Alternatives to EBay: 9 Online Auction Websites

Here is a brief list of online auction websites that many sellers are turning to sell their wares. I listed them alphabetically.

Amazon

Listing Fees
Free with a only a flat monthly fee of $39.99

Credit Card Fees
Free

Closing Fees
8-15%

Cool Features
Webstore by Amazon ($59.99 per month and 7% referral fee for sales made)
Fulfillment by Amazon (rates vary)

My Opinion
Amazon is only good for sellers with large quantities of retail or like-retail items with lots of inventory. The flat fee is nice but not if you only sell a few hundred dollars worth of items per month. Plus the fees will hit you.

Amazon has a weird policy where some people aren’t allowed to sell on their site and won’t tell them why or if it can be remedied. I tried to register. Everything was confirmed and suddenly I get an email that says my seller account was denied and that they can’t tell me why. I’ve sold on eBay for 11 years without a problem and my credit’s good. Even if it was bad, Amazon still charges their card and, if they don’t ship to the customers, Amazon still has the buyers’ money. What can Amazon lose, $40?

bidtopia

This is a true auction site with $0.99 starting prices and no reserve.

Listing Fees
unknown

Closing Fees
unknown

Currently only rigorously validated sellers are allowed, so most of us can’t join as sellers but we can find deals as buyers.

My Opinion
Seems to be mostly big vendors, like eBay Powersellers _ kind of elitist.

BIDVILLE

Listing Fees
Free

Closing Fees
Sale Price
$0.01-$25.00 5%
$25.01-$1000.00 $1.25 + 2.5% of amount over $25.00
Over $1000.00 $25.63 + 1% of amount over $1000.00

My Opinion
Seems okay but not too much action in the searches I did. Give it a whirl. If your stuff doesn’t sell, you don’t lose a cent.

eCRATER

This is a 100% Free auction site.

Listing Fees
free

Closing Fees
free

Cool Features
free subdomain

My Opinion
Being a 100% Free auction site, they must expect tons of ad revenue. In my experience, as good as free sites sound, they are free for a reason – not great sales. Give it a chance though.

Etsy

An online marketplace where you can buy and sell anything handmade.

Listing Fees
$0.20

Closing Fees
3.5%

Cool Features
free shop
up to 5 images per item
listings stay up for 4 months

My Opinion
It sounds great for crafty types but not sure how good sales are. I’ll try it with some of my family’s crafts in the winter. I’ll try a few items in August and see how it goes by January. If nothing sells in 4 months, it never will probably. Give it a try.

iOffer

Listing Fees
FREE
Stores, Galleries are free as well

Closing Fees
Up to $4.99 (on iOfferLite) $0.50 FREE
Up to $4.99 (on iOffer) $0.50
$5.00-$9.99 $0.75
$10.00-$24.99 $1.25
$25.00-$99.99 5% of the total transaction amount
$100.00-$1499.99 $5 + 2.5% of the transaction amount over $100
$1500.00 and over $40.00 + 1.5% of the transaction amount over $1500

Aircrafts, Boats, Cars & Trucks FREE
Real Estate FREE

Swaps Fees
$1.00 (flat fee for both swappers)

Cool Features
Listings stay active indefinitely provided you log-in every 30 days or more often
Sellers can transfer their eBay feedback scores to iOffer
Sellers can transfer auctions from other sites
Free Want Ads

My Opinion
Eh, everything about this site screams “sounds great!” but I’m not sold yet. I’ve had items listed there for 4 months and not one sale. I hardly got any views either, when on eBay, I’d get a hundred times more views. Also, the listing process is buggy. While listing items, I’d need to sign in repeatedly, pages load slowly, and listed items would disappear and I’d need to redo it all over again! It’s frustrating. If they get their act together, they might be a great site.

OnlineAuctions.com

Features no selling fees but operates on flat membership fees on a monthly or yearly basis.

Buyer Accounts

Basic Buyer Member (free)
bid on items up to $1,000 with a maximum of $1,000 in bids each day

Verified Buyer ($4/month)
bid without limitations

Seller Accounts

Verified Seller ($8/month)
bid without limitations
list & sell without limitations with no Listing Fees or final value fees

Charter Member ($96/year)
bid without limitations
list & sell without limitations with no Listing Fees or final value fees
auction enhancements valued at $100 at no charge
a how-to CD with step-by-step instructions

Founding Member ($196 First Year $96/Year thereafter)
bid without limitations
list & sell without limitations with no Listing Fees or final value fees
auction enhancements valued at $100 at no charge

My Opinion
Flat membership fees are sometimes okay. In this case, I don’t see why buyers ever have to pay to fully experience a site. They’re paying to pay! Seller accounts are low, provided you sell every month. I’ not passing judgment yet but proceed with caution.

Overstock

Listing Fees
Insertion Fee $0.10 – $3.15
Reserve Price Fee $0.66 – $70 refunded if item closes at a price at or above reserve price
Upgrade Fees various prices

Closing Fees
Sale Price
$0.01 – $25.00 3%
$25.01 – $1,000 3% of the initial $25.00 ($0.75), plus 2% of the remaining closing price balance ($25.01 – $1,000.00).
$1,000.01 and up 3% of the initial $25.00 ($0.75), plus 2% of the next $25.01 – $1,000.00, plus 1% of the remaining closing price balance ($1,000.01 and up).

My Opinion
This feels like Amazon but clunkier. The selection is hit or miss with some categories with tons of stuff, others with barely any. Maybe it’ll get better in the future. Fees aren’t bad. Give it a shot.

uBid

uBid offers brand-name retail items, like electronics and jewelry. Brand name companies liquidate their excess inventory. They also accept individual sellers after a lengthy application to insure they’re legitimate sellers. UBid offers a 100% Fraud Free Guarantee.

For Sellers
uBid.com Certified Merchant go through a 10-point application process of which the first step requires your Social Security number, a valid Credit Card, Dun & Bradstreet number (not mandatory), 3 Business Reference, and Bank Account Information.

If accepted, sellers get their own account manager. uBid manages every aspect of sales including, credit card processing and customer support. They screen buyers’ credit to make sure they pay, which eliminates non-paying bidders.

For Buyers
Auctions start as low as $1 and they also have low “uBuy It Now” prices.

My Opinion
This site is mostly for buyers or big vendors. I bought a few items from uBid without a problem. I like how they handle everything. I feel very safe dealing with them. A friend said to stay away from the jewelry. I only buy electronics there. I vouch for their electronics. Give them a try.