Still undiscovered territory so stake your claim while you can
Disadvantages:
It's all so hush - hush !
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
****For Buyers***** This is a great site for buyers because so many buyers have their noses stuck in Ebay that they often forget that there are great bargains to be had on other auction sites out there!
Since the Ebay fee increases, many Ebay sellers have flocked over to Ebid as it's free for them to list. And as it's free for sellers to list on Ebid, many of them pass on these savings to their customers. Just looking through many of the categories on the site, it's amazing how things that are often bid to impossible prices on Ebay, are still sitting at a diddly squat 99p on Ebid - and so many buyers are missing out on deals like these because they won't venture out beyond their comfort zones.
Don't get me wrong. I am an Ebay addict and love it to bits. I sell and buy on Ebay and it is just so fun and addictive. But I would say that Ebid is growing by the second and each day sees more and more new items added and many at bargain prices.
If you're only comfortable paying via Paypal, you'll find that most sellers do offer Paypal, cheque and postal orders as a payment option., although PPPay.com is EBid's official payment provider.
I've had many happy purchases on Ebid and Ebay, but please be a careful shopper. On Ebid, just like any other auction site, you'll have to keep your wits about you. Read all item descriptions carefully before you bid, look at feedback, read information on the sellers "All About" Page, and if you're still not sure, check with the friendly folk on the forums. Don't rush in where angels fear to tread! Always do yor homework first.
****For Sellers****** I'm not going to reinterate all the technicalities of joining Ebid. You can read that info in other reviews or by visiting the site itself. I shall just write from my point of view and personal experience as a seller and a buyer on Ebid.
1. The people on the forums are friendly and helpful. You rarely get sarkies or mud-slinging here, unless you're a genuine TROLL.
2. You save tons of money by not having to pay listing fees and you only pay 3% final value fees if you are a silver member. Gold subscriptions can be purchased for 7, 30, 90, 365 days or a Lifetime giving you zero listing fees and zero final value fees for life. Last time I checked it was £44.99 for a lifetime membership.
And even if sales are slower than on Ebay, it's great to have a presence on Ebid to advertise your goods.
3. You get a free Ebid shop which you can customize.
4. Listing can be done online, item by item, and then you can export the listings to an Excel file (they are thus saved on your hard drive and you can do a bulk edit in excel to repost) Listings can also be done offline with an excel spreadsheet or via the bulk-lister (I personally don't use the bulk lister as I find the spreadsheet faster and quicker)
5. The Ebid bosses are in touch with the "common folk" and listen to their views and actively implement useful suggestions that are brought up. There is a genuine sense of community spirit at Ebid.
6. Ebid has a handy feature called "My Notices" which allows you to post notices to your auctions. You are able to inform bidders if you're going on holiday or any other default messages you may wish to have.
7. Another cool feature that is unique to EBid is that there is a "Request Feedback" button that you can use to remind your seller or buyer to leave you feedback. You can also edit what you've said if you were too rash in leaving negative or positive feedback. PLUS Ebid has a feature whereby you can seperate a person's feedback into positive, neutral or negative so you can have easy access to the different types of feedback the person's received.
8. Ebid listings are optimized for search engines. Google and Yahoo pick up listings very well.
9. If you cannot find a category you want to list your products in, just drop a note in "New Category Suggestions" on the forums and the Ebid team will evaluate that category and put it in.
***Drawbacks****
While the advantages to the site outweigh the drawbacks to the site, the major drawback is that not enough people know about the site at the moment, so the choice of goods is still small compared to Ebay's. However, having been a member of the site for a few years now, I have seen how it's grown tremedously and it's expanding on a daily basis.
Another drawback is that the site can seem complicated to navigate for newbies. With a litte persistance however, most people soon get the hang of it and find it a breeze to use.
Another disadvantage for sellers is that there is no automated invoicing system like Ebay's Selling Manager Pro. You have to send out good ol fashioned invoices manually!
Summary : All in all, one of my favourite auction sites because it has good deals for buyers, provides a cheap listing alternative for sellers and you actually get a human response to queries!! --------------------------- 21 APRIL 2007 UPDATE --------------------------- Ebid has had a makeover! However, the changes are not purely cosmetic. The revamp includes -
1. Being able to offer integrated Paypal checkout in your auctions. This has streamlined the payment process and makes it super-easy for buyers to purchase items instantly.
2. Google checkout is also an option that can be offered (Which you can't do on Ebay)
3. It is still FREE to list your auction. However, after you have joined you will need to upgrade your account from Bronze Membership to either Silver or Platinum Membership to start selling.
Bronze means you can only buy, but not list on Ebid.
Silver means you can sell using the "Standard" auction format which has NO listing fees except for a 3% Final Value Fee.
Platinum means there are NO listing fees and NO Final Value Fees. It's basically a lifetime membership subscription which gives you zero listing fees and zero final value fees for life.
Platinum members can open up to 5 stores and there are no monthly subscription fees and shop items show up in regular searches(unlike Ebay)
And best of all, if you are a U.K. based seller, your items show up in the U.S.A. Canada, Australia and Ireland. This is a blessing considering the latest restrictions on UK visibility on the U.S. Ebay site.
More details
Content Update
Very often
Security & Privacy Statement
Excellent
Search Facility
Good
Bid Tracking Function
Good
Ability to Customise
Excellent
Customer Service Support
Excellent
Client Number / Order Number
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