Whether you are looking for a new phone, a piece of vintage fashion, or something you never knew you needed until you saw it listed, online marketplaces are a great place to buy just about anything. While most purchases are smooth and problem-free, the real test of these online shopping sites comes when a purchase arrives damaged, is not as described, or doesn’t arrive at all, meaning you need a replacement or refund. This article explores customer experience with popular online marketplaces to help you have a smoother shopping experience. Key Insights High complaint rates don’t always mean worse service. Amazon and Temu have tens of thousands of reviews, but rank first and second for resolving issues. Resolving an issue doesn’t guarantee customer loyalty. Whatnot resolved 50% of reported problems, yet only 3.6% of those surveyed would recommend it. Recommendation rates are low across the board. Amazon leads at 46.2%, while the other marketplaces score below 25%. How Popular Online Marketplaces Are Ranked PissedConsumer analyzed its after-call survey data for eight leading online marketplaces, collected over a two-year period. To rank these marketplaces from worst to best, we determined whether problems were resolved, whether consumers were satisfied with the outcome, and whether they would recommend the company to friends or family. Marketplace Issue Resolution Communication Satisfaction Recommendation Overall Score Facebook Marketplace 16.7% 14.3% 8.2% 391 AliExpress 34.9% 24.8% 5.8% 655 Poshmark 35.7% 33.3% 7.5% 765 Whatnot 50.0% 33.3% 3.6% 869 Etsy 41.7% 40.4% 9.4% 914 eBay 49.2% 45.9% 14.2% 1,093 Temu 55.1% 48.2% 24.7% 1,280 Amazon 65.6% 56.4% 46.2% 1,682 Which Online Marketplaces Ranked Worst to Best? 8. Facebook Marketplace Facebook Marketplace is in the unenviable position of appearing the lowest-ranked marketplace in this PissedConsumer report. The appeal of Facebook Marketplace is easy to understand. The service enables consumers to view locally available products, communicate directly with sellers, and complete purchases without using a traditional e-commerce store. But this doesn’t mean every transaction is problem-free. Consumer complaints on PissedConsumer frequently report scams, account restrictions, payment problems, and difficulty reaching human support. This results in many dissatisfied shoppers. Some consumers also report Facebook Marketplace scams, as evidenced in review #6458240: I bought an iPhone 16 Pro Max for $431 and never received it because he provided the wrong tracking number. I believe it was a scam and he never actually sent anything, he just took my money. According to our survey data, only 16.7% of issues with Facebook Marketplace were resolved. This explains a weak satisfaction rate of 14.3%, with just 8.2% of respondents saying they would recommend the marketplace. 7. AliExpress AliExpress offers an enormous selection of products at incredible prices. But do low prices compensate for when things go wrong? Our survey data suggests they don’t. Complaints about purchases on AliExpress typically concern slow shipping, missing parcels, account access, refunds, and incorrectly listed items, as highlighted in this review: I ordered a wig from ali express… i took it to my stylist and she told me that was wig was synthetic, When i read the description on the wig I ordered It said the wig was 100% human hair, that was a lie. PissedConsumer data highlights that only 34.9% of issues with AliExpress were resolved. This resulted in a consumer satisfaction score of 24.8%. With just 5.8% of those surveyed saying they would recommend AliExpress, the online marketplace’s customer service issues are significantly damaging its reputation. 6. Poshmark Poshmark has built its business around social commerce and the second-hand market, with a big focus on fashion, connecting buyers directly with sellers. Typical problems highlighted in PissedConsumer reviews include disputes between buyers and sellers over authenticity (e.g., fake goods), payment issues, sizing, and support issues. One customer got the full package of shopping headaches in a single experience and warned others to “never shop here” in review #7553299. The seller sent my order to the wrong address and now I am going through a nightmare try to get my $ refunded. And on top of it all another order was not *** described and they are getting the two confused. While Poshmark has a 35.7% resolution rate (only slightly higher than AliExpress), its satisfaction rate is much higher at 33.3%. Despite this, only 7.5% of those surveyed would recommend Poshmark to friends or family. 5. Whatnot Whatnot combines live video, auctions, and marketplace transactions. While the format can make the buying process highly entertaining, it also places considerable trust in individual sellers. And when this trust is misplaced, PissedConsumer reviews highlight concerns around refunds, seller trust, counterfeit or misrepresented products, shipping costs, and difficulties reaching support. One review on PissedConsumer suggests the refund process is overly complicated: The refund process is not made easy; it seems to be designed to dissuade folks from going through with it. The good news is that half of the reported issues were resolved, while satisfaction stands at 33.3%. However, Whatnot has the lowest recommendation rate in our comparison at just 3.6%, suggesting it still faces significant problems. 4. Etsy Etsy is the online marketplace for handmade or personalized products that aren’t available from major retailers. This uniqueness can complicate transactions because the consumer’s experience is heavily dependent on the individual seller. As is common among the other online marketplaces in this report, complaints about Etsy often involve delayed or missing custom orders, products that do not match their descriptions, refund disputes, poor seller communication, and account restrictions. These issues affect both shoppers and sellers, and some report monetary losses due to account suspensions, as noted in review #7543371. I don't know what I did to get suspended, and Etsy is not responding. I had items that I searched for and need to purchase. But now I'm going to lose money! According to our survey data, Etsy resolves 41.7% of issues and records a 40.4% satisfaction rate. However, this doesn’t translate into a high recommendation score, with only 9.4% of respondents saying they would recommend it. 3. eBay eBay is one of the major online marketplaces, connecting independent buyers and sellers since the internet's earliest days. Its survey results put it comfortably in the top half of our ranking. But that doesn’t mean it gets everything right. While many consumers praise eBay’s successful returns and refunds process, others report disputes involving damaged or incorrect products, refunds, counterfeit goods, account suspensions, and products that do not match their descriptions. Some reviewers also mention having a hard time reaching the customer service, as evidenced by the review #7517473: When you click on the ebay page for customer support even though it has a phone receiver picture, you dont get a number to call anymore. You get a whole bunch of options to answer your question. You go around in circles wasting time and getting frustrated. Had it not been for this pissed consumer page, I would have a hard time finding a number to call ebay and get a real answer... eBay resolved almost half (49.2%) of reported issues, with 45.9% of consumers satisfied with the outcome. However, perhaps demonstrating that consumers don’t trust platforms when things go wrong, the recommendation rate remains low at 14.2%. 2. Temu With more than 27k reviews on PissedConsumer, complaints about Temu cover everything from delayed or incomplete deliveries and product quality to defective products, confusing promotions, and poor customer support. In one Temu review, the consumer complains about the time it takes to resolve issues: For the past three months, I have been calling Temu consistently to try to resolve this issue. Instead of taking accountability, they continue to deny my return request, delay the process, and make me wait endlessly. However, a high complaint level doesn’t tell the full story. Temu’s survey results are significantly stronger than most of the other marketplaces in this survey, making it the second-best marketplace app in this report. According to our data, Temu resolves 55.1% of issues, with 48.2% of consumers reporting satisfaction. Meanwhile, 24.7%, the second-highest recommendation rate, said they would recommend the service. 1. Amazon As one of the world’s biggest and most famous online retailers, it shouldn’t be surprising that Amazon ranks as the best online marketplace in this survey. But this doesn’t mean it gets everything right. Like Temu, Amazon’s scale means it attracts a substantial volume of complaints. Common problems include third-party sellers, missing packages, refund disputes, account issues, and delivery problems. One reviewer shared that they ordered power tools but received cheap substitutes instead, then faced repeated delivery disputes and low refund offers before finally getting their money back through their card issuer. After months and months of trying to fight with this company I am left to resort to fighting for my money back. Since they refused to do it in the first place instead want to try to make this right. On the positive side, consumers also frequently highlight convenience, product choice, fast delivery, refunds, replacements, and returns. According to PissedConsumer survey data, Amazon has resolved 65.6% of reported issues and has a satisfaction rate of 56.4%. This means 46.2% of those surveyed would recommend the company. How to Avoid Problems With Online Marketplace Orders Online marketplaces connect buyers with third-party sellers. That means even the best platform cannot guarantee that every transaction will go smoothly. However, you can make your experience smoother by following these simple rules. Check the seller’s feedback before ordering. Always read the individual seller’s recent feedback. This will help you identify any potential problems before ordering. Look for patterns in online marketplace reviews. One angry customer doesn't tell you much. Dozens of buyers reporting the same issues will tell you considerably more. Check the seller’s contact details. The FTC recommends that buyers verify that the seller’s contact details are correct and, if unsure, ask questions before purchasing. Save your order records. Keep order confirmations and tracking information. It’s also a good idea to take screenshots of any product descriptions and messages. This will help you if a product or seller disappears from the site. Report any issues quickly. Marketplace return, refund, and buyer-protection windows may be time-limited. Make sure you raise any concerns as early as possible. Use the marketplace's official dispute process. Where possible, keep any communication with the seller within the platform so there is a record of what happened. The Best Marketplace Isn't Necessarily the One With the Fewest Complaints Choosing between the best online marketplaces and the worst isn’t just a question of which site has the lowest prices or biggest product range. Before placing your next order, compare products across platforms and check seller reviews carefully. You should also take your time to understand the refund process and keep records of your transactions. For extra security, take a look at marketplace reviews and check for recurring patterns in delivery, refunds, product quality, and customer service. These experiences will tell you much more than the promises made on the checkout page. Our Methodology PissedConsumer.com conducted an online survey from September 2024 to September 2026, focusing on their interactions with customer service teams to understand how consumers ranked popular online marketplaces. The report highlights responses to three key questions: issue resolution, customer satisfaction, and likelihood of recommendation (NPS score). A total of 23,180 respondents participated, although the number of answers varied by question. To calculate the rating of the company with the best customer service, we multiply each of the above 3 factors by the given coefficient of 10. The formula: Issue Resolution Score = % of Issue Resolution *10 Communication Satisfaction Score = % of Communication Satisfaction *10 Recommendation Score = % of Recommendation *10 Best Customer Service Rating = Issue Resolution Score + Communication Satisfaction Score + Recommendation Score