Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)

Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C) e-commerce provides a way for consumers to sell to each other, with the help of an online market or online listing websites such as the auction website eBay or product listing website like OLX or Quickr. eBay in 2005 generated more than $44 billion in gross merchandise volume around the world, which indicates the growing relevance and growth of the global C2C market. In C2C e-commerce, the consumer prepares the product for market, places the product for auction or sale, and relies on the online market or online listing websites to provide catalog, search engine, and transaction-clearing capabilities so that products can be easily displayed, discovered, and paid for.

Here interaction is between consumer to consumer. For example, in sites like e-Buy Bid or Buy.com, Baazi.com which are auction site s, one can virtually sell and buy any goods (either used or new ones). Similarly online listing sites provide product listing for used or not needed goods.

This form of e-commerce is nothing but the cyber version of the good old auction houses. If anyone wants to sell anything, all one has to do is post a message on the site, giving details of the product and the expected price and wait for an interested customer to turn up and buy it. The buyer gets in touch with the seller through the Internet and the deal is closed once the amount is finalized. Online message boards and barters are also examples of C2C e-commerce.