Reliable quality standards for the sale of second-hand goods on the eBay marketplace

The goal of our project was the conception and introduction of an increased quality standard that is transparent for buyers, which makes it easier for them to choose the right second-hand goods and increases the likelihood of purchase through their increased trust. This quality standard had to be integrated for buyers along all relevant moments of their customer journey.

A basic requirement that had to be solved and was particularly complex was also to create and establish a process between the offering sellers and the eBay marketplace that would enable the necessary quality checks of the goods. This process had to be lean, because too high process costs would otherwise either be to the detriment of the attractiveness of the goods in terms of price or to the detriment of the seller’s margin. In addition, it had to be scalable in view of the high number of traders offering second-hand goods.

eStrategy Consulting developed the concept of certified refurbished items for eBay.  Here, the items are professionally inspected, cleaned, refurbished and packaged including accessories by the manufacturer or by a manufacturer-approved provider based on defined criteria. This means that the products on offer can be sold in perfect condition, sometimes even as good as new, with the “certified refurbished” seal.

The new “certified refurb” seal of quality created in this way was integrated along eBay’s entire onsite customer journey and used in particular to upgrade the already existing B-Ware Centre set up especially for second-hand goods.

In addition to price savings of up to 30 per cent compared to the RRP, shopping in the eBay B-Ware Centre offers additional benefits such as a 1-year sales guarantee, free shipping and returns and a 30-day return policy.

eBay buyers can now make a reliable, simple and sustainable purchase decision without risk along the entire range of the B-Ware Center. The go-live of certified refurbished items in the eBay B-Ware Centre was successfully carried out in 2021 and accompanied by a high-reach campaign. eBay’s 2021 Recommerce Report concludes that the sale of used goods is increasing significantly and that, parallel to this development, the B-Ware Center has made price-conscious, sustainable shopping without risk socially acceptable.