Pampered Chef Products on eBay: Trends and Savings

[kitchenqueen]

I remember reading a thread on here sometime ago about PC products being auctioned off on ebay. I know it is against PC policy, but it seems to be getting popular...my husband is somewhat of an ebayer. He has bought electronics and accessories for his truck off ebay before and got some good deals. Well we recieved a magazine advertising summer trends and savings ebay has to offer. My husband pointed out something he thought I'd be proud to see - under home trends, Pampered Chef took the #3 spot on their top 10 list. Granted, it's great seeing PC being advertised as a top home trend, however it is in an ebay advertisment . And essentially takes sales away from us reps. I'm assuming that these auctions are started from former PC reps and even customers. There are MANY name brand items listed under ebay (Dooney & Bourke, Kitchen Aid, Prada) that make their corporate execs cringe too I'm sure. Knowing that ebay isn't one of PC's recommended ways of getting sales - what do we do when a customer makes a comment about PC being on ebay. Today, I looked on ebay out of curiosity and noticed most of the prices weren't too far from the regular prices. What's the point of buying off ebay?? Sorry if I am seem to be rambling, but I just thought I'd mention what I saw to you all and add my 2 cents...what do you all think?

 

[PamperYourKitchen]

There's another thread out here about this same topic, you might do a search for that, but what you're getting from ebay does not carry our warranty, which can be a big factor. For example, you could find the professional cookware set on ebay, but the warranty doesn't come with it without the receipt.
I've purchased a few PAST things from ebay, but nothing that you could currently get through the catalog. Once you bid up the price on ebay, then pay their shipping costs, insurance, etc, you're looking at above what you could get it for from us, with the warranty.
I'd look for that other thread to get more info!

 

[Admin Greg]

I completely agree with you. It's frustrating to see our own products being sold on ebay, especially when it goes against company policy. It not only takes away potential sales from us reps, but it also undermines the value and integrity of our products. Plus, as you mentioned, the prices on ebay are usually not much lower than what we sell for, so it doesn't make sense for customers to buy from there. I think it's important for us to educate our customers on the importance of buying directly from a rep, whether it's through a party or a personal order. We can also remind them that buying from ebay means they won't receive the same level of customer service and support that we provide. It's a tough situation, but all we can do is continue to promote and sell our products in the most ethical way possible.