Is eBay just an Amazon front end?

[dave_the_nerd]

I recently bought a bunch of little items, <$30 each, and I got them all on eBay, mostly because I was drunk. Don't judge me.

Anyway, some of the items are showing up as Amazon shipments. Lo and behold, if I go to Amazon, I can find the item, usually for a couple bucks less than I paid the eBay seller. (Didn't comparison shop. Drunk.)

So whats the deal here? Do people just set up eBay stores with data they mine from Amazon, adding a couple bucks as their margin, or what?

 

[Newbian]

It's called drop shipping.

 

[Red Squirrel]

More like the other way around, but I suppose it happens both ways.

I found that some stores on Amazon actually list stuff that they don't even keep in stock, but when you order, they order it from Ebay, then ship it to you. That's why some stuff can take like a month or more to get. it takes a few weeks to get to the seller from China then another week or so to get from the seller to you.

I suppose that is basically a "just in time" inventory system, except without the "just in time" part.

Though even then I've had stuff take multiple months. I have no explanation for that one. Maybe the first shipper gets a better deal if they fill a whole shipping container so they wait for more orders to come through.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

This can be said for apparel, too. More than once I or the wife ordered some New Balance shoes off of Amazon who was the seller but the goods came directly from the manufacturer.

 

[pete6032]

It's called drop shipping.

/thread

 

[KB]

It's called drop shipping.

This is the answer and its almost an industry at this point. People can make a living selling goods they don't own or inventory, by offering the items at a slightly higher price to people that aren't interested in comparison shopping, and shipping them directly from the store with the cheaper price.

 

[rh71]

Faster shipping on Amazon. Yes we pay for Prime but I'd rather be backed by Amazon and find anything I want there and get it quickly. I only go to ebay to price compare and if it's a huge difference (usually not), then I'll buy there (and take a risk too). We've had this thread before.

 

[Zanovar]

A bit off topic.Has anyone ordered from Amazon and its taken so long to arrive that they have forgotten about it?.A plastic funnel and a 100ml syringe turned up a few days ago(nicotine base mixing purposes).No surprise though i suppose as they did come from China.It was about 4 weeks btw.

 

[Humpy]

It's called drop shipping.

It's not drop shipping though.

With drop shipping the item is shipped directly from the manufacturer or distributor while payment is routed through a third party.

What the OP describes is retail arbitrage. To take advantage of price differentials the item is sourced from another retailer and sold at a profit. The item may or may not ship from the original retailer.

There is software that will compare online price fluctuations. The Amazon to Ebay arbitrage is essentially just another scam.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Faster shipping on Amazon. Yes we pay for Prime but I'd rather be backed by Amazon and find anything I want there and get it quickly. I only go to ebay to price compare and if it's a huge difference (usually not), then I'll buy there (and take a risk too). We've had this thread before.

You're confused.

I'm not worried about the price difference, and I understand the downsides of eBay. I didn't expect Amazon to carry the little fiddlybits and 1980s electronics spare parts I bought, although apparently they do have some of them.

What's weird is that I'm buying stuff on eBay and it's coming to me via Amazon Prime w/ 2-day shipping.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

You're missing the point. I'm not worried about the price difference; I'm confused that I'm buying stuff on eBay and it's coming to me via Amazon Prime w/ 2-day shipping.

Cuz the person on ebay is selling you something for a buck more than amazon sells it, so he buys it on amazon and ships it to you for free and pockets the buck. It's probably automated.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Cuz the person on ebay is selling you something for a buck more than amazon sells it, so he buys it on amazon and ships it to you for free and pockets the buck. It's probably automated.

Yes, that's also what I surmised. I didn't realize this was a thing, but apparently... yeah.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Yes, that's also what I surmised. I didn't realize this was a thing, but apparently... yeah.

When that buck is a day's salary in some third world nation? You better believe it. That's easy scratch, and a good example of why I stay off ebay.

 

[ponyo]

Cuz the person on ebay is selling you something for a buck more than amazon sells it, so he buys it on amazon and ships it to you for free and pockets the buck. It's probably automated.

That's pretty smart. As long as it works, everyone wins.

When that buck is a day's salary in some third world nation? You better believe it. That's easy scratch, and a good example of why I stay off ebay.

eBay is best in the world for certain categories.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

eBay is best in the world for certain categories.

Absolutely! It's like the pirate bay for hard to find trinkets.

 

[dave_the_nerd]

Absolutely! It's like the pirate bay for hard to find trinkets.

Exactly.

"I want a 40 year old Zippo lighter with the logo of a now-defunct company that my dad worked for."

"1,743 results found. 1,288 of which are a guy in China who does custom Zippo engraving and doesn't pay royalties for the logos he copies. Subscribe to this search?"

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Exactly.

"I want a 40 year old Zippo lighter with the logo of a now-defunct company that my dad worked for."

"1,743 results found. Subscribe to this search?"

'Obscure PC component from 1993 no longer manufactured' '$24 from some guy in Indonesia, subscribe?'

 

[ponyo]

Absolutely! It's like the pirate bay for hard to find trinkets.

That too but it's really the best marketplace for coins and precious metals. eBay has the best prices for new gold, silver, and platinum coins and bullions. I'm talking real stuff, not the millions of fakes you also find on eBay. Most major dealers all sell on eBay and it's cheaper to buy from those dealers on eBay than direct on their site. I don't understand how that works with fees they have to pay eBay but I'm not complaining.

 

[ElFenix]

i'm guessing amazon does contract warehousing for certain companies as well. dell sent me a replacement monitor under warranty and it came from amazon.