaDoE
Generally ebay buyers are better for me, same INR as Amazon but almost ZERO returns requested - whereas Amazon customers request returns frequently (though only half actually bother to return).
I never send anything signed for unless it’s over £50.
Seller_IV1mevBzHENd5
re: buyers, I don’t think there is much difference between ebay and Amazon, just as many dishonest buyers on Amazon.
ebay supports sellers more than amazon, if tracking shows item delivered ebay accept that, they do not refund buyer and they remove negative feedback. That is NOT the case with Amazon who just refund buyers on a whim and will not remove dishonest negative feedback.
You can also block dodgy buyers on ebay which you cannot do on Amazon.
Prefer selling on ebay, personally, but Amazon provides a top-up income stream.
Seller_KYg4HcMxNv1q7
We’ve always found the returns rate on Amazon much higher compared to eBay - also seem to have a lot of purchases on Amazon, especially in last quarter, where the buyer decides they don’t want it when it’s in transit. I think the convenience of Prime and Amazon in general for the consumer lends itself to a a culture where items are bought with little actual thought. Great example is a message overnight - jacket sold yesterday on using free standard postage, in transit to customer, they have now stated that if it doesn’t arrive today (as in overnight) they don’t need it … frustrating, lost postage, but it is what it is. Everyone have a good day ;o)
Seller_CCioVfQ91T585
hi ebay look after there sellers as if you have proof of posting they will back you up unlike amazon who will side for the buyer on every occasion even if you provide therm proof that the buyer had received there item and signed for it and amazon is a scammers paradise for buyers.
Seller_zH0OvrbthbfOe
Until last year we had never really sold much on eBay and only had a small amount of our stock on there that slowly ticked over. We then decided to add a everything as Amazon had become so shockingly awful. Amazon sales had dropped off along with an increase in FBA delivery issues and huge return rate of 15% on FBA items.
Since then we have ditched FBA and selling outside of the UK and are better off for it. On eBay selling exactly the same items our return rate for last year was 5 returns out of 3000 + sales. Also generally the difference in the way buyers interact with you when they do have and issue is much more relaxed and friendly rather than the aggressive nature of Amazon buyers in my opinion. When I have had to speak with someone in eBay seller support they have always been helpful and explained things well. I have however only had to deal with them 3 times in the last year.
The freedom ability to draw funds from paypal when you would like also makes cash flow a little more fluid. However I believe eBay are going to introduce a slightly different system for payments soon if I am correct.
We sell in few different categories on eBay and all our items go pretty well so worth a shot.
Seller_1qKTBDbgtHefM
IMHO :
From 10 years experience, yes, it’s a different breed of buyer - or at least different expectations.
Ebay = cheap tat bazaar with buyer focused protection and easy to scam sellers.
Amazon = Quality products with an optional paid PRIME service for guaranteed next day delivery on all PRIME items. To be fair, still easy to scam sellers but because of the start of this sentence, they don’t do it as often.
It’s my opinion that Amazon buyers expect more from their purchases but generally do tend to get more.
Ebay purchasers expect better than they’re getting and its far too easy for them to make claims via ebay directly or on paypal.
I have run the numbers some time back so I don’t have them anymore but we sell on Amazon, Ebay and our own websites.
For every 100 orders on Ebay, AMazon and our websites, approx 5% on Ebay claim INR (GOD i love the new delivery confirmation service, see next paragraph**), around 2% INR on Amazon and <1% from our website. It is quite clear that there are absolutely without a doubt intentional scammers on Ebay and Amazon. They are more prolific on Ebay than they are on Amazon and they’re almost non-existant on private websites. It is quite clear that people purposefully claim INR for free goods because they know they can.
** The new Royal Mail services (everything except for actual letter), so this includes all parcels and all Large Letter (LL) now have a ‘tracking’ number. Its not actually tracking, but it is delivery confirmation. This delivery confirmation is accepted by Ebay as proof of delivery and decides cases in our favour which is just glorious compared to the last 10 years of being suckered by scammers. It’s not yet officially supported by Amazon and I’ve lost a few despite having the delivery confirmation on Royal Mails website, however the last 2 people that claimed INR on Amazon and went to A-Z cases, Amazon refunded them from their own pocket and not mine so they may, and I emphasise MAY be starting to accept that confirmation.
Almost every single person on Ebay who says INR when the delivery confirmation says its been delivered never comes back to us. This says to me they’re trying to scam and have realised they’re busted.
Again almost everyone on Amazon who says INR when the delivery confirmation says its been delivered also don’t come back to us again, however the ratio of people that do come back to us is higher than that on ebay which tells me that they’re more likely to be telling the truth and Royal Mail have cocked up.
Again, and finally, From our own website there have been near enough NO claims of INR, ever. Perhaps 1 in the 3 years its been running. As a ratio it is effectively 0 claims so to sum the above rant up:
TL:DR… Ebay is full of scammers. Amazon has them but less so. Your own website or ecommerce portal is practically immnue from scammers.
Ahhhhhh that feels better 
Seller_OD408ZNiEUfUp
Ebay everytime. As a buyer I would never use Amazon, as I find the descriptions poor, prices high and zero customer service with problems. Customers don’t understand the system either and are less likely to leave positive feedback and more likely to leave negatives.
Ebay, you have better descriptions better prices and more choice and as a buyer or a seller the customer services is far superior to that of Amazon.
I sell more items on Amazon than Ebay, but from a personal point of view ebay is better for both sellers and buyers.
Seller_RkSwvn8DK3yEs
Hi Melchor! I’m interested to know what you meant exactly when you said:
Are you saying that some Amz sellers buy on eBay to resell on Amz?
Many thanks
Seller_FtqZkbyCwPkdk
I sell on Amazon and Ebay. It’s day and night different. Amazon has a lot of INR claims and seller support is bad.
Ebay I have few INR’s which I can defend thru my OBA account. Very few nasty customers, a lot easier and I can ban fraudsters.
Ebay will take personal circumstances into consideration. Amazon is not.
