mam98031 • Volunteer Community Member • Buyer/Seller since 1999
Regards,
Having two companies set up isn't necessary. I suppose it can make it easier to set up two companies to handle the business if you are going to be big enough. But make sure if you are planning to kept these as separate companies that you don't start co-mingling inventory. If you intend on them being separate, then make sure you keep it that way.
But there is no issue to do it under the same business if you choose. Many of us here sell on multiple sites. All as sole proprietors without the benefit of a LLC or other form of small business set up. Just keep good records.
@oxenstirna You're playing with fire doing that ... if you have completely separate inventory no problem. If you list the same stuff on both sites there is the risk that an item will sell on both sites but you only have one item ... somebody will be unhappy ...
@jersey_girl62 wrote:i sell on ebay, etsy and poshmark. if an item sells on one, i delete it off the other. its never been a problem for me.
While this may be working for you and you don't mind the risk, it isn't good advice to others and especially a new seller.
Doing business this way you run the risk of having to cancel a sale for being out of stock [OOS] if you have a sale on two or more sites for the same item. Speaking to Ebay's policy, that would cause a defect that will damage your selling stats on Ebay.
While this may not be a problem for you or the risk if fine with you, it wouldn't or shouldn't be for others.
I too have been at this a long time but while I may have some inventory in common with what I sell on other sites, each site has it's own inventory in which I pull from. It is all staged separately in office or other parts of my house.
@thevintagesilvershop wrote:
@mr_lincoln wrote:@oxenstirna You're playing with fire doing that ... if you have completely separate inventory no problem. If you list the same stuff on both sites there is the risk that an item will sell on both sites but you only have one item ... somebody will be unhappy ...
I've been selling on Ebay, Etsy, and Ruby Lane for years and years. I cross post my OOAK inventory on all sites. I think in all that time and thousands of transactions, I've only had one thing sell to two buyers on different sites at essentially the same time.
Is it a risk? Yes. But it's my belief it's a pretty small risk. Just make sure if an item sells that it is IMMEDIATELY deleted from the other sites.
It still isn't good advice for a new seller.
Not all of us can be available to correct or delete a listing at a moments notice. What if it sells during the night while you are sleeping, or while you are off taking care of errands, family, friends, etc. What if it sells when you are just not available to get to a computer to fix the other sites? Sometimes life gets in the way. For a new seller they have much to learn and this on top of all that is IMHO too much.
I understand and respect that. But the OP has no experience. So to start off doing it as you describe is likely to get them into trouble. Once they have the experience you do, then that could be different.
Besides, it is just my opinion that it isn't a good thing for a new seller to venture out and do. I get it that you don't see it as an issue and you have every right to believe that. I'm not trying to dismiss that. I'm only saying without the experience behind doing this as a seller, I personally don't think it is a good idea.
