Why Ecrater is better than Ebay? What do you think?

islandscreativeexpressions · Posts: 29

I am not sure if this is a fair question but I noticed from reading many posted messages on Ecrater, many seems to like Ecrater better. As a seller/buyer, I would like to know better. Maybe all of you can voice out your fair opinions. I personally and many others would like to know what features Ecrater have that Ebay don't have and vice versa. Maybe you can share your experiences on both site, or maybe talk about where you think these sites are going in the near future. Maybe you can also voice out you ideas about how to improve the sites. So come on share your thoughts.

ICE
http://islandscreativeexpressions.ecrater.com/
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EtchingsandCollectibles · Posts: 396

We are sure there are a lot pros and cons.
In our opinion; Ecrater
Our buyers are terrific...
All the sellers we have contacted are prompt and friendly.
At the end of the month we make more $$$ here.

Ebay...
Stress in following the continuing site rules and changes.
Sellers are less than friendly.
Buyers are more moody.
At the end of month we are more stressed for less $$$.

Edited to add: eCrater....We like it as is. Integrated shipping would be nice.

Ebay:....Won't go there....too many to list...

Gems4all · Posts: 271

The only thing that I liked about ebay was the traffic. Everything else was very stressful. Worrying about shillers, scammers, thieves, liars, extortion and hackers was too much for me.

thelivesandlovesofmaggiethecat · Posts: 10159

Agree with all of the above. The only good thing about eBay was the traffic and since I was a storekeeper only there, they had managed to do away with 90% of the traffic by the time I left.

Traffic is no where near as good here but considering that I have no fees to pay it comes close to equaling out as far as income goes.

Truthfully I predict that small sellers on eBay will be totally phased out by the beginning of 2010.

TyreeTrading · Posts: 1608

Why do I love eCrater?

eCrater boards have a postive perspective and helpful sellers. (This was one of the first things that sold me on the site)
Admins and Management are sincerely interested in keeping the un-authentic off the site. And keeping categories clean.
Suggestions do get listened to - it may take time, but there is a definate feeling that we are listened to.
It doesn't require me to know how to or work at 'creative' listings. Plain suits me fine.
So much less stress than eBay.
Sweeping changes don't happen, get reversed, then get implemented even worse.
Yes, it lacks the traffic of eBay. It hasn't been around as long as eBay.

eBay is going to turn itself inside out and become a version of Amazon. In it's effort to be 'more' it will end up being less.

EarringStop · Posts: 132

#1 ecrater Don't tell me what to do
#2 ecrater Don't change the rules and fees
#3 ecrater Has a helpful community of sellers helping sellers
#4 ecrater Makes me money!
#5 ecrater has permanent until sold listings

eBay might have the traffic that I don't have to work at getting BUT you pay dearly for that.

If you work at bringing your buyers to your ecrater store you won't have any fees at all to sell your item or fees to list it. Key words here are YOU HAVE TO WORK to bring in your buyers - ecrater.com is NOT doing that for you.

ImajeNationFlatware · Posts: 62

eCrater: listing runs till it sells or I delete it. eBay: runs 7 days then I have to relist it if I choose to do so.

eCrater: free. eBay: 25% of my gross sales ...

eCrater: nice people (both buyers & moderators). eBay: nasty atmosphere, everybody afraid of being negged for anything.

eCrater: buyers can leave me (seller) feedback and I can't leave them feedback. eBay: buyers can leave me (seller) feedback and I can leave them only (positive or none) feedback- regardless how bad the buyer was or even if s/he didn't even pay!

eCrater: if buyer leaves me unjustified negative feedback I can appeal to have it removed. eBay: if buyer leaves me unjustified neg, too bad so sad.

eCrater: kind of a happy little community like eBay used to be. eBay: a nasty mean bad-taste-in-yer-mouth kinda place...

ImajeNationFlatware · Posts: 62

plus eCrater lets me show 10 photos that SUPER-MAMMOTH-HUGE for free! eBay charges for every nit-picky little thing.

eBay has a better organizational search structure, for buyers. In my line, (flatware) a buyer can't just search off the "ladder" thing, for flatware, but if they type in "flatware" "silverware" or whatever the name of the pattern or brand they're looking for, they see my stuff. So assuming they know they want "ONEIDA", or whatever, they find me.

I have less sales here than on eBay, but keep more of the $, and work less hard relisting and relisting the ss over and over. In that time, I can list OTHER items that somebody else may want.

Yay for eCrater! (my friend - who hears me rave about it- calls it "eRUPTION")

somewhereinmymemories · Posts: 228

Well, since Ebay's made it nearly impossible for small sellers to remain there with any sort of stability, it's not a question for me. Did Ebay for 11 years and now I'm pretty much done with it. I got tired of seeing those fees that racked up on my credit card and now I dont' see them at all!

I love - LOVE Ecrater!! Can I actually shout that on here?? I would if I could! I love the community, I love the buyers and I love the fact that I'm actually making sales when all the nay-sayers on the Seller Central board said that sellers can't make sales anywhere else. They're WRONG and I'm so glad I didn't believe them! I tell my friends who are whining and crying over Ebay's changes to come HERE and one of them just opened a store! I've had 11 decent sales in the past seven days alone and with Google checkout, I'm saving even more money not using Paypal!

Sales are really picking up especially since Ebay announced their latest round of changes because Ebay has forgotten that the little sellers that they are kicking out are BUYERS! My sell through on Ebay was very poor (I guess it would be considered stellar though, considering that the "big" sellers such as buydotcom that Ebay woos only has a sell through of 3%!) I would list fixed price items and end up getting sucked out of the fees and they'd end without buyers. Sure, some would sell, even most would sell, but for me I hated losing that $$ for the stuff that didn't and then having to worry about all the garbage that Ebay has trained their buyers to pull (item not received, item not as described, item not received within one day, buyers who can't read descriptions and leave a big fat neg without even going back and looking at the description, etc..)

Yes, I just want to say THANK YOU to the moderators who keep the community going and who post all the helpful tips, the members who answer each other's question and actually HELP one another and to the owner who has made it possible for so many to have a life outside of Ebay!

Gems4all · Posts: 271

babes, the forums on ebay are horrendous. I will never go back there as a seller or buyer.

I'm with you, I love it here.

OpalsOnBlack · Posts: 22

Hi ! Have to agree with most of what has been said here. We got fed up with the fees on eBay, we're only "small-fry" on ebay and although only on eCrater for a short while, we like the "feel" of the whole concept and have just had our first sale!

We still do a few auction items on ebay,and advertise to our "traffic" where our new store is ! ( So we use their system for our advantage.)
But we are happy with the simplicity of eCrater and the help that is always available when asked for.

The only thing for us is that as we are Australian based, we cannot get Google Checkout, which we would be happy to utilise on eCrater. It is only available to USA/UK.

somewhereinmymemories · Posts: 228

I believe Ebay's forums are such a mess because everyone over there is so stressed and unhappy by the changes. They're turning on each other. Ebay has succeeded in creating a horrible atmosphere out of what used to be a lot of fun. I am still listing once in a blue moon, when I don't know the value of something, but it's nice not to have to deal with it on a regular basis!

islandscreativeexpressions · Posts: 29

Based on the comments so far, the underlying reason why Ecrater is better than Ebay is the fees Ebay try to impose to its sellers. While Ecrater is free, traffic needs some work. In addition, many agreed that Ecrater buyers are better to do business with than Ebay buyers.

So what about you? What do you think? Any interesting thoughts?

RustyFarmall · Posts: 1300

The ridiculously high ebay and paypal fees are enough of a reason to leave ebay, but I also no longer wanted to be associated in any way with the low-life scamming sellers AND buyers that represent what ebay has evolved into. E-crater allows me to build my own brand and reputation, and I no longer have to deal with the bottom feeding bargain hunters who only want to buy what they can resell.

I will also add that my sales here are not as great as I would like, but still far BETTER than what I experienced on ebay.

kepssportscardsandmore · Posts: 186

Very simple: Ecrater you decide.
Ebay they decide!!!!!!!!!