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Ebay Motors used to be a place where you can find a great deal, but now its a joke. These auction cars cost even more than the cars you find on autotrader many times now. There are also more conmen on it now than ever before.
If you are going to buy a car on ebaymotors, only get one that is still under manufacturer warranty, so any weird issues will be fixed. But you can get burned on ebay as well. I bought 2 great cars on there, but my horror story was about 10 yrs ago when the ad said, shiny paint like new, tires in great condition and runs excellent and it looked great in the pictures too. When I went down to Miami to get this $3500 car, the paint was peeling off, the tires were bald, the water pump was squeeling away and the interior headliner was hanging down. All the guy said was sorry, I must have mixed cars up and offered to get us some used tires. A giant fight almost eruppted out there, but considering we were 800 miles from home, we just took the tires and drove back to ATL and prayed the car didnt break down. Apparently this guy has done this many times before and people filed a class action lawsuit on him later.
So if its out of warranty and not within driving distance, dont waste your time on a car you cant drive first. Pictures can be photoshopped to look better than what they really are.
What do you all think of buying late model one-owner low mileage used cars on eBay that have service records and lots of photos without seeing the car in person and test driving it? If a car is located across the country, it's difficult to test drive the car first, but shouldn't a buyer be entitled to a refund if the car is misrepresented or a technician discovers hidden issues within 30 days after purchasing it?
One of my co-workers has had his classic Camaro show up on Ebay a number of times.
People he knew would see it and call him and ask if it was for sale.
No, it is not.
Then again, Cadillac dealer here puts all of their cars on Ebay, BIN or make offer. They're for real.
What do you all think of buying late model one-owner low mileage used cars on eBay that have service records and lots of photos without seeing the car in person and test driving it? If a car is located across the country, it's difficult to test drive the car first, but shouldn't a buyer be entitled to a refund if the car is misrepresented or a technician discovers hidden issues within 30 days after purchasing it?
First, this is an old thread. So some of the information is not current. You can't bid on your own car today with ebay. Could you have a friend bid on the car? Yes. Ebay does keep track of bidders. So that could only happen once. For a dealer to do this could mean the loss of his/her ebay account. One reason to check feedback. If the seller is a dealer and has one or no feedback - then you might want to question more about car for sale. Yes, there are new dealers trying ebay every day - and they are actually new to ebay. The good dealers offer money back if not satisfied. Most do not. So buyer beware. I have found that way too many dealers on ebay embellish the condition of used car.
Me, I don't buy any used car from New York state, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania. I have driven to view too many cars before auction ends - only to find out a piece of junk. "Our cars go through a 17 point inspection before being listed" was a good one in Pennsylvania. After a long drive I find a used car heavily leaking transmission fluid. Then there was the nice one owner car in excellent condition in New Jersey that had a hole in muffler and AC did not work. And there are others.
Buying a used car on ebay is not for everyone. If far away then you have to travel to pick it up or pay to have it transported. I have purchased used cars/truck off of ebay. You do have to ask a lot of questions. Then analyze the response. Get a carfax. When looking I sign up for Experian one month - so that I can check car myself. Then I get telephone number of seller. And ask more questions. Yes, carfax is not perfect. Each state gathers information about vehicles. Not all states gather the same information. Some are detailed in the information while other states are not. Florida has no inspections. This is where carfax/Experian gather their information. And some service information.
For the most part you should actually view the car before bidding. Which may be virtually impossible for many as they do not have the time nor money for long distances. Again, I have traveled long distances only to view junk. This year, I flew to Florida to look at a one owner, low miles odometer, garage kept, excellent condition station wagon. Upon viewing the car - it was a piece of junk that had been sitting in the sun for 15 years.
But, some are just excellent. I recently purchased an older Chevrolet Silverado 4X4 with 37,000 miles on odometer. An estate sale. I paid up front. Flew to Tennessee to pick up the truck. And the truck was in like new condition. Drives like a new truck. Purchased from a private party and seller picked me up at airport. But this is a huge gamble for the average buyer.
My last car that I purchased on ebay was an older low miles one owner station wagon. Other then what was stated in description - the car rides and looks like new. But this one, I drove the long distance to look and drive before bidding.
Ebay used to offer a third party service - bidder could pay an independent shop to provide a report on condition of car. The bidder paid for this service. I have since noticed that this service is gone from ebay. I wonder why? Was it because too many reports came back with too many negative issues on car? The service on ebay is gone now. Interesting.
Buying any used car whether cars.com, ebay, or driving to the local used car dealer - one has to know what to look for. And if not knowledgeable then take to a shop, put on lift, and checked out.
My personal preferences are one owner, low miles, and no accidents. And if a private party, obtain/view the service records.
Sadly, today, I have little faith on most cars sold on ebay. I have been successful with purchases, but I have the time to go and view. Most people do not. And buying a car sight unseen is a gamble. But with ebay - there is the feedback. If a dealer has over 50 feedback and all are 100% then chances are this may be a good dealer.
Buying a new car or a used car today can be a chore for some. If you know little about cars then take a friend that does.
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