ebid.co.uk > Reviews > Breaking the monopoly of Ebay

Author's product rating:   

Layout & Design	Good
Navigation	Excellent
How fast is this website?	Satisfactory
Quality of the Content	Good
Range of Services / Products	Average

Advantages:	Generally cheaper than Ebay
Disadvantages:	fraudulent sellers/buyers common on all auction sites

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

www.ebid.co.uk is a site I only really noticed around 6 weeks ago. I had never heard of it before, and, as some of the non-ebay auction sites are a bit empty, I wasn't expecting much.

So, imagine my surprise to find there were thousands and thousands of items on there! Okay, so not as many as Ebay, but not too shabby either.

It was easy to join, and if you register a credit card details with them, you can immediately jump from bronze to silver status.

Buying is simple if you have been on the auction sites before, competition is not so intense as Ebay and there is less chance of someone gazumping you at the last minute.

Selling on the other hand is something I have only just started doing, selling all the kids' outgrown videos etc. It is free to sell, and only costs if you want a featured ad. There is a wide choice of how many days you want the auction to run, how many times you want it reposted etc.

Searches are easy enough, you can view your account for buying and selling, and any feedback you are given, or you have to give out or have given out to sellers/buyers to increase/decrease their ratings.

Although I haven't been on there long, I have encountered one seller who hasn't sent me my items four weeks later, although the other sellers I have dealt with have been excellent - quick, good communication etc. As I have only just started as a seller, literally in the past week, I have had some good bidders buying from me, although the prices aren't as good as I could get on Ebay etc because the competition isn't as intense. However, so far, I have had one non-payer who I am probably going to have to refer to Ebid management, and repost the ad.

So, all in all, like Ebay, but smaller and more competitively priced items for buyers. Sellers could get more selling elsewhere, but it would cost them more to sell, whereas at least this is as free as the local Free Ads newspaper.

Do watch out for postage - it's a doozie! If postage is not marked, get a quote from the seller before bidding. I made a bid for £5 on items worth £7 and then when I had won and it was too late to back out, the seller slapped me with a £5 postage charge, so let the buyer beware! Also, as a seller, never underestimate the cost of postage. If you are selling a video, remember, a padded envelope will be around 40p, postage (second class) around 80p, so by the time you sell an video for £1 and postage for £1, there isn't much left at the end of the day and you would be better off car-booting! So be aware of postage, and put a good reserve price on if you are selling!

On the downside, this is not a website to let the kids surf and have a look around - there are lots of adult stuff for sale, including "briefs worn for three days", adult DVDs and marital aids, inflatable sheep, kinky outfits. And the totally bizarre, nasal hair, jar of farts, jar of regional air, used vibrator or baby nappies, adult nappies, and fake dog turds.

There is also a Happy Hour between 4 and 8pm (HOUR????) where items are put in for these hours only - great for a fast, adrenaline based sale! And there are wholesale lots too, for those car boot stands and market stalls.