Matching eBay video game listings to your Amazon items

Why games are tricky to match

Games have exact titles, platforms and editions, and buyers search for them precisely. That sounds easy to match, but one title can exist on several platforms, in a standard and a deluxe edition, and in more than one regional version. Each of those is a different Amazon item.

Unlike power tools, most games have no model number in the eBay title. The reliable identifier is the UPC printed on the case, so a match without a UPC is a weaker match.

Sealed, complete in box, and loose

Condition is the main thing that sets the price, and Amazon treats each form as a different offer.

1. Sealed. Still in the original factory wrap. Sellers write "sealed", "new" or "factory sealed" and do not always mean the same thing. Look for a clean seam and an intact wrap in the photos. Resealed games exist, so a tight wrap is not proof.
2. Complete in box. The disc or cartridge, case and manual are all there. The case and manual condition matter.
3. Loose. The disc or cartridge alone, with no case or manual.
4. Case only, or a code only. Sometimes listed under the game's name. These are different items, not the game.

Before you buy, check that Amazon lets your account list the title in the condition you will receive. When the photos do not settle the form, treat the item as the lower one.

Editions, regions and things that are not the game

• Editions. Standard, deluxe, collector's and anniversary editions share a title and have different UPCs and prices.
• Regions. An import can carry the same title and a different code. Check the region on the case against your Amazon item.
• Not the game. Collector's boxes sold without the game, in-game currency codes, trophies, steelbook cases and stickers sometimes carry the game's name, and occasionally its UPC. Read the title and description before you trust a UPC match.

Lots and bundles

A lot may hold a dozen titles in one listing, and only some may be items you sell. To judge one, list every title you can read in the photos, match each to an item you sell, add up the Amazon proceeds for those, and compare the total with the asking price plus shipping. Count the titles you cannot sell at zero.

• If you cannot read a spine, you cannot match it.
• Mixed platforms and regions are common in lots.
• A console bundle includes cables, controllers and storage, and each missing piece changes which Amazon item it is.

Fees to count

1. Referral fee. A percentage of the sale price, set by category. Check the current rate for your category in Seller Central.
2. Fulfillment fee. If you use FBA, a fixed fee based on size and weight. Fixed fees weigh more on low-priced games.
3. Shipping to you, from the eBay listing.
4. Shipping to Amazon, if you send stock to a warehouse.
5. Sales tax, depending on where you live.

What "in testing" means at MarginPing

We are testing sealed new video games, matched by UPC, alongside our supported category of power tools and tool kits. Testing means we measure how often a match is right before we say the category works. Until that is done, video games are not a supported category, and we make no promise about how well they match.

If you sell games and want to hear when that changes, email [email protected] and mention games.

Buying on eBay to sell on Amazon can add risk. Items bought on eBay come with eBay order records, not retail invoices, and some sellers report that Amazon asked for invoices during an account review. We cannot promise how Amazon will treat your account. Keep every receipt and start small. This is not legal advice.

Questions