Buying and Selling Vehicles Online (eBay, etc.)

jlawrence01 · December 2003

I think that you are right.

Let's say I am willing to pay $350 for something on EBay. I will NOT put in the $350 until the end. I don't want to let some kid playing on Ebay run me up to the max. Besides he might only be willing to bid $100 for the item. Let'em think that I might stop at $200.

It is all a poker game.

qbrozen · December 2003

that's why I said that, unfortunately, sniping has become necessary.

But, in the case of maximum, it is what it is. If you had a maximum of $350 but, ultimately, pay $355, then $350 obviously wasn't your maximum. Same goes with that car dealer's lowest number. If your number changes, then it obviously wasn't your lowest or highest in these cases. When I put in my maximum for an item on Ebay, its my maximum. If someone bids just $1 more, its theirs because its above my max. That's what maximum means.

steine13 · December 2003

..the maximum is the number where, if you don't get it, you're happy you didn't bid more but rather kept your money... and if you do get it right at that figure, you think you may have overpaid just a little.

Of course, the figure is necessarily not really that firm; too many variables involved.
-Mathias

landru2 · December 2003

Out of 100 people that have placed a so-called maximum bid of $350, how many would refuse to pay $355 to buy it?

Assuming they want the item in the first place.

And assuming they know the definition of the word maximum. ;^)

rroyce10 · December 2003

... >>Its a real strange lesson in Ebay psychology, I guess. Just take a look at the bidding history on some hot auctions that have ended. You'll see repeated bids from the same bidder in the span of a half hour or less<<..

        Welcome to the world of auctions .l.o.l.

         Ebay isn't too much different than going to an auto auction, except it's in "slooooow mooootion" .. watching 2,500+ vehicles in 10/15 different lanes and watching them blow through in 3hrs is a little faster, but the "theme" is the same ..

         When you are bidding on vehicles you should always have an number in your head, but don't lose it for $200/$500 ~ if it's a nice vehicle ... sometimes there is dealers at the auctions that will pay ALL the money and spend "out of the book", and unless it's a pre-sold or it's a specialty item, then it's not worth the $$ to me ... but as always, the nice clean low milers will always get Lot's more money ... and sometimes I will see some dealers not even pay the "going rate" for particular vehicles, they figure they can get the twin another day, another time .. -But- .. if it's your 5th trip to the auction to purchase the same vehicles and your going home with -0-, then there is probably a real good chance you don't know the market and your trying to steal something .l.o.l..

          And just like Ebay, sometimes dealers (and private sellers) might have a "ringer" in the lanes that they are running their vehicles through, and in the heat of battle the last bidder might pay $500/$1,500 too much, I see it everyday .l.o.l.. the big difference is, on Ebay you have 5/7/10 days to make a decision, at the auctions you have 5/7/10 Seconds to make a decision ..

         When your bidding on a vehicle on Ebay, bid in the last 2/3hrs or less .. this way you can study the "buying" habits of the last bidders, the history of the vehicle, get an idea of where the price is going, who's bidding against you, and even if there is a ringer in the pack, that doesn't always mean the price gets inflated, it's just means that the seller is real anxious ..

              I hope this helps ..

                       Terry.

kyfdx · January 2004

If you are looking at more expensive cars, with reserves, probably only 5% or less sell in any given auction. It seems that Ebay is more an advertising vehicle for the dealers than an actual auction. Also, on the more expensive cars ($20K and up), once someone meets the reserve, they are rarely outbid, as most reserves are set at dealer lot prices anyway.

I think most of the selling prices on these cars are negotiated over the phone or by e-mail, and then posted in the auction. I know mine was.. I just picked mine up in Chicago on 12/20.

regards,
kyfdx

tiggerpoz · February 2004

I emailed a question to the seller of a vehicle on Bay about whether he had clear title. He responded that the title was clear & in the hands of an escrow service. He offered to sell to me quick & cheap using this escrow service, which I was told would hold my $ until I received the car & told the escrow company that the car was as described & to send the $ to the seller. He emailed me a link to the escrow service site. It looked legitimate & almost fooled me, but checking by 'googleing' the escrow service's name, I got no hits, which seemed odd. Looking into it further, I found out that these phoney escrow companies are being used by crooks to defraud people. If you send them money it is immediately transferred out of the country & you've been robbed. There is no car. As soon as one phoney escrow site gets 'hot' they dump it & set up another.

tennis_playa · April 2004

I bought a car on eBay. I must have bid on 10 cars before I bought this one. Many times, I was the high bidder but the reserve was not met. It was my experience that most car sellers on eBay are not motivated to sell the vehicle through ebay. I also had cars "pulled" 15 minutes before it ended when the car was very close to TMV. I recall it happening on one where the reserve was JUST met (probably by $100 or so).

I wound up being a high bidder and felt I was close to the reserve. I called the seller and made an offer a few hundred dollars over what my "winning" bid was. They accepted it. They made a new auction with a BUY IT NOW price of what I offered. I think I got a great deal.

I will agree that for many dealers, it's like advertising, or cheap advertising. I think eBay should discourage dealers from listing cars online - or make them pay more to list it. It was frustrating to know that I was dead serious about buying a car and the people advertising vehicles on ebay were not.

Another thing, I don't believe that you are obligated to buy that car if you get there and don't want it. By law, they couldn't keep your money. I don't know for sure however. I would think that if the car was crap, the worst case scenario is bad feedback and maybe suing them to get a deposit back. They may tell you that you can't get your money back, but I would think that if push came to shove, then you could get it back. Buying online is not a bad thing, and if you get a great deal, but it turns out you don't like the vehicle, you should have recourse. This is America. Everything is possible.

307web · August 2004

Wow, no posts since April?
Looks like eBay is not a popular place to buy a car.

I saw some great prices on used Jaguars, most from dealers in Florida though.
Seems risky to buy a used car based only on photos though.

isellhondas · August 2004

Unless it's something old or extremely hard to find, I can't imagine WHY anyone would buy a car on E-bay!

So many conventional alternatives where you can SEE, FEEL and DRIVE it first!

dglozman · August 2004

our Chevy Lumina 1990 with 143,000 miles trough EBAY in not so good condition (but it was still running). First we thought to donate it, but then decided to try EBAY. Surprisingly we sold for $550 with no problems. The guy who bought it was local and needed basic transportation for his wife who just got her license. I like EBAY, since I didn't have to deal with strangers (if I would just put a sign on the window) calling to my house, go to the test drive etc..

mirth · August 2004

Test drivers and lookie-loos would be less likely to go through the rigamarole of an auction, so you would be more likely to get serious buyers. And even though winning doesn't necessarily mean you have to buy the car, the psychology of it would keep away most non-buyers I think. Plus, you free up the phone.

lmacmil · October 2004

..for late model used cars. I've been watching auctions for months for Infiniti G35, Acura TL, 2003 Honda Accord, etc. 90% of the auctions are by dealers and very few of them meet the reserve. I suspect they set reserve at KBB retail and that's why.

larsb · February 2005

Millions of smart people smoke cigarettes and cigars, but that doesn't make it a SMART thing to do....

Pretend you have never heard of Ebay motors. Someone you DO NOT EVEN KNOW walks up to you and says, "Hey, I heard you are shopping for a car?"

You: "Yes I am"

He: "Here are some pictures and specs of a car I'm selling, it will probably meet your need."

You, taking the pictures. "OK let me take a look." (pause why you read and look.) "OK, when can I see it?"

He: "Oh, you can't see it, execept on those pictures. And you can't drive it, or touch it, or smell it, or sit in it, or even have a mechanic check it out. You just have to decide whether to buy it based on those pictures and the descriptions."

You: "You can take a hike, pal."

That is what would happen if a person tried to sell a car to someone who had never heard of buying a "sight unseen" car. That's what E-Bay motors is !!

It's just ridiculous. I would never do it, and anyone who buys a car like that deserves the risk they are taking.

qbrozen · February 2005

you are usually welcome to go see it before bidding. Buying it "sight unseen" is a choice of the buyer, not a rule of buying on ebay.

kyfdx · February 2005

Exactly.. and, if you are buying less than year old cars, there is less risk, as you have warranty.. and, you can always back out, if you go see the car, and it isn't as advertised..

Now, the guys that buy muscle cars from the '60s, send a check and have the car shipped to their home... that is just nuts..

Mostly, Ebay is just an advertising medium for dealers..

larsb · February 2005

quote-"you are usually welcome to go see it before bidding. Buying it "sight unseen" is a choice of the buyer, not a rule of buying on ebay."-end quote

Yes, but many times that is not possible or practical. Like if it requires a 4 hour flight to get there, etc !!

mirth · February 2005

...that eBay also offers a service to have a mechanic check out a car if it's too far away for a buyer to check themselves. Not sure what it cost.

I personally wouldn't use eBay to buy a car, but it does offer more available cars for sale if yoou happen to be in a small market or are looking for an odd-duck car.

qbrozen · February 2005

i think i may have posted this here before, but, anyway, i just waited till i found one listed that was in my home state, went and checked it out, and got the guy to sell it to me then and there for below his ebay reserve price. as kyfdx said, its mostly a form of advertising.

asafonov · February 2005

Bought a car a couple years ago from an individual. He was about 60 miles away; originally, we planned to meet halfway, but when he could not produce oil change receipts, I requested and had him agree to bring the car to the city where I leave. After my mechanic inspected it and okayed it, I paid the seller.

I decided I would not buy a used car from a non-local eBay seller, no matter how high the feedback was.

dialm4speed · February 2005

If you use some common since it's not a problem.

Before you bid:

Ask lots of questions - How the seller responds and his eBay rating tells you what kind of person your dealing with.

Go see, touch, smell, kick tires, drive and have a mechanic inspect it.

Since I wanted something that's kinda rare eBay offered the best deal. I ended up getting my car for less than the seller wanted for it. That's called a win-win! Lots of things can be sold online and before the internet things were sold thru catalogs, so what's the difference? Not much! Just depends on how bad you want it.

cadillacmike · February 2005

That I wouldn't buy a car through its system. The phony escrow BS, the non-existent car BS, the you need to pay me before I send you the car BS, and the too high prices set up (usually by dealers trying to milk prices) just make a too buyer unfriendly place.

I do admit that you can see a sampling of what's out there, I looked before buying my Eldorado Convertible, but I would NEVER buy a car unless I could at least get out and examine it myself.

Ant if you're sellling there, watch out for the phony certified checks, or the offer to pay you with a "certified check" for more than the sale price and giving the buyer cash difference, run away if that happens better yet, ask them to wait inside a minute while you call police.

cadillacmike · February 2005

It's only been around for decades. You name it, and you can find it in Hemmings.

It's a monthly "magazine" people, looks like a small phone book, with the real thin paper, & everything, but I have never been at a loss to find something there for my 1968 Cadillac.

qbrozen · February 2005

do you bring that up in relation to parts or whole cars? You can search it online now, by the way (been that way for quite a while, actually). I'm sure its great for a '68 Caddy, but its definitely lacking in availability of parts for my Alfa.

cyde · March 2005

I agree. I just bought a car I found through ebay last week. I couldn't find the car I wanted in the color I wanted,with the accessories I wanted, for the price I wanted. But I did find this exact car through ebay in a different city. I drove down to that city and checked out the car, test drove it and fell in love. I put a downpayment on the car and the dealer ended the auction early. This was the quickest and smoothest transaction for a car I've ever experienced!! I would never bid on a car sight unseen, but I do believe ebay provides a very valuable service. For anyone interested in buying cars from ebay, I highly recommend www.expomotorcars.com. They were very professional and stuck to their word.

cadillacmike · March 2005

I use Hemmings for both parts and cars.

And yes, some imports are definately less well represented than the popular older domestics. Good lick with your Alfa.

stickguy · March 2005

Looks like Ebay is becoming just an advertising medium for new car dealers. In that case, buying a new car from a regular dealer is certainly reasonable. Much different than buying a used car based on a few pictures and good faith.

larsb · March 2005

That's right, IF you have the chance to physically check the car out and have a mechanic inspect it using the E-Bay model, then sure, it's not much different than using a classified Ad.

I'm talking about the fools who buy a car "sight unseen" using E-Bay.

That's just not too smart....

and trying to use E-Bay car prices as a "valid pricing model" is not so smart either. Cars sell all over the grid on E-Bay - some are good deals, others are highway robbery. Impossible to use pricing data when the prices are so "all over the board."

Better to use Edmunds TMV which is based on real data from real cars sold at real dealerships.

Kirstie_H · March 2005

To help with writing an online shopping article in a national magazine, a reporter would like to speak with anyone who bought a new or used car or truck off the internet. The reporter is especially interested in hearing from folks who got great deals. Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com by Thursday, March 24, 2005.

danf1 · March 2005

As far as I can tell, everybody who buys their car online says that they got a "great deal."

finz · March 2005

I want to post my car for sale on ebay but I still have the remander of the loan left. I need advise, barrow money to clear the title or just list it without a clear title?
Thanks
D

rroyce10 · March 2005

...... Thats called "human nature" ... how many want to admit they paid too much for their car, home or boat .......

Terry.

fredvh · March 2005

Hi finz. I feel that you would get more serious lookers and hopefully more bidders too if the title was in your name. Car buying on eBay is tricky enough with adding another item(lien) to the process. I look a lot on eBay and one thing I have noticed is that some do not describe the car with detail. They just list it. I would provide as much detail as possible including defects, maintenance, and pictures. I hope this helps.

kyfdx · March 2005

I agree with fredvh... If you know you are going to sell your car soon, whether on Ebay or not... It will be much easier to go ahead and clear the title, if you have the resources to do so...

omegagen · March 2005

Well here's my nightmare story:

Last October I found a '98 Mustang GT on ebay being sold by a large used car dealership in Texas. I called them directly and we agreed on a price, $6990, over the phone. They shipped it to me in NC for $500.

About a week after I had the car I found out that the intake cross-over was cracked and leaking coolant, common amongst '96-'98 Mustangs. My local Ford dealership made the repair for $890, plus did the rear brakes which it needed. I complained to the saleman in Texas and he ante-up $500 for my troubles.

Now here's the good part. I decided to sell the car in late February and posted it on autotrader.com. This morning I get an inquiry for a guy that works for an insurance company telling me that the car was listed as a "total loss" by State Farm in May 2004! I emailed him back saying that I wasn't aware of this, nor was it disclosed to me at the time of purchase. Also, the problems didn't show up on the Carfax report that the dealer provided on ebay for free. I asked him to fax me the report that appears to be for the insurance industry and law enforcement. Well sure enough he was right the report lists when the accidents occurred, there's more than one, the claim #, place the accident happend and even the attorney who handled one of the accidents. None of these accidents showed up on Carfax then or now. Even the title which was sent to me, but is now with the lienholder, Capital One, does not show the car as being salvaged. I guess someone "washed" the title clean! Crooks!!!

I am going to call the dealership first thing Monday morning to discuss with them what was uncovered. I am going to give them a chance to straighten the mess out and if not I plan on making them miserable within the bounderies of the law of course.

Anyone have any suggestions? I'm open to anything legal!!!

qbrozen · March 2005

well, i know nothing about the law, but i wouldn't be the least bit surprised if you have no ground to stand on. they may have been fooled just like you were.

rroyce10 · March 2005

....... What a mess ...

That's what happens when folks are tripping over them dollars to get them dimes ...

Buying a vehicle "long distance" is not the smartest thing I've ever heard of .. did you check the vin# at the local Ford dealer before you bought it, did you do a title search.? .. did you fly out and put your hands and eyes on the vehicle before you signed the papers .? .. did you have the vehicle looked at real close once it came off the transport.?

I'm not defending the dealer, he may not been aware of the situation ~ but the paper trail will show if he was ...

But what the heck were "you" thinkin.? .. depending on the miles and the options (at the time) you paid wholesale $$ in October, so you certainly didn't get ripped off price wise - Your bells should have been ringing off the hook then ...

I dunno where your going with this one .. your in NC and they're in Texas, you've had the vehicle for almost 6 months and Capital One is holding the paper and the state of NC has acknowledged and rolled the title ..

Your probably the 900th person I've heard this kind of story from an Ebay transaction .. whether your buying a Rolex watch, a Louis Vuitton purse or just plaid seat covers, you should know what the heck your buying ..

When the price seems too good to be true, it usually is.!

Terry.

mikefm58 · March 2005

With all the Mustangs on the road from that design (yrs 94-98), why did you buy one long distance on feebay? A super low price? There should be dozens within your driving range you could have looked at and had checked out. Sorry if I sound harsh, but you get what you pay for.

kyfdx · March 2005

I hate to say it.. but, Texas is where cars go to get clean titles...

When I was looking at cars on Ebay, I just ignored listings from Texas...

omegagen · March 2005

Uhhhhh, I feel like a dummy. The report the guy sent was the wrong VIN #. His report was on a V-6 not a V-8, car was in Texas though.

Worked up for nothing!

Kirstie_H · March 2005

Well, at least you had the Forums here to work out your anxiety til the truth came out. Glad it worked out for you!!

lhess · March 2005

here's the problem i find on e-bay, and to be fair, on a lot of the sites that advertise used cars for sale...i bought my 01 eclipse spyder from a 3 to 4 month internet search for the right color, options, and especially price. just did that again for an rx8. when you're looking to buy a particular car, you do your research. you know what options are available on it, what colors were made that year, what the gt model is all about...but these poor suckers trying to sell it usually have no idea. i nearly drove to ohio from wv to look at a spyder that was supposedly a v-6 (even called to verify). I pulled up the photos on autotrader and gave it a really good lookover and see the gs right on the back - it's a 4 cylinder!! they had no idea that you had to get the gt to get a v-6. another big thing is that some folks out there ordered the spyder sticker to slap on the back of their cars and they're not even convertibles. a photo clears that up real quick but most of the dealers with these cars don't know the difference. even though i have bought an rx8, i have a mazda dealer shopping for a yellow 05 for me. i hope he doesn't try too hard because they're not making a yellow rx8 this year. my point is this: just because a car dealer listed a car for sale, he or she is not necessarily as informed as you are. I would never buy a car without looking at it and I would run my own carfax report before I blindly accepted one from the selling dealer (even though the above situation worked out).

rroyce10 · March 2005

... **I hate to say it.. but, Texas is where cars go to get clean titles...**

Thats kind of an ol' Wives tale ... those days have been over since George W. stopped the 12 punch titles in 2000 ....

Terry.

kyfdx · March 2005

It may be as you say (and my old wife resents that, by the way), but almost every ad on Ebay that looks just a little goofy or shady seems to be from Texas... except for the ones from Florida, donchaknow... ;-)

mikefm58 · June 2005

I'm thinking of buying a truck on ebay, which is out of state. The truck is financed through a bank, who holds the title. Now assuming I get a cashiers check made out to me, the current owner, and the bank, we both show up together at the bank and sign over the check. When will the bank give me the title so I can then register it and drive it home?

Now I could contact my insurance company to make sure it's insured and bring with me the tag from my current vehicle that I plan on transferring anyway and then drive it home. But "offically" it would not be registered in my state and technically I'd be driving an unregistered vehicle.

This seems like a difficult transaction to complete so that all parties involved feel safe doing business.

kyfdx · June 2005

My $0.02...

When you give them that check, you take the car home with you right then, not when the title comes back unencumbered... Just like they say.. Possession is 9/10ths of the law.. Even though you don't have the paperwork, one person gets the money, the other person gets the car.. That way, you aren't left holding the bag.. Paperwork issues are a lot easier to get fixed when you have the car in your possession..

I'm not sure how you will handle registration, etc.. But, if you fill out a bill of sale, you can take that and a copy of the current owner's registration with you.. That should suffice for a couple of days, until you can get to your DMV.. When you get back to your home state, you may be able to take all of your paperwork to the DMV and get a temporary tag (it works that way here).. which will be good until you get the title back from the bank.

regards,
kyfdx

mikefm58 · June 2005

Thx for your input kyfdx. That's pretty much what I was thinking. Go to his bank with him and a cashiers check made out to each of as AND his bank. At that point in time, I get the truck, slap on license plates that I'll end up using when I get back to my state, and drive it back. I'll make sure it's fully insured obviously.

Granted I won't have an official Florida registration and if I get pulled over on the way here, I could have a problem, but that should be good enough to get home and wait for the title.

audia8q · June 2005

each state has their own rules.....but in my area without the title you got nothing.

rroyce10 · June 2005

.... **..... but in my area without the title you got nothing** ....

Bud .. you might have the car, the keys, the floormats, the owners manual and that little dog in the back window with the bobbing head ... but if you have no title, then you got Zippity Do Dah ......

**Possession is 9/10ths of the law..**

Yeah, maybe in Somalia .................

Terry.

steine13 · June 2005

Legally, youse guyse are right, but when you have the car, the other guy (you know, the previous owner, who got the title sent to his house) can't sell it.

He can sell the car without the title -- he just did, in fact! To you! -- but he can't sell the title without the car.

I will not hand over money without the title, unless I have a lot of trust in the person.
Back to the Control Room, training new Operators.

-Mathias

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