plasticcanuck

I don’t think that’s entirely true, unless one has a “PRIME” account, for which of course, one pays an annual fee. Even then the no shipping charges doesn’t apply to every item. I have such an account and also get the Music and TV streaming apps.

plasticcanuck

Aye, well there’s the rub.

scrubbedexpat091

Spend $35 and shipping is free. Not hard to add a few household items to get to $35.

I don't have Prime anymore.

Piff Poff

it is just coming to Red Deer, bit by bit it's either order online and pick up in store or a couple of stores will also deliver.

Lion Heart

What about the other side of eBay... We've covered the normal ecommerce side of things but what about the auction side...

We've used eBay to pick up countless bargains over the years. Proper bargains at .99p opening bid, or getting something that was £300 for a tenner.

Plus selling off all you old stuff. Ebay is a great platform for selling used stuff, and often the sales price can go a lot higher that you expected, which is nice � ����

I understand kijiji is popular there, but seems to me (?) that would limit buyers to local only and so a small fraction of potential buyers. Reminds me of the free ads newspaper here in the UK we used to use - like 25 years ago � ����

Is shipping pricing in Canada really that restrictive that it basically disabled you from being able to sell your old stuff anywhere but locally using free ads (kijiji)? If so, that's not good. That's a realreally poor business model for Canadian companies who wajtwant to join the 21st century and set up an ecommerce business.

Lion Heart

What about the other side of eBay... We've covered the normal ecommerce side of things but what about the auction side...

We've used eBay to pick up countless bargains over the years. Proper bargains at .99p opening bid, or getting something that was £300 for a tenner.

Plus selling off all you old stuff. Ebay is a great platform for selling used stuff, and often the sales price can go a lot higher that you expected, which is nice 😊

I understand kijiji is popular there, but seems to me (?) that would limit buyers to local only and so a small fraction of potential buyers. Reminds me of the free ads newspaper here in the UK we used to use - like 25 years ago 😒

Is shipping pricing in Canada really that restrictive that it basically disabled you from being able to sell your old stuff anywhere but locally using free ads (kijiji)? If so, that's not good. That's a realreally poor business model for Canadian companies who wajtwant to join the 21st century and set up an ecommerce business.

Atlantic Xpat

Shipping, parcels and post is more expensive in Canada than the UK. To belabour a point it’s a big country with a small population.

I think to an extent eBay - at least for new stuff at a buy it now price -has been superseded by amazon marketplace sellers. Perception is that there is a little more security and guarantee in dealing through amazon rather than the unknowns of eBay.

Piff Poff

EBay just doesn't work very well here at all.

dbd33

ecommerce is not a good model for Canadian businesses that deal with the general public, unless they're selling a legislatively controlled product. A consumer looking online for a product is going to be presented with the choice of buying from the Canadian business or a US one. The US one will be cheaper and will offer quicker delivery so it's not in the interest of the Canadian company to encourage internet awareness; they want walk-in custom.

If the product, car insurance for example, has a government mandated price then, yes, ecommerce makes sense as the cost of sale is less.

withabix

Can take 7 to 10 days for a parcel to go Vancouver to Vancouver with Canada Post.

That's where the problem is....

BristolUK

I agree, from what people say Vancouver is definitely the problem.