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I saw a thread post somewhere else where someone said they posted an ebay Motors ad and it cost $200! That's outrageous! If you've used ebay motors recently how much did it cost for an ad? And then how was a payment handled? Like did you take a $500 to $1000 down payment paid through ebay, and then ebay took a 10% final value fee cut of that or a cut from your whole auction bid price [of 10%?]?
I'd only sell through ebay motors if I had a rare vehicle commanding top dollar, or if I had to sell an RV.
But I'd buy through ebay motors no problem, except when sellers lie about the condition of their vehicle... Anyone ever get burned on this?
I saw a thread post somewhere else where someone said they posted an ebay Motors ad and it cost $200! That's outrageous! If you've used ebay motors recently how much did it cost for an ad? And then how was a payment handled? Like did you take a $500 to $1000 down payment paid through ebay, and then ebay took a 10% final value fee cut of that or a cut from your whole auction bid price [of 10%?]?
I'd only sell through ebay motors if I had a rare vehicle commanding top dollar, or if I had to sell an RV.
But I'd buy through ebay motors no problem, except when sellers lie about the condition of their vehicle... Anyone ever get burned on this?
I saw the post you're talking about and the information posted was incorrect. For low-volume sellers, eBay charges $60 if the vehicle sells for less than $2000, and $125 if the vehicle sells for over $2000. Maybe the poster took payment through Paypal and was including those fees.
Even so, I wouldn't pay that much to list a vehicle unless, as you say, it was something fairly rare that would require having it listed nationwide in order to get top dollar. Craigslist and/or the local classifieds, plus a for sale sign in the window, should be enough to sell a 2002 Camry or something like that.
I don't have any experience selling a vehicle on eBay motors so I can't answer that part of your question.
I was not able to go personally check out the car, so I had the seller obtain a compression test from a mechanic and send me the results. He insisted on using his mechanic since there were not other mechanics in his area familiar with the type of car. I did not like that, but I was busy and really wanted the car. The compression test print out showed 165 in all four cylinders. There was also a checklist type report on a mechanic's stationary indicating everything was tested and working fine.
I found some year old posts form the seller asking how to repair a leaking gas tank. I asked the seller about that and he said it turned out it was just excessive condensation there was no leak. Since he was in Florida, and these cars have a condensation problem with the gas tank (which is mounted in the trunk), I accepted that. besides, a replacement gas tank is about $250.
It took a while to get the car shipped. When I got it, I discovered the gas tank would not hold a tankful of gas overnight. It leaked like a sieve. When I started the car, it ran badly and backfired a lot. In the trunk was a box full of receipts from the restoration. The box also contained two head gaskets and some other parts, a manual, and some club newsletters (odd those things are pretty expensive, doubly odd because the car uses only one head gasket). I contacted the seller and he claimed the gas tank was not leaking before shipment and the car was running fine. He said he threw in the box of stuff because he had it and had no use for it. He thought maybe the carburetors got knocked out of adjustment during shipping. I did not believe him at all b this time, but the time for E-bay/pay-pal remedies had run out. It took me quite a while to locate a mechanic in our area sufficiently familiar with the type of car car to check it out for me.
The compression test came back 155, 155, 149, 28. The diagnosis was a burnt valve. There was also an electrical problem where all of the instrumentation would occasionally flat line and the lights, horn etc woudl not function (car kept running). then suddenly it woudl all start working again.
I tried to contact the mechanic and there was no answer. I looked up the company on the stationary - there is no such company. I contacted the seller and he said to **** off. I told him I woudl sue him if he did not make good and he hung up on me.
Ultimately the cost of reconditioning the head (about $2500) and replacing the gas tank was not enough to make it worthwhile to go to Florida to sue the guy. Problem was, I did not have time to deal with the problem myself. The mechanic I used for hte compression test said the job was more than he wanted to tackle. Other local mechanics were not terribly interested in attempting the job on a car they knew nothing about. I found one local back yard mechanic who knew the car and could do the work, but he said it woudl take him between three months and two years to get it done and the car woudl be stored outside. I did not like that. Thee was a guy in Georgia who woudl do the work and I considered shipping the car to him and then flying down and driving it back. I never got around to arranging that and eventually lost is contact information. I was too busy to do the work myself and really too busy to continue searching for someone to do the work for me. The car just sat, and sat and sat and sat. Five years went by. My son grew up and became interested in working on cars. I found a replacement gas tank and also found a head that had been rebuild, but never installed. the car was eventually scrapped and the head was left int he trunk. He and I replaced the gas tank, and with my instruction he began removing the head. Then he hit a glitch (one bolt needs a tool we do not have), and I was too busy again. Hopefully in the next few weeks we will finish removing the head and get the replacement installed.
Ultimately the mess will probably cost me about $500 - $600, but the car was not that drivable running like chitty chitty bang bang for five years. I drove it a bit locally, but then parked it. I woudl still buy a car on E-bay motors again, but ONLY if I had time and enough interest to fly to the seller and personally drive the car to a mechanic for inspection. The I would buy the car, and personally fly out with payment after a test drive to make certain it is no different than when I had it tested. Of course for that to be worthwhile. it woudl have to be a great bargain or not very far away. I have seen a few examples of the car I am currently looking for (G-8 GXP) on E-bay motors, but they were not exciting enough to be worth investing the cost in checking them out. My experience certainly soured me on E-bay motors or any long distance buying. However there are only two local GXPs that have come up for sale and one was white (no white cars!) and one was automatic (who buys an automatic GXP??). So, it is likely i will end up having to do the long distance thing again, but i will do it differently. Unfortunately that means I may well spend $500 flying out to check out a car that I do not end up buying.
I was not able to go personally check out the car, so I had the seller obtain a compression test from a mechanic and send me the results. He insisted on using his mechanic since there were not other mechanics in his area familiar with the type of car. I did not like that, but I was busy and really wanted the car. The compression test print out showed 165 in all four cylinders. There was also a checklist type report on a mechanic's stationary indicating everything was tested and working fine.
I found some year old posts form the seller asking how to repair a leaking gas tank. I asked the seller about that and he said it turned out it was just excessive condensation there was no leak. Since he was in Florida, and these cars have a condensation problem with the gas tank (which is mounted in the trunk), I accepted that. besides, a replacement gas tank is about $250.
It took a while to get the car shipped. When I got it, I discovered the gas tank would not hold a tankful of gas overnight. It leaked like a sieve. When I started the car, it ran badly and backfired a lot. In the trunk was a box full of receipts from the restoration. The box also contained two head gaskets and some other parts, a manual, and some club newsletters (odd those things are pretty expensive, doubly odd because the car uses only one head gasket). I contacted the seller and he claimed the gas tank was not leaking before shipment and the car was running fine. He said he threw in the box of stuff because he had it and had no use for it. He thought maybe the carburetors got knocked out of adjustment during shipping. I did not believe him at all b this time, but the time for E-bay/pay-pal remedies had run out. It took me quite a while to locate a mechanic in our area sufficiently familiar with the type of car car to check it out for me.
The compression test came back 155, 155, 149, 28. The diagnosis was a burnt valve. There was also an electrical problem where all of the instrumentation would occasionally flat line and the lights, horn etc woudl not function (car kept running). then suddenly it woudl all start working again.
I tried to contact the mechanic and there was no answer. I looked up the company on the stationary - there is no such company. I contacted the seller and he said to **** off. I told him I woudl sue him if he did not make good and he hung up on me.
Ultimately the cost of reconditioning the head (about $2500) and replacing the gas tank was not enough to make it worthwhile to go to Florida to sue the guy. Problem was, I did not have time to deal with the problem myself. The mechanic I used for hte compression test said the job was more than he wanted to tackle. Other local mechanics were not terribly interested in attempting the job on a car they knew nothing about. I found one local back yard mechanic who knew the car and could do the work, but he said it woudl take him between three months and two years to get it done and the car woudl be stored outside. I did not like that. Thee was a guy in Georgia who woudl do the work and I considered shipping the car to him and then flying down and driving it back. I never got around to arranging that and eventually lost is contact information. I was too busy to do the work myself and really too busy to continue searching for someone to do the work for me. The car just sat, and sat and sat and sat. Five years went by. My son grew up and became interested in working on cars. I found a replacement gas tank and also found a head that had been rebuild, but never installed. the car was eventually scrapped and the head was left int he trunk. He and I replaced the gas tank, and with my instruction he began removing the head. Then he hit a glitch (one bolt needs a tool we do not have), and I was too busy again. Hopefully in the next few weeks we will finish removing the head and get the replacement installed.
Ultimately the mess will probably cost me about $500 - $600, but the car was not that drivable running like chitty chitty bang bang for five years. I drove it a bit locally, but then parked it. I woudl still buy a car on E-bay motors again, but ONLY if I had time and enough interest to fly to the seller and personally drive the car to a mechanic for inspection. The I would buy the car, and personally fly out with payment after a test drive to make certain it is no different than when I had it tested. Of course for that to be worthwhile. it woudl have to be a great bargain or not very far away. I have seen a few examples of the car I am currently looking for (G-8 GXP) on E-bay motors, but they were not exciting enough to be worth investing the cost in checking them out. My experience certainly soured me on E-bay motors or any long distance buying. However there are only two local GXPs that have come up for sale and one was white (no white cars!) and one was automatic (who buys an automatic GXP??). So, it is likely i will end up having to do the long distance thing again, but i will do it differently. Unfortunately that means I may well spend $500 flying out to check out a car that I do not end up buying.
Wow!!! What a story. Don't worry if you believe in Karma. He'll have his day.
I've bought and sold cars on ebay over the last 10 years and lucky for me have never gotten screwed.
my son in law and their tuner group in Wi have bought on ebay before, and traveled out of state to get the right car/motors they wanted (prefering not to buy in Wi so salt damage is less). They seem to handle it fine, though when one of them posted a nice car to sell, seemed most replies were those familiar ones. You know, the guy who's serving overseas, wants to buy the car and ship it to someone else, etc and all their contact is in bad english.
I wouldnt have the patience for that crap myself, but thats just me i guess
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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The biggest problem is for the seller, with multiple scammers every day, so you have to be careful. I have tried selling and got tired of reporting scams. I finally sold it with a sign in the window parked in front of the house. I have bought on Craigslist, but the good deals require checking often. I called on several that were listed that morning and were gone by that afternoon. The one I finally got I called at 8am after it was listed at 7:45.
The biggest problem is for the seller, with multiple scammers every day, so you have to be careful. I have tried selling and got tired of reporting scams. I finally sold it with a sign in the window parked in front of the house. I have bought on Craigslist, but the good deals require checking often. I called on several that were listed that morning and were gone by that afternoon. The one I finally got I called at 8am after it was listed at 7:45.
Scammers and idiots. I just sold some audio cables and the guy filed a claim because one of the cables had a scratch on it. A scratch. It didn't, and I had pics to proive it, but ebay instantly decided in his favor. He never sent the cables back, so I kept the money, but the whole thing was ridiculous. Ebay didn't even listen to anything I said, or they would have asked for the proof I offered.
The first item I sold on ebay in '99 was a 1991 Dodge Spirit R/T. A guy sent a check for the deposit, then drove from Aloabama to NC to pick it up. He walked around it, looked under the hood, paid the balance, then asked me to help him push it up onto the tow dolly. I suggested he drive it onto the dolly, to which he responded "It runs?". : smack: After he'd owned it two months, he called me asking for some money to pay for the lcutch replacement. I told him it was as-is, and that I'd specified that it had the original clutch which was 122k miles old, in a performance vehicle. Moron.
I sold my Mark VIII through ebay, although it was handled locally. And I found my F150 on ebay, and it was also handled locally. That being said, ebay isn't nearly what is used to be, for a variety of reasons.
I am with him, I will buy, but no longer sell. Its way to easy to get ripped off. Like a prior poster mentioned, all you have to do is file "item not as described" send back and empty box with a tracking number, and you get your money back and the product to keep. Sellers have no protection, and 95% of the time, ebay sides with the buyer right away.
Add on to the fact that Ebay OWNS paypal, and they REQUIRE that you accept it, the fees are just crazy. Listing fee, final value fee, paypal fee. They get you every way they can.
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