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Can You Dropship on eBay in 2024?
If so, this article is your complete guide to how you can set up our eBay store.
eBay stands as a universally recognized online marketplace with approximately 25 million sellers spanning the globe. Impressively, the United States alone accounts for about seven million of these sellers.
Among this extensive pool of sellers, a considerable number engage in drop shipping. Historically, eBay has proven a lucrative platform for dropshippers. Nevertheless, recent changes to eBay’s dropshipping policy have introduced restrictions that influence the manner in which these sellers can operate and has impacted eBay dropshipping business.
This article will delve into eBay’s dropshipping policy and explore the feasibility of engaging in dropshipping on eBay in the year 2024.
Table of Contents
What is a dropshipping business model?
In dropshipping, you advertise products and have a shop online. When a customer buys something, you tell the company that has the product and let the customer know it’s coming.
After that, the company takes care of sending the product to the customer. Sometimes, you might also answer customer questions, while the company makes sure the products are sent out and delivered.
eBay Dropshipping Policy
Because of its significant number of visitors, eBay has been a profitable platform for both dropshippers and buyers. Nevertheless, as more and more dropshippers join eBay each month and fail to meet buyer demands, eBay has redefined its rules for dropshipping. These new regulations are tough and could potentially endanger the survival of dropshippers unless they strictly follow the guidelines.
Let’s review the policy in detail:
What is eBay’s dropshipping policy?
Hence, it’s evident what steps are necessary to continue dropshipping on eBay and the potential outcomes if someone doesn’t adhere to the dropshipping policy. If this policy is breached, eBay will flag such dropshipping stores and it can result in even your eBay account suspension.
Can You Dropship on eBay?
Definitely!
The eBay policy on dropshipping is explicit: you can engage in dropshipping if you fulfill orders directly through a Wholesale supplier. Nevertheless, you remain accountable for ensuring that the dropshipping products you sell are safely delivered within the timeframe specified on your listing and for ensuring the buyer’s overall satisfaction with their purchases.
How to Dropship on eBay Safely?
Now, the following query arises: how can you engage in eBay dropshipping without facing a ban in 2024, correct?
Yes, you can do eBay dropshipping. However, remember listing an item on eBay and then purchasing the item from another retailer or marketplace is not allowed on eBay.
My suggestion is to locate a wholesale supplier and establish a partnership with them. This arrangement can be either verbal or documented. When you make a sale on eBay, you can purchase the item from the supplier at their wholesale rate and provide the buyer’s shipping details to enable the supplier to directly ship the item.
During this procedure, it’s crucial to pay attention to the following key aspects:
- Specify the accurate item location on the eBay listing (your supplier’s warehouse address). Avoid using “Multiple locations” as the location description.
- Stick to a single supplier to ensure consistent item locations.
- Make certain that your supplier employs a tracked shipping service for the items.
- Verify that the product is white-labeled, meaning your supplier’s logo or name shouldn’t appear on the package.
- Consistently ship from a single warehouse location.
- Prioritize the satisfaction of the buyer, regardless of the circumstances.
- Ensure suppliers delivers the item within 2-4 days as customers don’t want to wait 30 days for their order.
Additionally, eBay asks you to prioritize eBay customer service by responding to buyer requests promptly. Ensure your item listings contain complete and current information, promptly updating them for any changes in characteristics, pricing, or availability, including discontinuations. Maintain open communication with your supplier to stay informed.
Is eBay Dropshipping Dead?
The brief answer is No.
Persistent rumors about the demise of dropshipping on eBay have circulated, but the truth remains that it continues to thrive and will continue to do so. However, the updated dropshipping policy might pose challenges for sellers who engage in unfair practices.
Currently, eBay has revamped its dropshipping policy, necessitating collaboration solely with wholesale suppliers.
Nevertheless, the task of discovering reliable suppliers who are also proficient at communication could appear formidable.
Rest assured, though it may seem like a daunting endeavor, it’s entirely achievable. You could explore local market wholesale suppliers or turn to directories like Doba to initiate your eBay dropshipping venture.
Why Dropshipping on eBay is Bad?
Certain individuals have labeled dropshipping as “negative” when they couldn’t turn their online store into a profitable dropshipping business or faced eBay penalties due to their own errors. However, if you adhere to eBay’s dropshipping guidelines and opt for appropriate products, you could achieve profitability, which is a commendable achievement.
What Items to Dropship on eBay?
This is an important question. I will do my best to answer in detail.
New drop shippers start by searching for trending products which may not be a good strategy.
Let’s understand why it is so.
The reason is the trending products on eBay are really a hard nut to crack even if you are able to identify such hot items. The trending products are generally on Deals and so they sell in very high volume. Big sellers sell them at a very competitive price.
Unless you are a wholesale seller or a manufacturer, you possibly cannot beat your competitors. So, you should try low-hanging fruits and choose to target the products that are not easily available in the market.
An example is Discontinued Products.
You can find these Discontinued products on Amazon or a similar marketplace and drop ship to eBay at a high profit. You will hardly find any competition for them.
You can also use the Terapeak research tool inside eBay to see what products are selling and then filter out to zero in on specific products that hardly have any competition.
I also highly recommend using the ZikAnalytics tool which can help you grab several winning products that you can sell on eBay. This is an Analytics tool that gives you access to 100 million products for perfect data-based research. This is by far the most advanced, sophisticated, and mature eBay research tool.
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So, do Trending products hold no potential?
Certainly, they do hold potential, but they present a challenging landscape to navigate. Succeeding with trending products requires the development of effective strategies due to the intense competition. However, if you analyze your competitors or identify a product—despite its trending status—that possesses unique variations not offered by other sellers, even trending products can yield substantial profits.
Recommended Products: 250 Hot and Trending Products
The key is to avoid price-based competition and instead focus on selecting products that are in demand but not oversaturated with sellers.
eBay Dropshipping Suppliers
If you’re considering selling on eBay, choosing a reliable supplier makes a lot of sense.
You can utilize the following dropshipping suppliers for your eBay dropshipping business.
- Amazon
- Walmart
- AliExpress
- Wholesale2B
- SaleHoo
Amazon and Walmart, both prominent marketplaces, are closely monitored by eBay due to their status as significant competitors. Nonetheless, savvy dropshippers continue to leverage Amazon and Walmart by concealing their tracking numbers through Proxy tracking options such as BlueCare Express. This practice offers an added layer of protection to their operations.
Both Salefreaks and Yaballe are well-versed in strategies to safeguard eBay dropshippers from detection. Personally, I favor Salefreaks due to its status as the most advanced tool for Amazon to eBay dropshipping.
AliExpress remains a secure option even in 2024 as long as you partner with Wholesale suppliers. All that’s necessary is to accurately specify the item location and adhere to the dispatch timeline.
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Now, let’s discuss the most secure supplier for eBay dropshipping – SaleHoo.
My preference lies with SaleHoo, and here’s why:
Firstly, it stands as a reputable global network encompassing over 8,000 vetted Wholesale and Dropshipping suppliers. This network spans not just the US and the UK but also reaches into Asian countries like China, Taiwan, and Malaysia.
Secondly, eBay dropshippers should opt for Wholesale suppliers to maintain the safety and integrity of their accounts. Failure to utilize Wholesale suppliers may trigger eBay’s system to flag your account, potentially resulting in adverse consequences such as item demotion in search results, restrictions, or even permanent suspension. This could further limit your ability to establish new eBay accounts.
Thirdly, SaleHoo provides one-year access to its extensive directory for a reasonable fee of $67 USD.
Lastly, SaleHoo presents numerous wholesale dropshipping suppliers that have no Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ). Their pricing remains consistent, and stock shortages are rare. This eliminates the necessity for eBay dropshipping tools to monitor pricing and quantities on eBay. Moreover, the money saved from not subscribing to such tools could be redirected towards a SaleHoo membership for one year or even a lifetime.
Recommended reading: SaleHoo Review
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Dropship on eBay?
Yes, you can dropship on eBay. However, it is important to note that Sellers on eBay are prohibited from listing items they don’t possess at a premium and then buying them from other retailers or marketplaces that ship directly to customers. This practice leads to poor buyer experiences on multiple fronts.
Will eBay suspend my account if I dropship?
eBay will not suspend your account as long as you do not breach their dropshipping policy.
Is Amazon to eBay dropshipping allowed?
Indeed, Amazon to eBay dropshipping is technically not permitted. Nevertheless, you can employ Bluecare to mask tracking information, allowing you to persist with Amazon dropshipping on eBay.
Is eBay dropshipping profitable?
The response is a mix of both possibilities. eBay fees have experienced a significant increase, coupled with the introduction of various additional charges. Nonetheless, if you can adeptly select cost-effective products, your eBay dropshipping venture has the potential to generate profit.
How to dropship on eBay with no money?
Are you ready to cover the cost of the initial item and its shipping? If your answer is affirmative, then you can proceed with this approach. It’s essential that you are prepared for this step.
The procedure is straightforward:
Create an account.
List the item sourced from your supplier.
Make a sale.
Ship the item.
Receive payment for the sold item.
Continue to repeat this process.
Does eBay allow dropshipping?
Yes, eBay does allow dropshipping.
Final Verdict
The most important thing to take care of is to calculate our eBay dropshipping profit margins.
eBay is not as lucrative as it was in 2015. However, you can still drop ship on eBay in a safe way by ensuring you do not breach their dropshipping policy. A eBay seller can still chalk out a good product strategy and ensure success on eBay as a drop shipper.
At the same time, I recommend using Wholesale suppliers to buy products from rather than retail marketplaces. I use SaleHoo and list manually.
Important Note
eBay has been continuously increasing listing fees and store subscription charges leaving hardly any space for profit margins. While, dropshipping is allowed on eBay, if you find you are not making good money here, you should start your own dropshipping store off eBay immediately.
Read more:
- The Best eBay Dropshipping Software for Automation
- Get FREE access to 250 Hot and Trending Products to Sell
Are you dropshipping on eBay? How has been your experience? Please do share your experience with others in the comment box below.
