In this day and age online shopping has become the norm. What we do experience as buyers, even if we are just sight-shoppers, should be notable. Every decision we make is based on that experience and determines if we will again use the service. This brings me to two of the online giants in retail – Amazon and eBay – who have been competitor
s for years. “If you compare eBay to Amazon, though, your decision to shop in one online marketplace over the other will likely be based on factors including delivery and types of goods available” (Hsiao).
Both have held their own by staying competitive in the area of internet sales and some may even say that Amazon has taken the lead with all of its consistent use of technology to spearhead changes and upgrades. eBay, on the other hand, has not fared that well in terms of integrating technology to improve the services they offer. In fact, there is nothing new and exciting expected from this retailer any time soon. “But as a buyer, it is important to still know what to expect from both platforms” (John).
One of the main criteria that buyers look at is pricing of merchandise. Amazon offers reasonable prices but still cannot compare to the lower prices offered by eBay. You can find, for the most part, the same types and brands of merchandise on both Amazon and eBay, however eBay takes the cake for the lowest and best prices. The difference in prices usually range from anywhere between ten cents to as much as five dollars for the same brand of merchandise. I find that it helps to search, and compare, both websites at the same time in order to make the best decision on how much you are willing to spend on any merchandise being offered for sale.
Variety of merchandise is something that everyone appreciates, especially when you have to compare apples to apples regarding pricing. Amazon’s website has more in the line of regular household items and everyday stuff that we would normally go into a store to pick up. This makes it convenient to get online, search and pack a shopping cart, go to check-out then have your purchases delivered to your doorstep – no hassle.
The competition, eBay, offers a greater choice in terms of variety of merchandise that are not easily found just about anywhere, mostly imports. The reason for this difference in variety of merchandise is that eBay has a diverse collection of sellers that include those from different countries. You find that because of this diversity, these sellers are able to provide merchandise that are not readily available from USA based Amazon and its sellers. This area is one that allows eBay to easily come out ahead of Amazon.
We can now take a look at user experience, a very important aspect of online shopping. I enjoy being able to navigate a website with ease, I would think that everyone else does too. And it is even better when I can find reviews of all the merchandise I am hoping to purchase. I find that when doing a search for merchandise on Amazon that the website offers a better experience with more product reviews from actual buyers. Amazon encourages buyers to post reviews and feedback on products that they have actually bought and used. This helps when a buyer is uncertain that a particular merchandise they are looking at is of good quality and worthy of the advertised price.
On the other hand, eBay’s site offers generic reviews of products which are mostly taken from the manufacturer’s website and not from information or feedback supplied by actual buyers. In my experience, this takes away from the buyer’s ease of use as well as the comfort one may get from knowing that an actual person used the product. Also, that an actual person was able to give you useful insight of that item. Many a times this has prevented me from hitting the “add to shopping cart” button.
Now, after looking at the prices and reviews of merchandise, we think about the delivery of our items – this takes us to shipping. I know that Amazon offers free, two-day shipping for those who have membership subscriptions to Amazon Prime. As an Amazon Prime subscriber, I have learnt to appreciate those perks. Outside of that, Amazon also offers free three-day to five-day shipping for those folks without the subscription. I love that I am able to get faster and more efficient delivery of my orders, especially when you have an emergency – such as running out of printer ink like I do every now and then. However, eBay provides international shipping, something that Amazon does not offer.
There are times when the item you are purchasing on eBay is not from a seller within the USA. So, you end up having to look at your options, one that requires a particular type of delivery service. This is where eBay takes favor, because it offers international shipping while Amazon does not. For buyers who do most of their shopping online, this is a welcoming aspect of what each online retailer has to offer, in terms of efficient delivery service. In this arena eBay is the preference for international shipping, while Amazon gets preference for faster more efficient shipping within the USA. One thing to look forward to is the fact that Amazon is exploring the idea of using drones to bolster their delivery options. As stated, “The future perks of Amazon will probably include drone shipments, which, as of 2018, are not widely available yet” (Hsiao).
When we think about shipping we would have naturally thought about the safety of our payment, payment method and guarantee of merchandise delivery. Experience has taught me that both Amazon and eBay offer safety for their buyers in this area. Amazon’s payment transactions go directly through their site, if the seller is selling through Amazon then that payment is processed through Amazon before going to the seller. This gives a definite guarantee of protection for any buyer who uses their online services and only serves to cement the trust of those regular buyers, like myself. Buyers can rest assured that their credit card, debit card or checking account information will not be taken and used fraudulently. It is indeed something that deserves dishing out of kudos to both Amazon and eBay.
With ownership of the pay service provider PayPal, eBay has ensured that payment protection is a guarantee for their buyers as well. The majority of eBay’s payment transactions go through PayPal for processing. PayPal also has added protection through an off-shoot service that holds the payment until after the merchandise is delivered to the buyer. This gives the added comfort in the case of any fraudulent activity, including if the seller does not ship the merchandise to the buyer during the timeframe it was expected. After comparing the way that their payment processes are managed, I give both Amazon and eBay equal ratings in this area. This is based on experience with both, as well as the extent to which they have successfully covered this important aspect of online shopping. Well done Amazon and eBay!
Amazon and Ebay have been competitors for years, however they both own and serve their individual clientele based on the differences in how some of their services and policies are outlined. However, both of these online giants also offer services that are shared when it comes to shopping for certain merchandise. They do at times take up where the other leaves off, as pointed out here, “When you’re shopping online, eBay and Amazon don’t have to be mutually exclusive options. In most cases, they’re actually complementary” (Hsiao). Both online retailers however, appear to be holding their own by their efforts to stay ahead of each other, and any other competition, in the online sales market.
After all the comparing and contrasting, I must say that I prefer shopping on Amazon. The many buyer reviews that I have at my fingertips help me make a better judgment call before buying. I also like that I get my purchases in two days because of my Amazon Prime membership, since when I shop it s usually for something that I need to get as soon as is possible. My eBay account has not seen much of me lately, but I will, every now and then, continue to shop on Ebay for those hard to find, unique items. I confess that, to some extent, I value them both for what they each have to offer. “In order to make a smart choice whether or not to go to Amazon or eBay, it is important to take a closer look at what both platforms can offer to the table” (John). With this statement I totally agree.
CallMeWisdom 