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eBay Alternatives - Auction Websites for Online Selling |
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If you have an eBay business, like many others you are probably wondering if there are any alternative online auction websites that are worth trying. Are there really any compedative auction sites? The real candidates are reviewed here. www.oztion.com.au • Overview Oztion, however you like to pronounce it, is one of the leading auction sites available for Australian users. In fact, it is the second largest auction site behind eBay in Australia claiming 372,000 members and 750,000 items for sale. Although its format is very similar to eBay Australia, the biggest difference is that basic listings are free, but the extra stuff is more expensive (such as bolding, more pictures, certain types of items, etc). • Advantages The advantages to oztion.com are that the site is better formatted for people who are just selling one or two items at a time. It is possible to join and list several items for sale without having to pay anything. The site is also much more localized, which makes it easier to do business with other Australians. • Disadvantages There are some distinct disadvantages to oztion.com as well. One of the biggest disadvantages is that the web traffic is a lot lower than that of EBay. It is a less well-known site, which makes it harder to sell items. The fees for “buy it now” options and to open a store on their site are higher as well. The effect of no insertion fees seems to be higher buy it now and starting prices. www.bidsell.com.au • Overview Bidsell.com.au is another auction site listed as one of the most popular eBay alternatives. This online auction site specializes in being similar toeEBay, but without the large fees and complications. BidSell has partner sites worldwide, much like eBay. This includes the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong and China. Again no insertion fees and a compedative final value fee are attractive. With this international presence bidsell may be one to watch in the future, but for now does not have enough traffic to challenge eBay. • Advantages There are no listing fees to submit an item to bidsell.com. A 3% fee is charged if the item sells. This is a definite advantage over the high EBay fees that are charged when using that site. Bidsell.com also allows specific searches for each country which is a nice advantage. Bidsell also does not charge for opening a store. • Disadvantages EBay auctions are charged before the sale. Bidsell.com auctions are charged 3% after the sale. For large items this could turn out to be quite a bit of money. The monthly membership plans are a little on the expensive side. Bidsell has less traffic than eBay. www.amazon.com/tag/australia • Overview Amazon.com has a format that is quite different from most auction sites and is very different from selling on EBay. EBay auctions are run more like the old-fashioned style of auction. Amazon lists several different prices from different sellers and the buyer chooses the one to purchase. • Advantages Amazon is a very well-known site. They have added an auction feature for some items like other auction websites. Fees are not charged unless the item is sold. Amazon is one of the highest traffic sites for purchasing items. • Disadvantages Once an item sells the fees are very high. Amazon charges 6-9% of the item cost, plus a listing cost, and a transaction fee. Some fees are waived for pro subscribers to Amazon, but the cost for that membership is high as well. While it is worthwile spending a small amount of time investigating if these alternatives to eBay suit your online business, remember that the traffic to your items is significantly lower than eBay. |