Gadget Show: getting the most out of eBay discount sites

If you missed my ‘Wallop of the Week’ on the new series of the Gadget Show, October 20, 2017, about eBay and discount sites, here goes…

Retailers that use eBay to host outlet and discount shops

Lots of mainstream retailers from Anne Summers, AO.com and Argos to Debenhams, Dyson and Superdry have shops on eBay where they sell stock that they do not want clogging up their main sites. Caveat: there is no guarantee that this is the cheapest place to get a bargain, but it’s a good place to start.

We found a couple of examples of when exactly the same product could be found on both the main site and the clearance site, with the latter being substantially cheaper.

Withings Activite Pop Fitness Activity Tracker. On the Argos main site, this cost £67.99. On the eBay Argos outlet site, it costs £39.99.
A Dyson Pure Hot + Cool Link Purifier Heater. On Dyson’s own website, it costs £499.99. On the eBay Dyson outlet site, exactly the same gadget cost £100 less: £399.99.

Police auction sites: stolen goods at a discount

Another fun place to look for bargains on eBay is police auction sites. Various police forces around the country have set up shop on eBay, selling off stolen or seized goods that they cannot re-unite with their lawful owners. In most cases the goods are in perfect condition, with only small damage to the packaging. But there is an important caveat: in most cases, you will need to pick up the goods from a police station in person.

Here are some recent bargains that we spotted at the time of filming (Tuesday, this week). Another caveat (sorry!): these were all live auctions, so the bargains may not be that substantial by now.

Sussex Police Auctions

JBL
JBL Clip 2 Waterproof Ultra Portable Wireless Bluetooth Speaker.