Top 10 Reasons Selling To Pawn Shops Is Better Than eBay

When people want to sell their used items, eBay often comes to mind. eBay is an online marketplace where people can buy and sell items. eBay is a global platform, which means it connects buyers and sellers from around the world.

While eBay has a global reach and features millions of listings, pawn shops can often offer better value for you when you sell your items. In this post, we will cover the top reasons why you should choose a pawn shop over eBay.

Pawn shops enable you to get fast cash on the same day that you bring in your item. You do not need to worry about dealing with strangers on the internet or waste time with shipping and returns. You can use our free tool to find pawn shops nearby to sell your item.

We also recommend reading our other posts about figuring out your item’s value and how pawn shops determine value.

#1. Hidden Fees

eBay charges fees for listing items, final value fees, and payment processing fees. These seller fees can add up quickly and cut into your profits. In addition, you might face extra shipping fees if the customer decides to return your item.

All-in fees to sell on eBay can quickly amount to 10-20% of the item’s value, depending on the total cost and shipping.

#2. Limited Payment Options

eBay restricts payment methods, and most buyers use PayPal, which limits your customer base and makes it difficult to accept payments from customers who don’t have a PayPal account.

PayPal can take a long time to send the money directly to your bank account, and PayPal reserves the right to freeze your funds if the buyer disputes the transaction.

Pawn shops will give you cash or store credit on the same day. You do not need to wait to receive your money. Also, all pawn shop transactions are final, so you do not have to worry about returns.

#3. Shipping Time & Cost

eBay does not offer managed shipping options for sellers like Amazon Prime does with Amazon FBA. This means that you will have to spend time packaging and shipping the item. Packaging, shipping, and insurance costs can become very expensive for some items like rare collectible art.

Your item could become lost or damaged during transit. Filing a shipping insurance claim can take weeks to get reimbursed.

When you sell your item to pawn shops you do not incur extra shipping costs.

#4. Unreliable Customer Service

eBay’s customer service is often slow to respond and not very helpful. Disputes with buyers can take a long time to resolve, and eBay may choose to side with the buyer. This means that you could face losses on the transaction.

Pawn shops offer you same-day processing for your item. You can deal directly with a human, and you get all of your questions answered right away.

#5. Limited Advertising Options

eBay does not offer any advertising options outside of the platform, so you have to rely on organic search traffic to drive sales. Your item might take a long time to sell if there are no interested buyers.

Pawn shops will give you a cash or store credit offer that same day. You do not need to worry about marketing and advertising expenses to sell your item.

#6. Unreliable Buyers

eBay does not have a reliable system for verifying buyers, so you may end up dealing with buyers who are not trustworthy. Also, someone may bid on the item and then fail to pay for it.

Pawn shop offers are completed the same day and you receive cash on the spot. You do not need to worry about deadbeat buyers.

#7. Difficult Returns Process

eBay’s returns process is complicated and can be difficult to navigate. As a seller, you have to communicate with the buyer online and wait for the return to be shipped back to you. The item could become damaged or lost during the process.

Pawn shop transactions are final when they occur. You do not need to worry about the pawn shop calling you to ask for a refund.

#8. Limited Item Categories

eBay only allows you to list items in certain categories, so if you are selling something that does not fit into one of those categories, you will not be able to list it.

Pawn shops have limited item categories, too, but they also might carry items that are not found on eBay.

#9. Lack of Control

eBay does not allow you to customize your store or the checkout process, so you have limited control over how your item listing looks and how customers interact with it.

You do not need to worry about the item's listing appearance when you sell to a pawn shop. the pawn shop handles all of the retail selling.

#10. Low Visibility

eBay’s search engine is not very effective, so it can be difficult to get your items seen by potential customers. You have to compete with millions of listings, and sometimes other sellers may undercut you on price.

Pawn shops give you certainty when you sell to them. Pawn shops will give you a guaranteed cash offer on the spot. You do not need to worry about visibility and advertising.