eBay Motors ranks as the #1 automotive site on the web according to Nielson/NetRatings, with an average of 10 million unique monthly visitors. The site offers more than 3 million new and used products within the site's parts and accessories category. And although the majority of these products are high-performance parts for the do-it-yourselfer and tuner car enthusiast, eBay Motors has also made its presence known in the tool and equipment marketplace.
Measuring The Impact
When we entered "Tools" in the search box at www.ebaymotors.com, nearly 2,500 entries appeared. These results featured everything from scan tool software cartridges to vintage hand tools.
Where are all of these products coming from? Primarily technicians looking to upgrade their arsenal of tools and equipment, as well as mobile dealers looking to rid themselves of old inventory, or get out of the business.
Falling under the parts and accessories portion of the site, automotive enthusiasts, do-it-yourselfers, collectors-and your customers-have access to a huge selection of various automotive products, including tools and equipment. The advantages, or disadvantages, depending on your perspective, include:
How It Works
eBay Motors functions primarily as an auction, where the product gets sold to the highest bidder in a regulated amount of time. Members are also notified when someone has outbid them in a current auction, when an auction is ending, and if they are the winner of that particular auction.
Another option is the "Buy It Now" format. So instead of bidding on an item, users can click on the "Buy It Now" option and purchase that particular item immediately for a set price that was pre-determined by the seller.
Members can also check on other sellers and buyers. Each registered member has a profile that tracks which items they have bought and sold, with feedback from other members combining to produce an overall rating. Members can view all feedback comments and can post their own as well.
If you want to see exactly who might be selling what, double-checking the seller's e-mail address through AOL, or with distributors in that area, can identify whether it's a mobile tool dealer, jobber, a manufacturer trying to go direct, or even one of your customers who is selling a particular product.
There are also many options for payment, including PayPal, a secure online payment center. Additional methods include credit cards, money orders, personal checks and debit cards. The payment method is usually determined by the seller, and will be stated in the product description.
Registration for both sellers and buyers is free of charge, with users simply having to create a member name and password. However, browsing and searching through the site can be done without offering any information, or establishing an account. In this respect, checking out the site once in a while might not be a bad idea, as distributors can see what kind of pricing and products are being offered.
Members can also post a free classified ad by going to the "Want It Now" listing.
Tools And Equipment
What types of tools and equipment are currently available? Here's a look at how extensive the product offerings get. Remember, most of these products are either used, or being sold at lower prices than a mobile dealer or PBE jobber would offer.
Trends
eBay Motors positions itself as a channel for close out, excess and obsolete inventory. And while its mission statement may sound non-threatening, the smart distributor and jobber should see it as much more. Especially with the concept of eBay outlet stores looming on the horizon.
Additional Web Resources
While eBay Motors offers one outlet for tool sales, remember the following sites as well. Each offers their own way of keeping distributors competitive in a marketplace that has begun to focus more and more on price.
www.aaatls.com www.acetoolco.com www.cornwelltools.com www.eagletools.net www.etwcorp.com www.ktool.com www.mactools.com www.matcotools.com www.medcotool.com www.midstatetool.com www.skhandtool.com www.snapon.com www.toolweb.com www.weisstool.comThe New Kid On The Web
Based out of Newark, NJ, M. Eagles Tool Warehouse recently unveiled their new web site, www.eagletools.net. The site offers a place for the warehouse distributor's customers to place orders, check availability, research product information, and view account-specific details.
New customers are also welcome to visit the site to browse in the unregistered area, where only products with recommended selling prices can be viewed. Once the distributor verification process is complete for registration, they can then obtain full access. M. Eagles is quick to point out that measures have also been taken to ensure access and purchasing is limited solely to distributors.
The fully interactive site also gives distributors access to actual inventory and pricing for over 20,000 products. Merchandise ordered via the website will be shipped the same business day, if the order is processed before 2:30 p.m.
Although much of the focus of web-based purchasing centers around cutting costs and obtaining better pricing, of equal or greater importance for the distributor is to reinforce the aspects of your service that go beyond price, such as:
