Top 5 Tips for Shopping Smart on Amazon and eBay
We’ve been in the ecommerce game for years at Meridian Trade, selling everything from kitchen tools to pet gear on Amazon, eBay, and our own site, meridiantrade.com. We pack our warehouse, tweak our listings, and talk to customers daily—so we’ve seen what works (and what doesn’t) when it comes to shopping online. With marketplaces getting trickier to navigate—think fake reviews or shipping snafus—smart shopping’s more important than ever. Here are our top five tips to score great deals and avoid headaches, straight from our playbook.
1. Check Seller Ratings, But Dig Deeper
A high rating’s a good start, but it’s not the whole story. In 2024, Amazon cracked down hard, banning over 200 million suspected fake reviews (their words, not ours), which shook up seller profiles overnight. On eBay, feedback’s still king, but a 99% score doesn’t mean much if it’s from five sales. Look at the seller’s history—how long they’ve been around, how many items they’ve moved. Take us, for example: Meridian Trade has been shipping from our own warehouse for years, with a track record of happy buyers across platforms. A little detective work saves you from flash-in-the-pan flops.
2. Compare Across Platforms Before You Click
Prices bounce around like crazy between Amazon and eBay, even for the same stuff. Last fall, during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days, we saw home goods spike 10% in sales (per their recap), but eBay quietly had better deals on similar items—no membership required. Our tip? Cross-check. We list our modular storage sets and travel organizers on both, and sometimes eBay’s bids beat Amazon’s “Lightning Deals.” Add our site, meridiantrade.com, to the mix—sometimes we sneak exclusive discounts there. A quick scan can save you cash.
3. Watch Shipping Fine Print Like a Hawk
Free shipping sounds great until it’s “free” with a 30-day wait. The 2024 holiday season was a wake-up call—USPS delays jumped 15% year-over-year (thanks, staffing woes), and buyers got stuck. Smart shoppers read the fine print: estimated delivery dates, seller location, tracking promises. We control fulfillment at Meridian Trade, so when you order from our Amazon or eBay stores, it’s packed and shipped fast from our warehouse—not drop-shipped from halfway across the globe. If it says “ships from USA,” double-check it’s legit.
4. Spot Quality With Product Details, Not Just Photos
Shiny pics can lie—details don’t. A flood of cheap knockoffs hit marketplaces in 2023 after small business applications spiked to 5.5 million (per the SBA), and not all of ‘em were honest. Zoom in on specs: materials, dimensions, warranties. We’ve learned this running our own production—our reusable water bottles, for instance, list exact ounce counts and BPA-free certifications right in the description. If a listing’s vague or screams “too good to be true,” it probably is. Stick to sellers who show their work.
5. Time Your Buy for the Sweet Spot
Timing’s everything. Amazon’s algorithm loves a flash sale, but eBay auctions can reward patience. Last summer, when supply chain hiccups from Red Sea disruptions (yep, those Houthi attacks again) slowed imports, we saw savvy buyers snag deals by waiting out inflated prices. Our advice: watch for patterns. We drop prices on our pet accessories before big holidays—check our Meridian Trade listings around Memorial Day or Black Friday. No need to chase every “deal of the day”—just know when to pounce.
Wisdom From the Warehouse
The past two years have been a wild ride in ecommerce—fake review purges, shipping chaos, and a flood of new sellers. But we’ve been here through it all, learning what separates the good buys from the regrets. Shopping smart isn’t luck; it’s strategy. Next time you’re browsing Amazon or eBay, try these tips—and maybe peek at our Meridian Trade stores while you’re at it. We’re not perfect, but we pack every order like it’s for family. Found a gem in our catalog? Tell us—we love a good story.