Buyer accidentally became my supplier, insane
Summary: The discussion revolves around a unique case where a buyer inadvertently became a supplier to one of the participants, which is considered unusual. kensgiftshop expressed surprise at this situation, suggesting that the buyer might have purchased products with the intention of replicating them for sale. Another participant shared a related experience in a restoration business, where retired buyers offered their inventory, and this often resulted in acquiring more restoration projects. This situation prompted interesting reflections on the dynamics between buyers and suppliers in certain niches.
I ran into an unusual situation and I’m trying to understand if anyone else has experienced something similar on eBay.
A buyer purchased one of my items, and after the order, they messaged me saying they actually manufacture or supply the same product themselves. The conversation shifted into them suggesting they could supply me directly instead of just being a customer.
I wasn’t expecting that at all because the transaction started as a normal purchase with no indication they were a supplier or reseller.
Has anyone ever had a buyer turn into a supplier or business contact like this through an eBay transaction? I’m trying to understand whether this is something that happens occasionally in certain niches or just a rare coincidence.
fullers_uk
·4 months agoMany years ago I bought one of every product from a company and sent them to my agent in China to see what they thought, they liked them but the minimum setup for each product was too high for me but they found a company that would buy in large quantities, within 6 months the UK was flooded with the products and the UK manufacturer went bankrupt, the company had previously treated me badly so I thought it was quite funny.
gloryglorygifts
·4 months ago"The conversation shifted into them suggesting they could supply me directly instead of just being a customer."
If they are looking to supply you with the product, you should do a thorough due diligence to see that they are a legit company that can provide you with good pricing and services. You do not want to be giving your credit card info to just anyone. There are too many scammers out there. Besides, that's a very weird way to approach you (through ebay).
powell-collectibles
·4 months agoI haven’t been through this, but had a similar situation. My only advice is to start small. If you are going to make a deal, make it one where it isn’t so big that either side has an a huge incentive to cheat the other party. As you get an experience, you can start ratcheting up the orders. It some point you and this third-party will be able to see if it is a good relationship and if there are long-term prospects for it, and everyone has an incentive to be on his best behavior.
onlinecentral
·4 months agoMessage 3. Its not that unusual for a ebay buyer and seller to develop a business relationship outside ebay, once a purchase has been made contact info is available.
Ask the seller to create a listing on eBay for a quantity with wholesale pricing. A test purchase to prove they can ship the product and you can inspect it with return privileges. Your purchase will be covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee.
Buyers have attempted to sell me inventory by claiming they were retiring. Their merchandise didn't fit my store for numerous reasons. None of them set up a test or entire lot purchase.
a_c_green
·4 months agoIn my niche restoration business, they are retiring. 😁 I frequently make a sale of some vintage restored item, after which the buyer tells me that he made the purchase in order to replace some old pieces that are no longer working, and would I be interested in buying them...? Many times we follow through with a purchase from me, and I get a bunch more restoration projects as a result. (I'm waiting on the arrival of six more pieces tomorrow, AAMOF.)
itsjustasprain
·4 months ago@online.w_82 : What is the product? Your posting account here shows absolutely zero activity of any kind.
pickapaper
·4 months ago@online.w_82
Your title of this thread sounds like you have ready made a deal. Have you?
You are in Pakistan. If I were you, I would be very careful/skeptical of deals/offers like this.
pastimpressions
·4 months agoQuite an experience less than four weeks into your participation on this platform
inhawaii
·4 months agoRUN!!!!!!!
grann-4629
·4 months agoJamie ... love your music vids ... keep them coming. Can't believe Linda is in her high 70's now!
tobaccocardyahoo
·4 months agoI can't believe the tragedy that Linda is living with. She is often in my thoughts because youtube is constantly feeding me videos of her performances.
My late cousin was a member of her entourage for quite a few years and we were frequently comped tickets for her shows when she was in our town.
Not that my wife, I and our peers of a given age are not showing our own tragedies.
Its hard not to fall into the trap of thinking of Poor, Poor Pitiful Me.
cambriachick
·4 months agoWhy would they buy something from you they already had? I think they just wanted to make contact with you to see if you would buy it from them. Why don't they sell it themselves on eBay, if it is a good selling item? Even if it is a good seller, remember you have to deal with fees and shipping, so how much are you making? Do not sell it and have them ship it, that's against policy. I'd say no, thankyou.
mr_lincoln
·4 months agoHi @online.w_82
Here are some questions:
-Do they want to position themselves to fulfil your sales orders? Maing, you sell and item then buy it from that other member and they ship it to the address you provide for them? If so that is a form of drop shipping.
-Do they want to sell to you through eBay at wholesale prices so you can acquire the items for your inventory and resell through eBay for retail prices and pocket the difference?
m60driver
·4 months agoDepends on the cost of the product, but sound like a great plan to make contact with a potential customer. If I were manufacturing or importing widgets and saw a seller of such widgets on Ebay I would want to try to turn that seller into a wholesale customer. The cost per new customer using this strategy would be less than setting up a booth at one of the national trade shows in Las Vegas.
mattva
·4 months agoHave you already started business with this individual? I would be cautious because it very well could be a scam.
soh.maryl
·4 months agoWonder if anyone else here sees this as a seller trying to do an end run around eBay's rules?
That, as we all know, is against the rules.
bashort
·4 months agoIts not that unusual for a ebay buyer and seller to develop a business relationship outside ebay, once a purchase has been made contact info is available.
meme6253
·4 months agoI have never encountered a buyer becoming a supplier, But it is very strange that they would purchase from you something that they sell.
kensgiftshop
·4 months agoThey probably had to buy one so they could copy, so they could make and sell them.
grann-4629
·4 months agoOr they wanted to ensure the item being sold was real ...