Editor’s Note: This product has been removed from our side-by-side comparison because it is no longer available. You can still read our original review below, but Top Ten Reviews is no longer updating this product’s information.
Amazon has a great reputation selling books, music and other entertainment products. When you buy or sell with Amazon’s auctions, you are guaranteed the safety and satisfaction that all Amazon’s services offer.
Amazon has a good auction service; however, they lack some additional user features offered by the higher ranked auction websites like opening a store or adding to an item’s description. In addition, navigating through the category layout is time consuming and many products are missing pictures.
Amazon has an excellent buying system that presents useful information about each auction item including the seller, when the auction started, where the item is located, the number of bids and payment options. One disappointing feature associated with Amazon auctions is the deadline countdown clock. You have to refresh the page every few moments for the clock to reflect real time.
All the basic features a seller would need to have a successful sale are available through Amazon’s auction service. However, they do not have some of the fancier features like cross promotion, extra picture options or customizable listing layouts offered by our higher raked services like eBay.
Amazon charges 10 cents to list each item and you can relist once for free. Amazon also charges 25 cents plus 5 percent of the final sale, including shipping and handling, for all items sold. There is also the Pro Merchant Subscription for $39.99 a month for sellers that often list many products.
Amazon does not allow you to cross promote additional items you are selling from your details pages. However, they do include a “cross link” feature with Amazon.com. This feature lets you promote your auction item with new books, music or DVDs located on Amazon.com. For example, you can cross link your “The Lion King Board Game” on Amazon.com’s “The Lion King” DVD page.
Amazon has several feedback and account management options. They encourage feedback and recommend that all buyers check seller feedback prior to bidding. Through your account, you can manage all the items you’ve sold, bid on and won. However, you cannot save favorite categories, sellers or searches.
We found Amazon’s search features consistently produce relevant and comprehensive results. If you know exactly what you are looking for, this is the best way to use Amazon’s auction service. Unfortunately, we found many searches that did not have gallery or detail page photos.
Amazon is one of the most easily recognized names on the internet, and has a loyal following. However, they are still cutting their teeth in the online auction business and could be a major contender if they reorganized their layout, included more item photos and user options.
