eBay dropshipping is becoming unsuitable according to the dropshipping policy updated by eBay. Between threatening to remove listings from the site, displaying them lower in search, to removing them permanently from the platform, it has been forcing eBay dropshippers to search for other platforms to promote their products.
Here we will talk about if the eBay dropshipping worth it, their dropshipping policies, and alternative e-commerce marketplaces.
What is eBay?
eBay is an e-commerce platform where you can sell your products online. Like other online marketplaces such as AliExpress and Amazon, eBay’s user base has been increasing speedily for years. In 2019, the platform reached 182 million users. The growing volume of users on the website has attracted online sellers looking for customers to increase their sales.
You can search, bid on, and purchase almost everything on eBay, from jewelry to cars. The sellers post their products with starting bid on the eBay.com. The customers are more likely to bid on the lowest starting bid. Customers can bid the items for a specified period of time set by the seller until the highest bid finally lands the sale.
However, a seller can add a “Buy It Now” option on his product page to control the price of the product and to allow the buyers to buy the item, without bidding at a fixed price.
Dropshipping on eBay.
Although dropshipping is completely legal yet eBay has some restrictions on it. Dropshipping is not banned but is restricted in some way. It is technically allowed on eBay that you can fulfill orders directly from wholesale suppliers. It means that if you purchase a bulk quantity from a wholesale supplier, you can market those products on eBay.
Furthermore, you can’t sell products from another retail website like Amazon and you can’t dropship on eBay, “ buying the products from another marketplace that ships directly to your buyer are not allowed on eBay”. Therefore, dropshipping from Amazon to eBay is not allowed. You can’t list something on eBay, purchased from Amazon, and then dispatch it to your eBay customer. eBay is strict about this policy, they will never lower or remove these restrictions.
Is eBay Dropshipping worth it?
The simple answer to this question is “No” because eBay dropshipping requires you to purchase bulk quantity, pay listing fees, and you don’t even get to own your customer base. Unless you don’t find a supplier who allows you to buy individual products, you have to purchase bulk inventory. This can increase your cost and you are not guaranteed the sale of the inventory you buy. It will increase your risk as a seller. In short, eBay dropshipping is not a good idea at all.
eBay Dropshipping Substitutes.
While the eBay dropshipping is not a practical idea, you can instead find better options for your e-commerce business. Shopify is the best alternative to start your online store. Shopify provides you the best and easiest way to do a dropshipping business with a number of features and less investment.
