Onbuy.com

[SebMartley]

Hi! We have been contacted by Onbuy.com to sell on their Marketplace, I have found a few threads on here saying it's a waste of time but these have all been from some time ago and wondered if anyone may have any more recent experience please? We went live on the Tesco marketplace a few months and after a lot of work it really hasn't paid it's way, so very conscious we do not want to waste any more time on market places that are not going to show decent sales. Thank you for any advice!

 

[fisicx]

When was the last time you brought anything from onbuy?

If you don’t use it what makes you think your potential customers will.

I’ve just looked at a product I buy regularly and I can get it a lot cheaper elsewhere.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

If it is free to list, what have you got to lose?

 

[SebMartley]

If it is free to list, what have you got to lose?

Thank your response. Our biggest loss will be time, time that could have been used somewhere profitable.

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

time that could have been used somewhere profitable.

So, how will you decide?

For what, an hour or two max, it isn't worth a go?

You've asked for advice on what is a 50/50 answer and then question/dispute the answer! It comes across that you have made up your mind (not to use it).

Not every business is the same.
Not every product is the same.
Not every buyer is the same.

Your product might be ideal for them or it might be terrible (or they might be terrible/good for your product).

 

[SebMartley]

So, how will you decide?

For what, an hour or two max, it isn't worth a go?

You've asked for advice on what is a 50/50 answer and then question/dispute the answer! It comes across that you have made up your mind (not to use it).

Not every business is the same.
Not every product is the same.
Not every buyer is the same.

Your product might be ideal for them or it might be terrible (or they might be terrible/good for your product).

Hi Paul, I apologise If I came across that way. I was hoping to speak to people with direct experience selling on Onbuy to see if it matched up or came close to sales they did on other marketplaces. Thank you for your advice.

 

[fisicx]

I know one person who listed baby blankets. Zero sales. They were competing against Chinese sellers who were undercutting prices. This was a little while back so things may have changed.

I’ve asked around today and nobody has even heard of onbuy.

 

[SebMartley]

I know one person who listed baby blankets. Zero sales. They were competing against Chinese sellers who were undercutting prices. This was a little while back so things may have changed.

I’ve asked around today and nobody has even heard of onbuy.

Thank you, that's great to know - we sell baby products! Really appreciate that.
Seb

 

[Paul Kelly ICHYB]

The direct supply from China has hit all platforms, sadly.

 

[Mister B]

We tried onbuy last year, and it was a catastrophic waste of time.

We made a few sales, but we're talking of less than £100 a month.

Should also add that we were lured in with no seller fees for the first six months, they then changed it to a subscription based model which is when we decided to walk away.

They still try and coax us back but it's sadly, simply not worth it.

 

[SebMartley]

We tried onbuy last year, and it was a catastrophic waste of time.

We made a few sales, but we're talking of less than £100 a month.

Should also add that we were lured in with no seller fees for the first six months, they then changed it to a subscription based model which is when we decided to walk away.

They still try and coax us back but it's sadly, simply not worth it.

Thank you so much for letting me know! It's very hard to know how well these sites will perform. I just spent months working with Tesco to get products live on their marketplace, much like your onbuy experience it has led to maybe £200 a month.

 

[Drax35]

Similar to others, I found it a waste of time. If it were free, I'd be happy enough leaving our listings in place, but as there's a monthly fee it's not worth considering. These are products that can sell 20-30 units a day on Amazon, but on Onbuy rarely even one sale a month.

The dreamer in me quite liked the idea of a UK-based marketplace to challenge Amazon, but in reality they haven't managed to build enough awareness and trust make it anyone's "go to" marketplace.

 

[fisicx]

And it's often more expensive than other retailers even with the cashback

 

[Drax35]

One thought, if your products happen to be electronics, Onbuy have very recently acquired the rights to the Comet brand. I'm sure there'll be a lot of PR about bringing back a high street favourite etc etc, they seem to be planning to launch an electronics marketplace under the name.

Could be some scope for sales there as a more focussed marketplace, I have my doubts though.

 

[SebMartley]

Similar to others, I found it a waste of time. If it were free, I'd be happy enough leaving our listings in place, but as there's a monthly fee it's not worth considering. These are products that can sell 20-30 units a day on Amazon, but on Onbuy rarely even one sale a month.

The dreamer in me quite liked the idea of a UK-based marketplace to challenge Amazon, but in reality they haven't managed to build enough awareness and trust make it anyone's "go to" marketplace

Thank for your letting me know your experience. The idea that Onbuy wouldn't also be selling on their made it seem like a great idea and the cash back a good incentive for customers but I am yet to talk to anyone that has ever bought anything from the site. It seems all online retailers are starting to create marketplaces on there sites and it's just a case of working out which one will actually increase sales.

 

[DontAsk]

One thought, if your products happen to be electronics, Onbuy have very recently acquired the rights to the Comet brand. I'm sure there'll be a lot of PR about bringing back a high street favourite etc etc,

It will all be BS. Many supposedly favourite brands are now just the same old tat sold in B&M or Home Bargains.

I wouldn't rush out to buy a Proline anything these days.

 

[tony84]

OnBuy have just bought the "COMET" name/brand.
I imagine they have big plans to expand and probably under that brand going forward.

 

[DontAsk]

OnBuy have just bought the "COMET" name/brand.
I imagine they have big plans to expand and probably under that brand going forward.

Like I said in the post immediately before yours, it is just a name.

 

[tony84]

Like I said in the post immediately before yours, it is just a name.

How many people pay extra for a Lexus? Its just a toyota.
How many people pay extra for a McVities biscuits - you can buy the own brand stuff which is made in the same factory by the same people.

Its just a name...
You might think a name doesnt matter, but it does. Its a brand people know and will remember. It makes a difference.

 

[AlanJ1]

How many people pay extra for a Lexus? Its just a toyota.
How many people pay extra for a McVities biscuits - you can buy the own brand stuff which is made in the same factory by the same people.

Its just a name...
You might think a name doesnt matter, but it does. Its a brand people know and will remember. It makes a difference.

I echo this, big names who went bust get bought all the time. Maplin was one. New owner had relativley good sucess when relaunched (no idea how they are doing now).

 

[DontAsk]

How many people pay extra for a Lexus? Its just a toyota.
How many people pay extra for a McVities biscuits - you can buy the own brand stuff which is made in the same factory by the same people.

Those are respected brands trading for some time.

Comet was a chain of stores selling other brands. It has some own brands such as Proline. AFAIR there were never "Comet" branded goods.

 

[tony84]

Those are respected brands trading for some time.

Comet was a chain of stores selling other brands. It has some own brands such as Proline. AFAIR there were never "Comet" branded goods.

Debenhams, Wilkos...

If you go and find 100 people and ask them who has heard of comet and who has heard of onbuy, more people are going to say comet. A lot of transactions are based on it being from a reputable brand.

 

[fisicx]

If you go and find 100 people and ask them who has heard of comet and who has heard of onbuy, more people are going to say comet.

And then ask them if they brought anything from Comet.

 

[DontAsk]

And then ask them if they brought anything from Comet.

Or would they now, or would they buy from, e.g., Currys or AO?

 

[DontAsk]

Debenhams, Wilkos...

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make.

They both sold their own branded goods with a recognisable brand name, again unlike Comet. I loved Wilko, from many years of experience, but I would not (certainly not immediately) trust items in "The Range" reincarnation of the Wilko brand to the same extent.

It's the same with all the "old" brands you see for sale in the likes of Home Bargains. They are simply not the same products. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool.

 

[tony84]

I'm not sure what point you are trying to make.

They both sold their own branded goods with a recognisable brand name, again unlike Comet. I loved Wilko, from many years of experience, but I would not (certainly not immediately) trust items in "The Range" reincarnation of the Wilko brand to the same extent.

It's the same with all the "old" brands you see for sale in the likes of Home Bargains. They are simply not the same products. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool.

Not exclusively. I could go in there and buy point, compost, tools, wallpaper etc which were not wilkos branded. Odd that you never seen other brands in there, but that might explain why you do not see the point.

You might not see the point. But that does not mean there isnt one.

 

[DontAsk]

Not exclusively. I could go in there and buy point, compost, tools, wallpaper etc which were not wilkos branded. Odd that you never seen other brands in there,

Where did I say that?

 

[tony84]

Where did I say that?

We can see what you said. Maybe I misinterpreted what you said.

Its not an argument I can be arsed having. You win.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

I would not (certainly not immediately) trust items in "The Range" reincarnation of the Wilko brand to the same extent.

Slight tangent, but for the record - the majority of the Wilko brand products in the Range are a continuation of the exact same products from the same suppliers

 

[DontAsk]

Slight tangent, but for the record - the majority of the Wilko brand products in the Range are a continuation of the exact same products from the same suppliers

But how do you know which ones?

 

[Mister B]

Like I said in the post immediately before yours, it is just a name.

It may be just a name, but it's a name that has some equity, unlike the brand/channel Onbuy.

Who knows what they're going to do with it, but one thing is for sure, is that it is a recognisable high street brand that people remember which is a good place to start from.

I think that this is where the Range made a smart move-acquiring the Wilkos brand allowed them to tap into a recognisable high street brand. Okay, some of the products have stayed the same and a lot of the products have been resourced and for want of a better word, cheapened. The fact that I and many others will never shop there is beside the point. Their target market will and that's what matters to them.

 

[DontAsk]

Okay, some of the products have stayed the same and a lot of the products have been resourced and for want of a better word, cheapened.

That illustrates the problem. One person says the majority are the same, you seem to say something different.

I do shop for certain things at the Range (they had a very good price on printer paper last time I was there), but I will not go there for Wilko branded products. As far as I am concerned, Wilko no longer exists.

 

[DontAsk]

We can see what you said.

Indeed, and nowhere did I say exclusively own brand.

 

[tony84]

Indeed, and nowhere did I say exclusively own brand.

In the context of the conversation I mentioned McVities and Lexus - you then said they were there own brands/products.
So I then mentioned retailers who sold other companies products.
You then came back and said they sold their own products.

That was why I felt the need to point out not exclusively.

 

[AmazonGeek]

I tried it a couple of years ago but it was a waste of time. We got an order once in a blue moon and usually missed it because we had given up checking. It might be different now but I don't know anyone who would think to look there for something.