eBay

PROS / With over 162 million registered users, eBay's customer base exceeds all other auction sites.

CONS / This auction site has steep fees with confusing variables.

VERDICT / eBay is the best online auction site thanks to its safe environment, prime customer base and wide selection of features to help your items sell.

eBay is the best-known auction site in the world. Between the high number of members, easy-to-use interface and wide selection of features, it has created a safe environment for ordinary people to sell their items or start up their own businesses. eBay earns our Top Ten Reviews Gold Award for the exposure and safe marketplace it provides its sellers.

1. This score reflects how easy it is to list items on the auction site.
   More is Better.
2. 1 EBAY 
   
   100%
3. 2 EBID 
   
   95%
4. 3 BONANZA 
   
   95%
5. CATEGORY AVERAGE
   
   86.83%

Selling Fees

While eBay offers the most features and audience for your items, it also has several fees you must pay to use its service. Luckily, you don't have to pay any seller verification fee, as you do with many similar services. This can be a small or large fee that the company uses to verify your credibility as a seller. Additionally, your first 50 listings are free on this site. Any listing after that is 30 cents.

After your item sells, eBay charges you a 10 percent commission on the total amount of the sale. This is the largest commission fee we saw when we evaluated online auction sites. To sell more than 50 products, you will want to consider a store. There are three store subscription options from eBay: Basic, Premium and Anchor. These stores range from $19.95 per month for a yearly subscription to $299.95. If you choose a store subscription, there is no additional listing fee. Listing upgrade options are available but at an additional cost. These upgrade fees can range from 10 cents to $4.

Selling Features

The membership of over 162 million users makes eBay an attractive auction site for potential sellers. The high number of members increases the views for your item and, as a result, the likelihood of it selling. eBay understands the importance of viewers and offers several tools to help you increase that number. You can submit your items to various search engines and advertise internally. You can also list your items internationally and increase the number of potential buyers even more. eBay offers the most and the best quality of advertisement options for your products you can get among auction sites.

You can add a counter to your pages to see how many people view your listings. The counter is a free tool that appears at the bottom of your pages. You can keep this counter hidden or display it with a basic or retro-computer design.

You also have the option of making a listing private, which helps keep your buyers' identities anonymous. This is a good option to respect your buyers' privacy if you are selling a very high-priced item or pharmaceutical products. This feature is not available from many online auction companies.

There are also feedback options that help both parties by sharing buyers' and sellers' past transactions. This can help you ensure a buyer is reliable. eBay includes an added protection for sellers – the ability to block buyers. If you have bad experiences with a certain buyer, you can set it so they can't see your listings anymore. It also features a third-party resolution center for transactions where either the buyer or seller violates the agreement.

Listing Options

This online auction site offers several features to attract customers. You can list a set price for your item and allow customers to buy it without participating in the auction process. This is beneficial for the many individuals who don't want to play in a bidding war. eBay also has a function that allows buyers to bid for items without being on the actual site. This added convenience attracts customers and can even increase your sell prices. You can also list your items internationally and increase the number of potential buyers even more.

You can upload up to 12 photos for each listing. Adding more photos is a useful option, as it provides more information about your item. This is one of the upgrades that costs an additional fee.

eBay has several features that help both the buyer and seller. With the advanced search features, you can search for your item or for a seller. Buyers who share your product interests can save your seller information to visit your page regularly. Furthermore, if you want to avoid certain sellers or buyers, such as ones who harass you or refuse to pay, you can block them from your pages.

Payment Options

eBay uses PayPal as the main method of payment. It offers a safe way to transact money for both buyers and sellers. The bidding site also accepts Skrill, ProPay, credit and debit cards, Escrow, and payment upon local pickup. However, these payment methods come with limitations. eBay does not allow checks, money orders or bank wire transfers. As a seller, you can choose which method you want your buyers to use. You can also request immediate payment or send an invoice.

Help & Support

eBay offers strong technical support. You can talk to representatives via phone, email and live chat. In addition, you can talk with other members in the community forums. The auction site also offers a searchable FAQs page and video tutorials of common tasks that you need to know how to do to effectively list your items.

Summary

eBay offers a safe marketplace for both buyers and sellers. With the high membership rate and wide selection of features, eBay's service can be profitable to sellers and entrepreneurs looking to start a business. While the fees are higher than other online auction sites' and initially confusing, the prime marketplace filled with buyers is unmatched by any other auction site.

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