eBay v Bonanza

I recently had a dispute with eBay and a particularly nasty buyer.  Long story short, the buyer got her refund - which I strongly feel was undeserved because the problem was really with the postal service - not me. 

This reminded me how dissatisfied I am with eBay's methods for handling disputes. In a depressed mood, I began reading the eBay community forums. I was hoping to find an inspiring story about how eBay defended a seller in a similar situation.  Unfortunately, I didn't find what I was looking for. Instead I found several posts about how eBay is doing away with the small seller. It's true, eBay's fees have recently gone up (enough gain itself the nick-name "FeeBay").  The obvious way to overcome those fees is to be a large volume seller - one big enough to take advantage of offering Free Shipping discounts and mass mark downs.  But that's just not an option for Little'ol Me. I'm doing this because I enjoy it and to supplement my income. I don't want it to be a full-time job.

I would like to look at the bright side of the coin, however.  Had I not had a dispute, I would not have visited the forums and discovered Bonanza.  Bonanza is a new selling site that operates on fixed price items.  It brings back that Resale Boutique / Flea Market appeal that eBay once had.  My first impression is that it's a little bit like Etsy (a selling sight for the homemade and crafty).  The home page has "Showcase" features much like Etsy's "Handpicked Items" features.  It's that gallery feel that I enjoy on Etsy except in the form of a cool animated slide show. It had a look and feel that I have longed for on eBay.  After some fun browsing, I decided to hit the "Sell" button and find out what Bonanza could to for me.

My eBay Shop :(

My Bonanza Booth :)

 To my astonishment and joy, I found out that Bonanza would import my eBay auctions for FREE! In addition, I could immediately start listing on Bonanza without paying any fees.  Like Half.com (eBay's selling site for books and media), Bonanza does not charge any fees until an item sells.  I promptly smiled and pinched myself, because someone had finally realized my dream of combining the best of eBay, Etsy, and Half.com into one site geared for small sellers. In addition, Bonanza has added their own unique twist to selling - live chat.  Buyers are encouraged to chat up sellers; asking questions and advice. Sellers are also encouraged to chat live with each other.  All this is Bonanza's attempt to bridge the communication gap that is so evident amongst buyers, sellers, and administration in eBay.

I won't say that I am completely sold on the concept of Bonanza.  It all really depends on the bottom line.  If Bonanza becomes popular enough to unseat the eBay giant, I will happily jump ship. Thus far, Bonanza has my vote. As long as they cater to the small seller and our eclectic tastes they can keep it. 


I have to insert a word of warning to eBay sellers who have more than 50-60 fixed price items to import into Bonanza.  Bonanza's import is not discriminatory.  If you have 204 fixed price eBay items, they will import ALL 204. Bonanza will import your photos, item specifics and descriptions (HTML or otherwise).  However, your item specifics may not match up with Bonanza's.  Therefore, you may have up to 204 auctions to edit in Bonanza before they will allow you to list them.  Also your pictures may not fit Bonanza's format.  I will have  to crop most of my photos to make them look right on Bonanza. I will also have to check the shipping charges for all my items on Bonanza to make sure they are correct.  Although Bonanza has made it easier for me by importing my items for me, there is still work to do.  And don't forget, Bonanza is a different interface than eBay's so I'm learning to use that at the same time. It helps to be an experienced seller, and a web savvy one as well.