Dropshipping

[edtrade1]

Would anyone care to share their experience with drop shipping on eBay with me?  I have studied many suppliers and have yet to find one that I can buy from and sell the items at a competitive price.  In some cases, the supplier is offering the same item to the public at a lower price than I can sell it.  My biggest competitor is my supplier.  I like the idea of drop shipping if I could make it work.  Thank you for your reply

[jonathanbrightlight]

I'd advise against it in general, though it is allowed if done correctly.  Because you do not have control over the quality, availability, or the shipping of the item, yet you are held responsible for all of those things, it is difficult to do correctly and many sellers who try it end up failing to fulfill their responsibilities as a seller.

eBay has a guide to it if you still want to pursue it. https://export.ebay.com/en/services-tools/shipping/shipping-tips-and-best-practice/drop-shipping/

If you read nothing else from that page, read this:

Drop shipping is allowed on eBay if you own the items prior to listing or have an agreement with a wholesale supplier to list and sell their items. A user agreement from another retailer or marketplace does not fulfill this requirement.

If you use drop shipping, you’re still responsible for the safe delivery of the item within the time frame stated in your listing and for the buyer’s overall satisfaction with their purchase.

Sellers are not allowed to list an item that is not in their possession on eBay at a premium and then purchase the item from other retailers or marketplaces that ship the item directly to their customers. This creates multiple bad buyer experiences.

[dryophelia]

@edtrade1 

You are 100% correct with the statement 'My biggest competitor is my supplier'.

Since you have no listings, there is no reason to pay a subscription fee to eBay. 

[iamalwaysright]

Sounds about right.

[toysaver]

The person that makes money in the drop shipping equation is the supplier.  

[chapeau-noir]

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@edtrade1 wrote:

Would anyone care to share their experience with drop shipping on eBay with me?  I have studied many suppliers and have yet to find one that I can buy from and sell the items at a competitive price.  In some cases, the supplier is offering the same item to the public at a lower price than I can sell it.  My biggest competitor is my supplier.  I like the idea of drop shipping if I could make it work.  Thank you for your reply

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You also will have huge competition from everyone else who is trying to make dropshipping 'work'. 

[roccotacodad54]

   "In some cases, the supplier is offering the same item to the public at a lower price than I can sell it"

       Exactly why I spend a little time to find the supplier as to not pay the markup in price a dropshipper adds to the item. 

     As a buyer I do my best to avoid dropshippers. 

    edtrade1 just went on my "sellers to avoid" list. Thanks for the warning........................

[theteamsetguy]

@edtrade1 ,

Why do you like the idea of drop shipping so much?

[chapeau-noir]

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@theteamsetguy wrote:

@edtrade1 ,

Why do you like the idea of drop shipping so much?

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It's the ultimate lazy person's business model. 

[a_c_green · Accepted solution]

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@edtrade1 wrote:

My biggest competitor is my supplier.

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You could say that, yes. Your second-biggest competitor(s) would be everyone else that your supplier is also supplying: the same roster of items at the same "wholesale" prices to anyone who wants to sign up, so you'd encounter a whole lot of people using the same stock photos to sell the same items at the same prices. You'd end up lowering your prices to stay a penny or two below your competitors, who must then lower their prices a penny below yours, and so on. It's not a race to the top; it's a race to the bottom.

Find your own items, take your own photos, write your own descriptions, and you can keep all the proceeds you receive, instead of having to pay a supplier for whatever you manage to sell via drop shipping.

[edtrade1]

Thank you.  I guess I knew it but not willing to admit it.

[edtrade1]

Thank you.

[edtrade1]

The idea that I would not have to invest in a lot of inventory that I might not sell.   Also, I am not as young as I used to be and would not have to keep up with inventory,  shipping, and trips to PO etc.  In other words, I am getting lazy.

[edtrade1]

Thank you. 

[kensgiftshop]

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@edtrade1 wrote:

The idea that I would not have to invest in a lot of inventory that I might not sell.   Also, I am not as young as I used to be and would not have to keep up with inventory,  shipping, and trips to PO etc.  In other words, I am getting lazy.

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You might not have to keep up with physical inventory, but you do have to keep up with your suppliers inventory.

Dropshipping sounds easy, but sometimes it's more work and trouble.