Where to Sell Car Parts Online: Amazon vs. eBay Motors—Which Platform Is Right for You?
Selling car parts online offers retailers an exciting opportunity to connect with a massive and eager customer base, whether in the U.S. or internationally. With well-established platforms like Amazon and eBay Motors, brands have options to tap into unique marketplace advantages. Yet each platform has specific challenges and benefits that sellers need to consider to […]
Selling car parts online offers retailers an exciting opportunity to connect with a massive and eager customer base, whether in the U.S. or internationally. With well-established platforms like Amazon and eBay Motors, brands have options to tap into unique marketplace advantages. Yet each platform has specific challenges and benefits that sellers need to consider to ensure they choose the platform that aligns best with their business goals.
In this article, we’ll dive into the strengths and potential drawbacks of selling car parts on Amazon and eBay Motors. By the end, you’ll have a clearer idea of which platform might be the best fit for your business. And if you’re leaning towards a multi-channel strategy, we’ll discuss how a solution like Multichannel Pro can help you manage both Amazon and eBay efficiently.
Amazon: A Marketplace Giant with Vast Reach
Amazon’s reach is unmatched, making it a desirable choice for retailers looking to tap into one of the largest online audiences. Its reputation as the go-to platform for virtually everything means that millions of people shop on Amazon daily, which can translate to impressive sales potential for car parts sellers. In recent years, Amazon has expanded its Automotive & Powersports category, catering to a growing demand for car parts and accessories. Today, the platform reports annual growth in this category of about 15%.
Pros of Selling Car Parts on Amazon
- Extensive Customer Base: With millions of daily visitors, Amazon provides access to an unparalleled audience, giving your listings a strong chance of visibility and engagement. This access often leads to higher sales potential, with sellers reporting a 15-to-1 sales volume ratio compared to eBay.
- Shifting to Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) for High-Turnover Products: For sellers who choose FBA, Amazon takes on inventory storage, packaging, and shipping, simplifying logistics and ensuring fast delivery times—a factor that often leads to higher customer satisfaction and repeat business.
- Brand Trust: Amazon’s credibility helps sellers establish trust quickly. Customers are confident in Amazon’s buying and returns processes, with sellers noting a higher conversion rate on Amazon detail pages.
Cons of Selling Car Parts on Amazon
- Complex Fee Structure: Amazon’s fee structure can be challenging. The automotive category incurs a referral fee of 12% (10% for tires and wheels), plus additional fees for FBA storage and handling. These costs add up quickly, impacting margins, especially for smaller sellers. A particular challenge is Amazon’s FBA storage fees, which can be prohibitive in the parts space, where tens of thousands of listings are common. Many sellers fear high storage fees across potentially unsold products.
- Strict Return Policies: Amazon’s return policy requires sellers to adhere to strict guidelines, which can be challenging for car parts sellers dealing with issues like customers ordering the wrong part or handling parts improperly. High return rates due to lenient policies can be frustrating, leading some buyers to exploit the system. Worse, these returns can result in account infractions, suspensions, or probations, which are notoriously difficult to reverse.
- Listing Requirements: Amazon’s listing requirements are stringent, especially in the automotive category. Compliance with ACES/PIES standards for compatibility data can be time-consuming to manage manually, but it’s necessary to maximize visibility.
Additional Considerations for Amazon Sellers
- Managing Fitment Data: Amazon’s Part Finder feature requires precise fitment data so customers can verify part compatibility. Accurate data helps avoid returns and negative reviews. Learn more about fitment data requirements here.
- Competing with Amazon’s Inventory: Sellers often compete against Amazon itself, which prioritizes its inventory in the Buy Box, potentially overshadowing third-party listings. This can be frustrating, particularly for popular aftermarket parts.
- Challenges with Ranking for Non-Branded Parts: Ranking on Amazon can be difficult for non-branded items. Achieving visibility on a keyword level requires strategy, often including investment in PPC and SEO.
eBay Motors: Flexibility and Support for Small Businesses
eBay Motors has become a dedicated space for car parts, attracting both automotive enthusiasts and DIY customers. With over 180 car parts transactions every minute, eBay offers a robust marketplace that supports new and established sellers. Known for its ease of use and supportive environment, eBay Motors has become a go-to platform for small and medium-sized businesses in the automotive sector.
Pros of Selling Car Parts on eBay Motors
- Lower Fees: eBay’s fees are typically more competitive than Amazon’s, ranging from 6%-10% for automotive listings. Sellers with fewer than 250 listings enjoy waived insertion fees, making it an affordable choice.
- Ideal for Used and Obsolete Parts: eBay Motors is particularly suited to sellers of used or discontinued parts, catering to buyers looking for hard-to-find or older components. Sellers with phased-out inventory can benefit from eBay’s broader acceptance of unique items.
- Seller Protection Program: eBay’s Seller Protection Program shields sellers from fraudulent claims and unfair behavior, offering peace of mind in sales transactions.
- Part Compatibility Tools: eBay’s bulk fitment data upload feature makes listing easier. With the Parts Compatibility tool, sellers can quickly input compatibility data, increasing listing accuracy and visibility.
Cons of Selling Car Parts on eBay Motors
- Time-Consuming Listing Optimization: Keeping listings optimized to stay visible in search results can be time-consuming. Sellers often spend significant time refining titles, images, and compatibility data. eBay’s bulk listing tools help, but continual optimization is necessary to remain competitive.
- Pricing Challenges: While eBay offers flexibility, finding the right balance between competitive pricing and profitability can be tricky. Many sellers feel pressured to lower prices to stay visible, impacting long-term margins.
Additional Considerations for eBay Sellers
- Global Reach with the Global Shipping Program: eBay’s Global Shipping Program simplifies international sales, handling customs and logistics. Sellers ship products to a U.S. center, and eBay manages the rest, helping boost international reach.
- Trust through Top Seller Status: eBay’s Top Seller Status gives sellers a badge indicating trustworthiness, which can reduce fees and increase visibility by signaling credibility to buyers.
Customer Insights: What Sellers Are Saying
Feedback from sellers on forums like Reddit sheds light on platform differences:
- Amazon’s Return Policy: Some sellers feel Amazon’s return policy is overly lenient, allowing buyers to claim non-delivery or request returns for issues beyond the seller’s control. This has led to frustrations with high return rates and even account suspensions due to policy disputes.
- Listing Management: Many sellers find eBay’s approach to listing management more straightforward. eBay’s system is often simpler and easier to navigate, while Amazon’s complex requirements can be difficult to manage.
- Sales Volume vs. Competition: While Amazon offers a larger customer base, competition is intense, often leading to price wars. In contrast, eBay offers a more level playing field for branded listings, where newer sellers can gain relevance more easily.
Making the Decision: Which Platform is Right for Your Business?
When choosing between Amazon and eBay Motors, consider the following factors based on your business goals:
- Sales Volume Potential vs. Fee Structure: If maximizing sales volume is your priority and you’re prepared to navigate Amazon’s complex fee structure, then Amazon’s customer base is ideal for high-volume sales. However, if minimizing fees is more critical, eBay’s lower rates and no insertion fees for smaller accounts are attractive. Additionally, joining branded listings on Amazon can provide an immediate boost in visibility, especially for sellers who have permission to sell branded products with established reviews.
- Inventory Type and Sales Goals: Amazon works well for popular parts with high turnover, while eBay is ideal for unique or obsolete parts. If you have phased-out or rare items, eBay’s buyer base may be more receptive.
- Seller Protection and Return Control: eBay’s seller-friendly policies, such as the Seller Protection Program and the ability to set your own return policies, provide more flexibility in managing returns. Amazon’s strict policies, while sometimes challenging, can be offset by proactive inventory management to reduce returns.
- Time and Resources for Listing Management: Amazon requires meticulous listing data to maximize visibility, whereas eBay’s Parts Compatibility tool is more forgiving, simplifying the listing process. If resources are limited, eBay may offer a better fit.
Expanding Beyond One Platform: The Multichannel Pro Advantage
Selling on Amazon and eBay Motors lets auto parts brands reach diverse customers, but managing these channels can be challenging. Built specifically for the automotive industry, Multichannel Pro simplifies multichannel selling with tools that cater to the unique demands of this sector, such as fitment data accuracy, high SKU counts, and specialized inventory needs. Multichannel Pro powers leading brands like BMW and Jaguar as well as aftermarket suppliers such as KN Filters, ensuring streamlined operations for companies managing millions of SKUs.
Key Benefits of Multichannel Pro for Auto Parts Sellers
- Inventory Sync Across Channels: Multichannel Pro keeps inventory levels accurate across Amazon, eBay, and additional channels, reducing stockouts and overstocks—essential for sellers with large and varied inventories.
- Fitment Data Management: Ensuring precise parts compatibility is vital in auto parts sales. Multichannel Pro handles compatibility updates efficiently, reducing costly returns and increasing customer satisfaction by keeping fitment data accurate and accessible across platforms.
- SKU Management & Customization: With support for thousands of SKUs, Multichannel Pro enables easy automation of complex catalog tasks like bulk listings, price adjustments, and virtual bundling, saving time and optimizing inventory.
- Built-in Customer Support Tools: Multichannel Pro integrates customer support within the platform, providing agents with real-time order and inventory visibility. This feature streamlines support, making it easier to manage returns and replacements.
Success in Action
- BMW achieved 20% growth by expanding its catalog across multiple channels.
- VPAD saw a 300% increase in monthly orders, handling over 4,000 orders per month by centralizing its processes with Multichannel Pro.
- GSF Car Parts doubled its revenue by scaling its catalog efficiently through Multichannel Pro.
Achieve Multichannel Efficiency with Multichannel Pro
From local expansion to global reach, Multichannel Pro enables auto parts sellers to grow seamlessly, offering the support and features needed to thrive on Amazon, eBay, and beyond.
Learn more about Multichannel Pro and speak to an expert about omnichannel selling!
Yoda
Blog