Which is better to sell from? Your own website or eBay?

Question

Hi there. I specialize in faucets, tub faucets, kitchen faucets, etc. I am sick of seeing ebay invoices for $400. Would having my own website be cheaper? Share your experiences.

Answer 1

I am sick of my fees too.. and they only add up to about $200! Do you have a whole bunch of similar ones?? If so I would use ecrater.com.. they are free! Sell a couple on eBay auction. Say something like "If you need more quantity or a different style email me and I will post some more to auction for you". When someone actually does email you, use their email address and send them a link to your ecrater.com store. DO NOT USE FeeBays MY MESSAGES SYSTEM for these emails! Also include a thank-you note with those that you sell off of FeeBay directing your buyer to your other store. Keep in mind that Ecrater does not delete the items from your store if you sell out, so don't use it on limited quantity items. You may also look into a Wagglepop.com storefront, which is where I am going.

Answer 2

Can you afford to get stiffed?

Can you do it on your own and still use Paypal?

If so try it on your own.

I just bought an item and paid through paypal. It was never shipped, so now I'm spending cycles trying
to recoup my $.

If your company has lots of transactions, some abuses will occur.

Risk / reward, you have obviously had experience with eBay and should have some knowledge about the number of failed transactions, so you should be in a position to make a decision.

Answer 3

Keep in mind that that $400 covers a bunch of stuff you'd have to pay for directly - servers, bandwidth, and all the clearinghouse functions that eBay does for you. Oh,. and publicity. Let's not forget publicity. eBay has an established name, and you're more likely to have callers who I can find eBay.com, but won't be able to find joes-faucets-r-us.com.

Answer 4

I think ebay because it gets more publicity.