eBay Motors is the largest online automotive marketplace, making it a
great place to buy your next vehicle. This article will help you
navigate the eBay Motor’s roadway to purchasing a vehicle.
Step One: Register an eBay Buyer’s Account
The
first step to buying a vehicle on eBay Motors is to become a registered
user. Visit www.eBayMotors.com and click “Register” at the top of the
page. Fill out the form with accurate personal information. You must
be at least 18 years of age and have a secure email address to become
an eBay member. If you do not have a secure email address, you may be
asked to place a credit card on file which is strictly used to verify
your identity. A basic buyer’s registration, with the exception of
becoming ID verified , allows you to place bids up to $15,000. After
you have received more than 10 positive feedback , this restriction is
lifted.
Step Two: Find Your Vehicle
Once you have become a registered eBay user, you’re ready to find your
vehicle! Searching for the right car on eBay is easy, as long as you
know what to look for. Here are some easy steps to finding a car:
• Go to www.eBayMotors.com
• Click on “advanced search” in the upper right corner
• Select your desired Make and Model from the drop down boxes
• To narrow your search, select additional criteria
• Click SEARCH!
Your search may result in a lot of vehicles or none. If too many
results appear, type in additional features, like “leather” or “all
wheel drive,” in the long white search box at the top of the list.
Click the box labeled “Search in Title and Description.” If too few
vehicles result from your search, isolate your needs and broaden your
search.
To find local vehicles, narrow your search radius to 100 miles of your
zip code. Surprisingly, this may provide you with a much larger
selection.
Step Three: Select Your Vehicle
Now that you’ve narrowed your search, start comparing vehicles. Ask yourself these questions:
• How many miles does the vehicle have?
• Is the title clean, salvage or rebuilt?
• Does the listing include a third party vehicle history report?
• How much information does the seller disclose?
• How many photos are there?
• What is the seller’s feedback?
• Is there an unbiased condition report or does it sound “too good to be true”?
• Is the vehicle for sale by owner or a dealership?
• How does the price compare to those suggested by Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, Black Book Online, and NADA?
Answering these questions will build confidence in your decision.
Step Four: Negotiate the Price
So, now you’ve found your vehicle! You’ve communicated with the seller
and feel comfortable moving forward with negotiating the price. There
are two types of listings on eBay, fixed price and auction style.
Making an Offer on a Fixed Price Listing
If the vehicle is fixed price with only a “Buy It Now” button, you may
need to negotiate the price via email or over the phone. If the
listing is fixed price in “Best Offer” format, you can make an offer on
the vehicle by clicking the “Make an Offer” button. Your offer will be
accepted, rejected or countered by the seller. Remember to be
reasonable when making an offer, basing your price on online guides,
like Kelley Blue Book or Black Book Online.
Bidding on an Auction Style Listing
For auction style listings, you are bidding against other people, so be
sure to watch the item until the final seconds of the auction. To
place a bid, click the “Bid on this Item” button. eBay will proxy bid
on your behalf up to your pre-determined price.
Some seller’s auction their items with a “Reserve” price. In this
case, the vehicle isn’t sold until the reserve is met. You can see
whether a listing has met reserve by looking below the “Current Bid”
price, where it will say either “Reserve Not Met” or “Reserve Met.”
For a “no reserve” auction, the listing is considered sold to the
highest bidder.
Step Five: Complete the Sale
Make every effort to keep the sale “online.” Keeping the sale online
is very beneficial to the buyer. An online sale is one that kept all
negotiations and communications with the seller through eBay’s
communication channels.
Whether you’ve met reserve, clicked the “Buy It Now” button, accepted a
counter offer or had your offer accepted, an online transaction brings
you the following benefits, increasing your peace of mind:
• eBay’s Purchase Protection program provides you with $20,000 coverage against fraud or serious misrepresentation.
• Feedback is exchanged, building trust within the eBay community
• Use of eBay’s lending company with desirable rates and special incentives for qualified buyers.
• An online transaction requires that the seller be held to the terms and conditions of the listing.
Since the buyer is usually responsible for vehicle delivery, be sure to
compare the cost to pickup or ship the vehicle. Read all paperwork
thoroughly before signing and making your final payment. Make sure the
terms of the sale match the terms on the listing.
Helpful Hints
If you are bidding on an auction style listing, be sure to keep a close
eye on the listing to keep your place as high bidder. Often, the
majority of bids are placed in the final minutes and seconds of the
auction. Since eBay will proxy bid on your behalf, you can feel safe
placing a bid at your top dollar.
Stay away from sellers that don’t respond to emails or are difficult to
get a hold of via phone. Their behavior during an auction will dictate
their behavior after the auction has ended.
Remember the benefits of buying from a dealer. Most dealerships list a
vehicle on eBay after it has gone through inspection and been
thoroughly detailed. Also, their eBay price is often their best sale
price, since eBay is viewed as a last resort before sending a vehicle
to the dealer auction. A dealership can give you attractive financing
and take your vehicle in on trade.
Become a master of the eBay marketplace by purchasing less expensive
items first. This will help you understand the buying process and
prepare you for purchasing a high ticket item, like a vehicle.
Exercise caution when responding to an email promising a “Second Chance
Offer.” Often this is a scam put out by non-eBay members posing as the
seller. Also, beware of listings that have exorbitant fees that are
applied to the purchase price or require a high deposit. Most
dealerships will accept a few hundred dollars as a deposit. If in
doubt, pick up the phone and call the seller. This is often the best
way to improve your comfort level.
Above all, have fun! Buying on eBay is exciting and can save you
hundreds, if not thousands, on your next vehicle purchase. Become an
educated consumer so you can approach eBay Motors with confidence and
enthusiasm!
Ms. Draley has earned the reputation as an expert on how to buy and
sell on eBay Motors. She provides extensive training to dealerships and
private parties on how to approach the “world’s largest online
marketplace” with confidence and success.
Sarah Draley
Vice President Marketing and Acquisitions
Rocket City Automotive Group, Inc.
sarah@completeauto.com
www.RCAU.com
www.CompleteAuto.com