Amazon Helps eBay Deliver for You

by: toolguy

We had this happen in 2015, bought a Wilton Chocolate Pro Electric Melting Fondue Pot on eBay and it came in an Amazon box from Amazon.

We figured our seller had the item on both sites and used Amazon fulfillment to ship it.

They saved money and so did we.

by: iheartjacksparrow

I had this happen to me for the first time a couple of months ago. The Amazon box had a return label for a completely different seller at a complete different location. I left the eBay buyer neutral feedback and pointed out that it shipped via an Amazon Prime Account.  

by: toolguy

@iheartjacksporrow

"I left the eBay buyer neutral feedback and pointed out that it shipped via an Amazon Prime Account."

What's wrong with your above statement?

(a pet peeve of mine)

by: Marie

@jack

I have a question, How could you tell it was shipped by the seller using a Prime account on Amazon?  I'm just curious!

******************

Unless they are using a prime account, I'm not sure this needs to be a big deal.  As long as you are getting the item you paid for in the condition you expected, I'm not sure why some are getting concerned about this practice.

If you are concerned about the price you paid, it really is the buyer's responsibility to check pricing, not the seller's.  And it could be that the same item on Amazon cost more than on Ebay, so you actually may have saved money.

I know for me, many of my items on Amazon are more than on Ebay because the marketplace on Amazon bears that higher price.

Now using a prime account is totally different.  And it is my understanding that Amazon likes it even less than you do.  It is my understanding that Amazon has been actively trying to stop this practice.  They don't care about the dropshipping, but they do care if the seller uses Prime.

by: iheartjacksparrow

@Marie - The Amazon box I received was covered in tape that read "PRIME."

Why I am concerned is because I entered into a contract with Seller A, and the package was from Seller Z. As I stated above, the mailing label showed a completely different Seller location, which was about as far away from Seller A as possible.

Also, if the item came to me damaged or inoperable, I can foresee an absolute mess in trying to return it.

I am not concerned about the price because it was under $10.

The seller had other negative and neutral feedback for doing the same thing to other buyers. I assume they felt like me, that if you buy something from a particular person you expect said person to stand behind the sale, not go chasing some unknown person that you never knew existed.  

by: Marie

Thanks Jack.

Yes, I'd be concerned about this as well.  BTW the Ebay seller is suppose to have the location in their listing match where the is located.  What you describe is a breach of the selling rules on Ebay.

IMHO you should not have a problem returning the item.  While the Ebay seller used an different Amazon seller to fulfill your order, the responsibility rests with the Ebay seller.  So just file your REQUEST and proceed.  If your Ebay seller does not cooperate with you, escalate the Request to a Claim and Ebay will take care of the rest.  You will get your money back.

The Ebay seller can't use the excuse that you need to return to the Amazon seller.   Well I guess they could say it, but it isn't reality.  

The Ebay seller has to stand behind the sale.  It may only be $10, but it is YOUR $10 not the sellers.

So if you file the request and the Ebay seller responds the way you think they will, then escalate the claim to Ebay.  You will get your money back.

by: Snapped

I bought a number of gifts for out of state extended family over the holidays from WallMart; had them shipped to me so to wrap and combine as needed to reship myself.

I found it interesting to note that most of them were NOT shipped from WM directly - they came from a third party retail seller instead, even though I paid WM.

The difference was, the third party retailer was identified, with associated 'differences' in ship times denoted, depending on where items were physically located.

I was ok with it all.  Because all those details ls were disclosed, and because despite being 'supplied' by third parties, WM maintained post sale responsibility.  

I can see eBay reaching for that model.  More and more they are trying to diminish and homogenize the individual seller so to assimilate and control those seller's inventories as eBay's 'own'.  I can see Amazon doing it too, as per the example OP.

Difference is, neither of them are giving full disclosure; rather they are seeking to force their 'suppliers' into 'standardized' fulfillment processing, disregarding what would otherwise be the acceptable realities inherent in third party seller (aka supplier) diversity.

Further difference is, eBay will take NO responsibility, unless one counts their sanction threatening compulsion for their sellers to comply with eBay 'standards'.

by: pace306

Im not sure what the "outrage" here is ....

If you get the item you ordered, in the time frame it was promised in - whats the difference who shipped it/sold it to you?

In a case where Amazon was used to drop ship ... 1) the seller made money (and we all care about sellers) 2) eBay made money - the greedy SOBs got their cut 3) Amazon made money - so what? 4) the buyer got his/her item ...

I dont see who lost in this case - so (and maybe I just dont "get it") who cares how/where it came from?

by: Trying-My-Best

@jacksparrow.  You were kind to leave a neutral,

I bought what was listed as authentic acrylic Nepresso brand coffee holder 5 months ago on eBay.  From a NY seller, with her photo, she's an Asian woman with 2 kids  ...at Checkout I was charged 7% tax  so I assumed she had a store location in FL.  Nope, it arrived in Amazon box and was a knock-off Nepresso container.  The final straw was ...if I wanted to return it - this seller ''begged and pleaded''  not to use eBay Returns!  

I left this seller a Negative.  I felt duped on several fronts.  I'm sure other duped eBay buyers feel the same.  

Amazon, big retail, Chines drop shippers are going to be the death of eBay.  

by: Trying-My-Best

So we have eBay mocking Amazon boring beiggge box in their latest fflashy Color your Cart tv ad ...

The eBay buyer buys on eBay ...waits eagerly to receive a colorfully taped box ...and uhhhh ...gets a beige box stamped Amazon.  And a note from the ''sender'' begging not to open a return on eBay ... the return has to be to Amazon.

After my eBay/Amazon dropshipping experience ...I, like any buyer, will simply remember to just buy on Amazon.  

This would be funny i if it wasn't so sad.  Hopefully eBay will pull their new ad,  buyers going to eBay are not coming to the site to be duped.

by: eXtinctBay

@Trying

I mentioned this same thing (eBay customer receives Amazon beeiiggge box) in the TV ad ECB post.

These listings from arbitragers could also fall into the ''stale'' category, since many may list an item that they do not actually have. And the so-called sellers of these items who mark the price up at an extremely high percentage can't really be selling anything, could they??

The dropshipper who begged the buyer not to open the return through eBay is probably close to having their selling account closed because of too many instances of non-delivery.

Funny, because excessive returns (that are not related to non-delivery) should not cause an eBay seller to be penalized, at least for now. But if your Amazon metrics show too many returns, they can and will suspend your account.

This is a common mistake of those who sell merchandise from someone else. People think this business model is ''easy money'', but do not make sure their supplier has the item in stock.

Or perhaps this happens on many levels- one dropshipper gets their merchandise from another dropshipper who buys it from another dropshipper......you get the idea. And all it takes is one source in their supply chain who cannot come up with the item to nullify the transaction.

And those who charge sales tax on an item they do not have are most definitely not passing these funds to the state on record. Which is illegal. Guess the dropship teaching sites tell their students to do this to make even more money.

by: Barbbie

@snapped - Walmart has 3rd party sellers now and all financial goes through them directly. On the seller side initially you see all the money they paid as if they paid the total for your one item. weird. Walmart forbids drop shipping and boxes that are from other online sellers such as ebay or amazon and frowns on packing slips that lead you to another site.

I have had drop shippers buy from me and the buyer want a return - mostly because drop shipper did not actually describe the item in his own ad, this happens a lot when they do that to list on amazon. My buyer contacted me and told me the buyer name and that product would be coming back to me and to let him know when it came back so he can refund his buyer. Worked as far as I know.

I have had a few times reason to purchase from someone else to fill an order. I usually choose to fill from ebay or a website so I can ask seller to leave out the pricing. I would never buy items for customers from Amazon because you never know what you will get.  I may pay more as it is my fault I ran out, but the last thing you want is an invoice out there where the buyer thinks they paid more than they did (or less). But I consider it my duty to try to get the right item to the buyer if I can.

Just a bit of advice, when you read the sellers feedback - which I believe you always should, if it is available to you - if it is littered with ''didn't ship, sold out, bad packing or late delivery'' claims - Do Not Buy from that seller - they are a drop shipper! If you are a drop shipper - If one of your selected items is coming back sold out - Remove it from your inventory!!

by: comet

I had  this occur  just  this week.  I was not really amused.  I "get" that some people DO sell on both ebay and Amazon;  and might use  the Amazon  shipment service (althno I am not sure how this works) but it was annoying  to  see an Amazon package arrive  vs a private seller or  "small business"  via ebay where I purchased the item.  It's deceptive  and  makes it look like  the seller is buying stuff  off Amazon and shipping it to you.  What if you have  some sort of "Anti Amazon" policy?

Worse  then that is  something I find outrageous--the inability to buy certain items on Amazon AT ALL.  IF you can't find  enough "Fulfilled by Amazon" stuff you want right thren and there to make an over $25 purchase of  those items you--cannot BUY them. There seems to be NO way to filter  these so you are only looking at the items you want in that category; I even called Amazon about  this.   So if I want a bicycle  seat for a kid  that is $12; I have to now wrack my brains  for  a further purchase of $13 that is ALSO FBA so it "counts"  towards that total.  

Under  this system EVERYONE loses.  The buyer loses because they can SEE the item but cannot no matter how much money they might have BUY the item.  The SELLER loses because their item sits.  Amazon loses because they are losing customers AND revenue.  

There SHOULD be a way to buy these items for this price PLUS shipping;  and  to do it the way they do it now.   And you SHOULD be able to filter for FBA items within your Search.    

by: RedSqrl

Nope!  As a buyer Ive been burned by this.

Ebay seller has never actually seen the item firsthand.  He cant answer questions about it.  Last time it happened to me, the brand and packaging did not match what ebay seller had.  

2.  It's a violation of amazon TOS to use Prime in this way.  Every time it's happened to me, it's sent prime with a gift receipt.  

3.  If there's an issue, i had to deal with Amazon returns not the ebay seller. It meant i had to use an amazon label and bring the box to a ups location even know there's no ups drop spots anywhere around.

4. No disclosure.  If ebay wants to let sellers do this, fine, but customers should be informed.  Some people absolute hate a particular retailer which is why they wanted to support the independent seller on ebay.  

And frankly it's undermining the sense of value ebay offered. As buyers learn their ebay deals were dropshipped from other sites, buyers will just go straight to those sites instead of ebay in the future  

by: Art-in-part

It's called "Drop shipping".
Many sellers are selling Amazon items on eBay:
http://www.salefreaks.com/

by: Marie

@redsqrl

"... If there's an issue, i had to deal with Amazon returns not the ebay seller. It meant i had to use an amazon label and bring the box to a ups location even know there's no ups drop spots anywhere around."

An Ebay seller can NOT force you to do this.  They may convince you that you have to do it this way, but if you persist and FILE A REQUEST for RETURN as your first step.  If the seller declines to accept your return or says something stupid like you have to take it up with Amazon, escalate the request to a claim.  Ebay will make sure you get your money back.

I disagree that you have to be informed about who the seller's vendor is.  Seller do not and should not have to provide that information to a customer.  But the Seller needs to be responsible and take care of their customers as well.  They need to do the job you are paying them to do and that includes if they dropship from anybody they stand behind you and take care of you if there are any issues that come up.

by: cosqueen

If a seller on Ebay also sells on Amazon, they have the option of fulfillling the order via Amazon FBA if their stock is there.  This is legal and there is nothing suspicious about this; however, if we are talking about two different sellers, then that is something different.  I myself have filled orders from MY OWN stock via FBA.  

by: Rexford

pace306, I agree with you 99% of the time, but not on this one.

Perhaps the buyer, for whatever reason, does not want any relationship with Amazon, doesn't want to contribute to Amazon's bottom line (ethical reasons, past experience, etc.).  And they order from eBay because they want to buy from eBay and they trust that their eBay item will be shipped by an eBay seller.

I'd be steamed if I ordered from eBay and the package was shipped from Ivanka Trump, Inc. or the Jerry Falwell bookstore. For some, I think the same feelings may apply to having Amazon items arrive when they order items from eBay.

Now if where it is actually shipped from is written in the listing description, and a buyer can clearly see the dropshipper, then that is a different story.  At least then the buyer knows what he is getting into.

I am really surprised that eBay is not concerned about this affects that brand.  Seems like Amazon is one upping them with this scenario.

by: pace306

Rex :) I love you BUT ....

I think on this one, you and I will have to agree to disagree.

I have no idea what your personal views on anything are, and I doubt you know mine - HOWEVER - what I do "care about" is your views on eBay/Amazon/ecommerce - THAT is why "Im here".

I dont know what Jeff Bezos's personal views on abortion are (as an example), nor do I know Devin Wenig's - and for ME (and I can ONLY speak for me) .. it doesnt matter.

Im here to make money off selling on both platforms. I care how they treat me and my fellow sellers, and it disgusts me when eBay (specifically way more then Amazon) tries to steal from me or people I know/care about/like.

Im here to sell goods online, period.

That being said it seems that even though you and I may agree %99.9 of the time here - our REAL LIFE views probably DONT align ... and I can live with that .. dont know if you can. If it means we cant agree on eBay being thieves because we are on opposite political sides - then Im sorry (same as it would be for anyone).

*I* think that my position on this is "the most logical" but EVERYONE is free to have their own opinions.

In a case where Amazon does fulfillment - no one gets hurt - all the parties make out and everyone gets what they want/desire ... and for me - thats what counts.

=)  

by: SalesBoy

I don't see any problem with this from a buyer's standpoint. I have received at least a couple of these shipments myself. If I have a problem due to damage or the item is ''not as described'' I will still deal directly with the seller on eBay, not Amazon.

If there is a problem for him/her because of the drop shipment practice, the seller will have to deal with it - not me. I'll just use eBay's buyer-can-do-no-wrong complaint system to get my refund or replacement, if necessary.