Can you sell Avon products on eBay and Amazon?

One of the questions we hear most often from reps is "Can we sell Avon products on eBay or Amazon?" meaning "Am I allowed to sell Avon products on eBay or Amazon". My answer to that would be "it depends where you are located". For example, here in the UK, EU law would not allow a manufacture to dictate where their products are sold, conversely across the pond in America, US laws allow Avon to ban reps from selling on eBay and Amazon.

A more relevant question would be "Why would Avon not want reps to sell on online marketplaces?" The answer to that one is more complicated. Avon have a brand image to maintain and without doubt some representatives who sell online do not support that brand image. Poor quality images detract from the impression that Avon want to portray. Poor service leaves a bad impression not just of the seller but of the company too.

That said there are some very professional sellers who have extremely high standards. There is notably a correlation between the level of sales and the customer service a seller provides when trading online.

Other than that there is very little reason that any manufacturer would want to curb the selling activities of a representative who is selling their product exclusively, in quantity and at the same time maintaining their brand image. After all those products have been bought from Avon (they can't be bought from anywhere else) and Avon have already profited.

However, the question "Can I sell Avon on eBay and Amazon"? is a very different one. There are lots of representatives who have tried and failed miserably. There is certainly more to it than listing a few products, plucking a price out of thin air, crossing your fingers and hoping that it sells.

In my next blog I am going to go into some of the factors that influence successful selling on online market places, how to start out and get your first few sales.