Amazon used vs new offers: conditions, renewed items and what they mean for an eBay listing

What is the difference between Amazon used vs new offers?

Amazon used vs new offers are two different product conditions sold on the same product page. A new offer is an unused item in its original packaging. A used offer is an item that has been opened, returned, handled or used, graded by the seller into a condition such as Used Like New, Very Good, Good or Acceptable. Renewed items are a third category: products refurbished and sold under Amazon's Renewed programme.

For an eBay seller who prices from Amazon, the difference matters because condition is part of what you sell. A buyer who orders a new item and receives a used one has received something not as described, whatever the price. Under the eBay Money Back Guarantee, a buyer can request a return for an item not as described within 30 calendar days of delivery, and that return is at your cost in time and money.

What do Amazon's condition grades mean?

Amazon publishes condition guidelines for sellers, and each offer carries a grade plus the seller's own notes. The grades describe a range, so the notes on the specific offer matter as much as the grade.

eBay has its own list of item conditions, which varies by category. Use the eBay condition that honestly describes the item and add details in the condition description. Never pick a better condition than the item has.

Why the grade on the page is not the whole story

A condition grade is the seller's judgement of one unit. Two Used Very Good offers from different sellers can arrive in quite different states, and the notes beside each offer, such as "box damaged" or "missing manual", tell you more than the grade does. If you ever work with used stock, read the notes on every offer and keep them with your records. They are what you would need to describe the item honestly to a buyer.

Open-box and returned stock sold through Amazon Warehouse follows the same idea. It is sold in used grades, each unit has its own notes, and the same product can appear several times at different prices because each unit is different.

Why is a used price never the cost of a new listing?

When the new offer goes out of stock, the cheapest offer left on a page is often a used one. A tracker that simply reads the lowest price will pick it up, and your new-condition eBay listing will be priced from an item you cannot honestly send.

• Different condition. A used item sent against a new listing is not as described.
• Different seller. Used offers come from different sellers with their own delivery times and charges.
• Different price behaviour. Used prices move with the supply of used stock, which has little to do with the new price.

The right response when only used offers remain is to treat the new-condition listing as out of stock and set its quantity to zero until a new offer returns. Dropizon's stock guard does exactly this, treating a used-only page the same as out of stock and restoring the quantity when a new offer is back; the documentation lists every state it treats as no stock.

When used costs more than new

Used is not always cheaper. When new stock runs out across the page, used sellers sometimes raise their prices, and a used offer can end up above the last new price. A tracker that switches from new to used readings without noticing would then raise your price on a new listing, which is just as wrong as lowering it. Condition first, price second.

Returns can also differ. Used offers from third-party sellers may have their own return arrangements within Amazon's rules, and the condition of a returned used item is harder to check. That matters if your eBay buyer later wants to return the item to you.

How do delivery charges differ on used offers?

Used offers are sold mostly by third-party sellers who dispatch their own stock, and many of them charge for delivery. The delivery line can be easy to miss, especially in the list of other sellers, where the item price is printed larger than the delivery charge.

A hypothetical example

Example: suppose a board game shows a new offer at £24.99 with free delivery and a Used Very Good offer at £17.50 plus £2.80 delivery. The used offer's full cost is £20.30, not £17.50. If you run a used-condition eBay listing for it and price from £17.50 with a 20% markup and a hypothetical 12% fee allowance, you list at £23.86. Priced from the real £20.30, the same formula gives £27.68. Pricing from the headline figure would cost you most of your planned margin on every sale. Check your actual fees on eBay's selling fees page.

The lesson applies to any offer, but used offers are where it bites most often: always add the delivery charge to the item price before you calculate anything.

Can you list used items on eBay from Amazon used offers?

Condition is only one rule. Before any of this, check how you source. eBay allows dropshipping from a wholesale supplier, but listing an item and then buying it from another retailer or marketplace that ships directly to your buyer is not allowed under eBay's drop shipping policy. You stay responsible for delivering within the time in your listing and for your buyer's satisfaction.

If you do sell used items you hold, eBay's listing rules for used goods apply. Under eBay's picture policy, stock photos are not allowed for used, damaged or defective items, photos must accurately represent the item, and they must be at least 500 pixels on the longest side. A used item needs photos of that item, showing its real condition.

• Choose the eBay condition that matches the item, not the best one available.
• Describe wear, missing parts and packaging damage in the condition description.
• Photograph the actual item, including any marks, from several angles in good light.
• Price from the full cost, including any delivery charge you paid.

What about Renewed products?

Renewed products are refurbished items sold under Amazon's Renewed programme. Amazon sets the terms for that programme, including what inspection and support apply, and those terms can change. Read Amazon's own Renewed help pages before describing a Renewed item to anyone.

For an eBay listing, a Renewed item is not new. Use the eBay condition that matches how the item was restored, if your category offers refurbished conditions, and describe it accurately. Some eBay refurbished conditions have their own requirements, so read eBay's condition guidance for your category before using them.

How should a tracker handle used and new offers?

A tracker should keep condition as part of every reading, just like price and stock.

1. Record the condition of the offer read. New, used grade, or Renewed.
2. Match it to the listing. A new listing only accepts new readings; a used listing only accepts used readings in a comparable grade.
3. Zero on mismatch. If the only offers left are a different condition from your listing, set quantity to zero.
4. Add delivery charges. Read the full cost of every offer.
5. Restore carefully. When a matching offer returns, reprice from it before putting stock back.

The guide to Amazon out-of-stock listings covers the zero-and-restore routine in more detail.

A condition checklist

• Read the condition of every offer you price from, not just its price, and store it with the reading so a change of condition is visible in your history.
• Never price a new listing from a used or Renewed offer.
• Set new listings to zero when only used offers remain.
• Add the delivery charge before calculating, especially on used offers.
• Use the honest eBay condition and real photos for any used item.
• Read Amazon's condition guidelines and Renewed terms on Amazon's own pages.
• Check your sourcing model against eBay's drop shipping policy.