Thinking about buying a car on eBay? Be forewarned...

So you found a car listed on eBay and you're seriously considering placing a bid or hitting the "buy-it-now" button. Before you do that, you might want to ease off the mouse a moment and consider the following:

When you bid or buy, its legally binding meaning if you don't follow through with the transaction (unless the vehicle has been grossly misrepresented) you could sued. I know, everyone knows that, and they also know that if they can personally check out the vehicle first (or have a friend do it) they should. But, did you know that if you don't, and the car has significant issues that would have been discoverable by inspecting the vehicle prior to purchase, eBay's buyer's protection may not apply? As a seller, it's OK to lie, so long as you don't get caught until after the buyer has their vehicle.

You might also like to know that your planned payment through nice, safe PayPal doesn't afford you any protection either. They don't offer any sort of buyer protection if you're purchasing a vehicle. Gotta read the fine print on that one.

So what if that vehicle is out of state and it's just too far to check out in person and you don't know anyone who can help you out? First off, get the seller's name, phone number and address and look them up on the internet. You might be surprised what you find, like the seller has a bench warrant for missing their court date while on bail and being charged with felony robbery. You might also find an address that leads to an empty field, or phone numbers that don't match they seller's name or address.

Also, ask for photos. It only takes a minute for a seller to snap a picture with their cell phone and send it to your cell phone. I don't care i their listing has 100+ photos already. If they can't, or are unwilling to, generate at least one photo for you, walk away.

When you do have contact with the seller, document everything you are told. And, put everything in writing, ideally through eBay. Some of the scammers out there are dodging eBay communications because "they don't get eBay emails", or "it's easier to do over the phone", or "they're always on the road traveling." These are excuses that just don't hold water.

Finally, read the ad CAREFULLY. As I'm am dealing with right now, a car I just purchased is NOT covered by eBay's Buyer's Protection Program because they didn't list it in the eBay Motors section of the site. I didn't notice because they had listed it under Automotive literature collectibles for Ford. Who checks that?

After several days of fighting with eBay (who claims a car isn't a vehicle if it isn't listed in eBay motors) and PayPal (who claims a vehicle is a vehicle no matter what category it was listed in) eBay has conceded a one-time exception to my claim to have their third-party claims company review my case. This is after 3 weeks of dealing with every excuse under the sun of why the seller isn't available, and a week of silence from them.

Don't get sucked into their lies. Twice now I have had people use their children as excuses. In one case, first their child was sick, and then they ended up in the hospital with whatever their child had. This was after a line of other reasons they weren't available. In the other case, I was told they had an accident while on they way to deliver my car. Their son slipped into a coma and died. This is a delay tactic to keep you from filing a claim inside of the 45 day grace period. After that, good luck getting your money back. And for the record, the only death in that family was the transmission in their truck.

This latest issue I'm dealing with now is with a seller who has been on eBay for multiple years with nearly 50 feedback in that time. That is typically a stable account that you can trust, but it just goes to show, you never know.

Better luck to everyone else who is looking to purchase a vehicle off of eBay!

 

Yikes!

Sorry you're having such a miserable time. I bought my current Buick GN on eBay out of NJ in 2006 and luckily, all went well.

 

Thanks for the warning. As far as the positive feedbacks I wouldn't even trust that. The seller could have lots of uncle Joe's etc. or himself sending those in. It just ain't like it used to be buying and selling amything.
I recently sold an RV in need of a lot of interior work for a cheap price and we lost the title. It's somewhere. Just misplaced.
The guy seemed friendly and honest. His brother runs a shop in our little town and our son warned me they are sometimes slick. Well I let the guy take the RV home to clean it up for use with a promise he'd pay me in two weeks then we'd go together for a lost title. Two months has passed. He called once with an excuse he's been out of town on work. "Be there this afternoon." Sounded right because supposedly he wants the RV to live in while out of state on jobs. Another month has passed.
To me it's not worth the trouble so I am just waiting to see if I ever hear from the guy again. It does not have to be an internet deal. There are slick talkers and cheats everywhere. Amazingly this is my first time. I knew better!
Good luck.
PS I cancelled my Pay Pal awhile back.

 

I don't buy vehicles all that often, and have only purchased one thing from E-Bay - a steering wheel cover for $7.95. Frankly, with all the goings-on we have seen with our own eyes over in the 'Auctions, etc.' thread, I flat don't trust E-Bay. I know there are successful transactions that go on - I just have a lot of misgivings about attempting it myself. A lot of the problem comes with time issues. Once an auction is posted, unless the vehicle is close to you, there is simply not enough time to hire an appraiser to check it out for you. Heck, even on a Craig's List ad for a wagon in Santa Cruz, CA. (near SF) I couldn't find an appraiser to go see it without a huge mileage fee added on.

I'm thinking we need to put together a list of members who would be willing to go inspect vehicles for other members. Might be able to cover a lot of ground that way.

 

had two good experiences on ebay but guess I was lucky; I for sure will use now the services that are out there to check a car out or, as suggested, if members can go. Worth on the service the $200-$300 of you spend good money. On the good experiences, I asked for lots of pictures of all areas, and if any were missing, asked for more;a good seller will certainly do that;also have a copy of the title sent to you plus and docs they have on repairs; if seller is willing to send all of those, chances are pretty good to have an honest seller; another good thing these days- use FaceTime on your cell to hear the engine running in real time

 

Krash, I was able to recover my Wagon with help from a member in another club where they have a forum for exactly that -- "Members Helping Members." They have a database of people who are willing to lend a hand with anything from checking out a vehicle, to helping out a member with car trouble who may be passing through their area.

I was very fortunate to find help from someone with law enforcement connections. The police couldn't officially become involved unless I flew down to Texas to file a report, but he was able to ask them to sit out in front of the house while he picked up the vehicle for me.

It took me three months to track down its real location, but once I ha, it was nice to have boots on the ground that could help out.

 

Good news ... seller just sent me photos and contacted me about the vehicle. Both eBay Purchase Protection people and PayPal have contacted him, but he never mentioned that. He just sent the pictures and asked about transfer of the vehicle.

 

I guess I have been very lucky...
I have purchased 5 vehicles on eBay over the years.
My most recent eBay vehicle purchase was in November, 2011.

All of the vehicles were as described (or better than described) and there were no issues with sellers or transport arrangements.

I DID ask tons of questions, get lots of additional photos from the sellers and spoke personally with every seller prior to bidding on the vehicles.

The situation you describe, pvan, is the kind of thing that has scared me away from any further eBay purchases.

I hope it works out well for you and thank you for the cautionary reminder!

 

Over on Fullsizebronco, we've done the inspections for other members, made in-person purchases, etc., and you have to remember, that the USA is a very big place, so whether or not you make a list, I suggest a few things:
1) It should be strictly voluntary;
2) The member looking to make the purchase should consider covering the looking member's costs, at a reasonable rate. $5 for gas just doesn't cut it;
3) There should be a distance limitation, to be determined by the admin and a couple of the moderators, but I suggest 150 miles round trip.

If anyone else has any opinions let's hear them.

 

On the Fairlane Club of America site, you had a couple different options you could select from: check out a vehicle or roadside assistance. Everything was done on voluntary basis, and by PM request, or open request within the forums.

I've seen people do this with items that would be expensive to transport as well. The post in the forums and if someone happens to be traveling their way, they might carry a fender or hood to help ease the cost, and get it there safely.

As far as expenses, I think that should be left to the two parties as to what they agree upon, but I do agree that offering reasonable compensation for expenses would be good form.

 

Sorry you had such a rough time and thank you for posting your story. A lot to be learned here.
Reluctantly but fortunately I purchased a very nice 71 VW beetle.
I kept going back to it because it looked so clean.
Anyway my experience was positive. Lucky for me.
I am not so sure I would do it again.

 

Good guidelines for a start. I, for one, wouldn't mind travelling farther. Did a 250 mile RT once. Somebody who needs an inspection should at least offer to pay the fuel costs.

We should also discuss what constitutes an 'inspection'. We're not all trained inspectors / appraisers, but if we follow some guidelines the buyer should be able to make a reasonably informed decision on whether to buy or not.
Things to include:
- Digital images: (minimum) VIN; 4 corners; instrument panel (from both sides); close-up of odometer; seats; driver's door panel; headliner; engine compartment; any noticeable rust issues; other items of interest to buyer.
- Test drive: Check operation of engine transmission - any drivability issues?; Operation of all controls/switches, etc, including HVAC; Check suspension and steering for tightness and feel. Check tires (record tread depth) for even wear and age issues;
- Examine any documents provided by seller (take pics of docs if permitted)
- Note down general impressions of vehicle and inspectors opinion of seller

It should be noted that an inspector is not there to make a recommendation as to whether the buyer should make the purchase - only to act as the seller's eyes and ears.

I can come up with a worksheet that we can follow, to eliminate having to remember everything that needs to be done.
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It should be noted also that this is a SWF member-organized thing and does not involve any SWF owners or staff, so they're not responsible if things go downhill......

 

I like this point. I wouldn't want to see a member held accountable if things should not go well after a purchase.

We have had members here check out cars for other members and as far as I know it all went well. A member check out a car(for parts) for me once and I really appreciated it. I am in Nova Scotia, Canada and the parts car was in Texas. I probably would still be looking for parts for my Bueamont if this member hadn't checked it out for me.
A volunteer list is a great idea.

Sorry your having such a tough time with this purchase pvan. It sure takes the shine off that car. Good luck, hope it works out the way you want...in a timely manner.

 

I bought a 1979 trans am on eBay several years ago. It was better than described, drove great lots of power. If I'm looking at something like this on eBay, I make sure it's not too far from home. I buy alot of car parts off eBay.

 

I've done inspections for people on other forums before. Heck, I delivered a Suburban (towed) about 200 miles for a guy once. I'd love to have a roster of people willing to do this kind of stuff around the country.