Friday, July 25, 2008

How to Shop Cars on eBay

All of the tricks so far in this chapter apply to any type of product you might be bidding on. But there’s one category of product that carries some unique risks—and some big tickets. Read on to learn some tricks for getting your money’s worth when bidding on automobiles via eBay Motors.

Question the Buyer First

More so than any other category, it’s important to know that you’re dealing with a
reputable seller before you bid on an expensive vehicle. One good way to do this is to
contact the bidder before bidding, either via email or the phone. (User mainedog70
recommends phone contact for these types of big-ticket items.)

Have the Vehicle Inspected Before You Bid on eBay

Buying a car via eBay Motors doesn’t relieve you of the same responsibilities you’d have if you bought the vehicle from a traditional car dealer. It’s your responsibility to make sure the car is in good working condition—before you buy, not afterward.

As eBay member rapparts states:
Would you go to a used car lot, pay for a car, and then ask questions/test drive it/have a mechanic check it out? Of course not.

Before you place a bid on a vehicle, do your homework. At the very least, order the car’s vehicle history report. And for even more peace of mind, schedule a vehicle inspection. Obviously, you can’t do the inspection yourself, but you can arrange for a professional to do the inspection for you.

Factor In Vehicle Transport

Chances are the car you want to buy isn’t located just down the street. That means you’ll have to arrange to have the vehicle shipped from the seller’s location to your driveway, and vehicle transportation isn’t a small cost. eBay offers vehicle shipping via Dependable Auto Shippers (the link is in the Shipping section of the item information at the top of the item listing page), or you can call toll-free 866.327.3229. Get a shipping quote before you bid, and factor the cost into your total budget.