If you're looking to create your own online business to sell items, but don't want to create your own website then Bonanza is one of the best online auction sites that you could choose. You can create a booth and sell dozens of items from the comfort of your own home. It's really simple to use and there are no hidden steps or fees, and there are a great selection of guides on the site to get you started. The only thing holding Bonanza back is its small audience when compared to eBay, the big fish in this pond.
Bonanza review: Features
With Bonanza, you don't have to worry about any seller verification fees, which some sites charge to verify your identity. Also, it is free to list your items on the site and to relist an item that doesn't sell the first time.
However, you must pay a small percentage of your final offer value, or the amount the buyer pays for the item, plus any portion of the shipping fee that goes over $10. For final offer values under $500, the site charges you 3.5 percent; for anything greater than $500, you pay $17.50 plus 1.5 percent of the amount over $500. There is a minimum fee of 50 cents and a maximum fee of $250. If you want to sell on an auction site that charges lower final offer fees, eBid only charges 3 percent fees.
You may also pay annual or monthly fees if you choose a professional subscription. There are five membership plans available: Silver, Gold, Platinum, Titan, and Titan + Advertising. These plans range in price from $12 to $250. A membership plan is beneficial if you plan to sell hundreds of items. It also gives you a seller badge on your profile, boosting your credibility among buyers. Depending on your membership plan, you may receive numerous seller benefits, including your traffic reports, notifications of your sold items, coupons for your buyers, and the ability to sell digital files.
With more than 50,000 registered users on this site, there are plenty of eyes to see your items. However, this online auction site is definitely not the largest we evaluated. Some of the largest and best stores have more than 100,000 users and eBay, our top pick, has millions of registered members.
When you choose one of the elite membership plans from Bonanza, you receive access to Google Analytics. This allows you to see why people are coming to your page, how long they stay and other visitor behavior you may be interested in. You can also see the page view count to see how many people are accessing your pages.
In addition, you can easily import items directly from eBay, Etsy, Amazon or an inventory file in case you have previously listed your items there. There are no additional fees for this service, but it can take a long time to complete the importing process. It still saves you significant time if you have a large inventory and don't wish to add each item individually.
One of the benefits of Bonanza is its simplicity. The steps to set up a booth are laid out in front of you, and the site guides show you exactly what you need. There is a full text editor so you can customize your listings, and there is no limit to the number of photos you can upload with this service. Most similar companies only allow you to upload a certain number of photos and then charge you for each additional photo you include.
Bonanza review: Payment options and support
There are multiple payment options available with this service, including PayPal and Amazon Payments. Both are integrated directly into this service and protect a buyer in case something falls through with a transaction. Additionally, you can offer direct checkout options, which help you get paid faster than other payment options, but only if you've received 10 positive feedback comments. This also means you must plan to sell several items before direct checkout options are of any benefit. If you have at least three positive comments, you are eligible to accept money orders.
If you have questions or concerns about this service and its processes, you can email a representative. We sent multiple email inquiries to the company, and we received responses within a day. Also, if you have a Gold, Platinum or Titan membership, you can receive live chat support. This is one of the few services we saw that offers live chat on any plan.
One large drawback is the lack of telephone support. If you have any question or concerns, you must send an email and wait for a response, which can be frustrating.
Should you use Bonanza?
Bonanza is easily a top choice for selling items online. It doesn't offer as large of an audience as some similar sites, but it is simple to use, with numerous options for upgrading your store and membership. With no telephone support, it lacks a little in the customer service department, but the site is straightforward, simple and full of listing perks.
