Selling on eBay question

[Guest FILBERT]

I've only sold small items on ebay in the past, so was wondering if anyone here has ever sold a car on their site? Any advice either good or bad would be appreciated before I dive into it blindly.

Thanks!

Filbert

[Bill Reichert]

Make sure you have a reserve price. My mechanic's daughter sold $15,000 of hoses for a high bid of $150!

Don't accept Western Union. Believe it or not, I know someone whose son was dumb enough to do that.

I would only accept payment by debit card. Paypal can come back and bite you. Most pros on Ebay do that now.

[trimacar]

I've sold a car on EBay....yes, set a reserve price....but be reasonable....take the best and most complete pictures possible, inside, outside, all around....make description honest to a fault....

Take a $500 or more no refundable deposit (PayPal is best for deposit only) balance due either wire transfer to your bank account, or cash upon pick up. If you're worried about giving account info, don't be, anyone who has a check from you has all this information.

Despite all the negatives, EBay will reach a huge potential market for virtually any item, including cars...

[JACK M]

I see many cars that show up week after week. I could not afford that. That said, I think I am going to put the 16 valve car on at a no reserve just to get it moved. The starting bid will be the reserve. I hate to sell the car, I took it for a drive yesterday and fell in love with it all over again, but storage has become a problem and I am forced to thin the herd. Make me a reasonable offer and it could be yours.

[89TC-16V]

i sold one car on ebay. its not terrible and they provide an autocheck report. take as many pictures as possible and only accept paypal and tell anybody that wants it to be shipped that need to handle making reservations for it. be prepared if you do not set a reserve price to possibly be dissapointed with the sale price. most items dont sell unril the final seconds of an auction and sometimes setting a low reserve and offering a buy it now option for what you actually want for it can help sell it faster an weed out the last minute penny pinchers.

[Guest MiamiTVR]

I sold my TVR twice between Christmas and New Years while the blizzards were piling up the snow.

The price of my car went up so high so quickly the first auction that many buyers were squeezed out. At the auctions conclusion I discovered the "winner" was out at sea and needed a bunch of my financial and paypal information prior to transferring funds which I would not provide. When I checked the address he had supplied eBay on zillow and google maps, it was an empty lot. The second high bidder was represented as being the owner of a sports car dealership in Italy. I checked him out with my brother who had some connections in Italy. This buyer was also a scammer and his business did not exist. Ebay quickly stepped in to help cancelling the sale.

The second auction was not as successful in terms of price attained but the car sold quickly at what I felt was a fair price especially given the time of year.

Given the worldwide exposure at a low cost. It is hard to beat if the reserve is realistic. I too was skeptical and really had not expected to sell my car but I have been converted and was a satisfied seller. I would suggest limiting the bids you will accept to those within the United States or with representatives and references that are. i also would require at least 5 feedback comments.

As a buyer I have grown aware of many scams by sellers beyond the obvious an that eBay is not as protective of buyers as they are their sellers.

Edited May 2, 2013 by MiamiTVR (see edit history)

[ghostymosty]

Taking paypal funds only is a big mistake, you limit your number of buyers. Many people, including me, have stopped using paypal after years of policy changes including the one that allows paypal to take the money back from you if the buyer has any complaints, you get the money back after the complaint is resolved but are out the money and the item in the mean time. Make sure you add up all the possible ebay fees (and paypal fees) and take them into consideration when setting your reserve price, you can always lower the reserve price but cannot increase it. Always put a buy it now price on the vehicle and include a disclaimer that the vehicle is for sale locally which could result in the auction being ended early. Using ebay as an advertisement rather than an auction can sometimes be a wiser move. Just be sure to answer emails promptly and include a line that has your actual contact info just in case the high bidder is a deadbeat, you don't want to lose contact with other potential buyers.

[Guest FILBERT]

Thanks for all of the sound advice. I especially like the info regarding PayPal, as I had no idea they could take the money back even after the car is gone! Wow! I have it listed here, so I take it that my description of the car is as detailed as possible, and have included photos of all the defects.

With appreciation to all of you, Filbert

[Bill Reichert]

Somebody pulled a new scam in St. Louis. The buyer was allegedly a dealer. He came to St. Louis to buy the car after talking on the phone and making a deal. He had a cashiers' check from the dealership for the agreed price. He handed over the check in the evening after the bank was closed. The buyer could only confirm that the account was valid. The buyer drove off in the VW ?????????? The seller found out the next morning that the account had a couple dollars in it. He was out $70,000.

Going way back, a friend was to close the deal on his Vette at his bank. After waiting 1 hour in the lobby after he was supposed to meet the buyer, he went out to discover his car had been stolen.

[karasmer]

Don't mess with a reserve, lots of people will pass it right up instead use a starting price that you are willing to accept and if there is good interest the bids may get way up there. You could also add on a buy it now for a little extra. Only accept a small, say $200 paypal deposit then do bank to bank wire transfer or cash. Make sure you state the deposit is non refundable. Posy lots of photos and be available to answer questions. And if it is a classic announce it here to generate interest.