Is Amazon better than eBay? (cheaper, shipping, more trustworthy sites + more)
Amazon and eBay existed around the same time, with eBay opening in 1995 and Amazon in 1997. Both sites have maintained their popularity over the years and are the top eCommerce sites in the world!
However, there is a lot of debate about which online store is better. Many consumers claim Amazon is the best, but is that really the case? If you want to find out, read on to see what I learned!
Is Amazon better than eBay?
Amazon and eBay are both better for different reasons. Amazon is known for providing a better customer experience, thanks to its Prime shipping service and its wide selection of products. However, eBay is considered a better site for independent sellers because they offer lower membership fees and fewer seller account restrictions.
If you want to learn more about how Amazon vs. eBay compares on price, shipping, customer service, seller accounts, and other categories, keep reading this article!
Is Amazon cheaper than eBay?
Compared to eBay, Amazon’s prices vary depending on where customers live and what products they are searching for.
If customers are searching for used, handmade or vintage/vintage products, eBay is a great place to bargain because these products are very commonly available on their site.
But if customers are searching for brand new products, Amazon often offers better prices on electronics, books and other items that might be pricey at other stores.
Does Amazon have a better delivery service than eBay?
Amazon has better and faster shipping than eBay thanks to the Amazon Prime service. While Amazon shipping can be more expensive, customers can receive their packages as early as the day they order.
However, with eBay, packages can sometimes take weeks to arrive. Unlike Amazon, there is no FBA service attached to eBay’s shipping, which makes fulfilling orders more time-consuming, resulting in delayed shipping times.
So while eBay’s shipping may be cheaper, Amazon’s model of shipping and fulfilling orders is faster, more reliable, and considered worthy of a Prime membership.
Is Amazon more trustworthy than eBay?
In recent years, eBay has had problems hosting scammers on its site. As a result, many customers were scammed out of their money, causing many consumers to remain wary of buying from eBay.
However, Amazon has a higher detection rate for scammers. Amazon routinely suspends sellers who do not follow its rules and regulations, and this has cleared many fake sellers from Amazon’s database.
As a result, many customers feel safer buying from Amazon because any instances of counterfeiting are likely to be dealt with quickly, posing a little risk to shoppers.
However, it should be noted that while Amazon is more trusted by consumers than eBay, eBay does protect customers if they fall victim to scams.
Is Amazon a better seller than eBay?
Amazon is more suitable for sellers who need a fixed price business model. Amazon sellers will list their products at a specific price and receive full payment when the customer makes a purchase.
However, eBay lists products in auctions, which means sellers may not always receive the price they want for the item.
Likewise, when sellers choose to use eBay’s fixed price model, they only receive a percentage of the sale. Therefore, they have to sell at a higher price to break even.
Therefore, Amazon is better suited for larger businesses that require a fixed price model structure. However, small businesses that sell handmade items, antiques, or artifacts may have more success with eBay’s business model!
Additionally, Amazon gated product categories, which made it harder for companies operating in certain niches to sell.
However, eBay only restricts certain products, which leaves more room for sales within specific categories.
Is Amazon’s customer service better than eBay’s?
According to former eBay and Amazon customers, eBay has had issues with customer service when it comes to resolving issues such as payments and providing feedback.
Amazon’s customer service is also deeply flawed, as emails and messages seeking help often go unanswered, or customer service representatives are unable to resolve issues the website states otherwise.
Overall, both of these customer service models are deeply flawed. However, Amazon does offer more ways to get help than it can be on eBay.
Does Amazon have a better selection of products than eBay?
Amazon’s and eBay’s product selections are very different, which means there are better options based on the type of item a customer is searching for.
If customers are more interested in buying antiques, antiques, handmade items, crafts, and second-hand goods, eBay offers a greater selection of these products.
However, Amazon has a better selection of new and refurbished items like phones, computers, mattresses, and other higher-end items.
Therefore, customers will find better products on these two sites based on the niche in which they searched for the product.
Is Amazon better for small businesses than eBay?
Both Amazon and eBay are suitable for small businesses, depending on the type of business the seller needs to open an account for.
eBay is a great platform for small businesses that only sell a limited number of products each month, such as handmade items, antiques, collectibles, and other similar items that don’t depend on steady sales.
However, businesses that need more consistent sales go further with Amazon because their pricing policy is set against a fixed price.
Plus, Amazon is set to fulfill shipping orders faster, reducing the work small businesses have to do when shipping orders to customers!
To learn more about Amazon, you can also check out our related articles on whether Amazon is an ethical company, whether it is safe to shop on Amazon, and why Amazon ships slowly.
in conclusion
Amazon is generally considered a better customer experience platform, and also for businesses that need more consistent sales and profits.
However, due to its lower membership fees, eBay is considered more beneficial for small niche businesses. So both companies benefit equally for different reasons.