Motor Market Mishegoss: Why I Stopped Selling Cars on EBay
While at Concorso Italiano Friday, August 14th, a couple of eBay account reps were walking around asking opinions of their motor auction service. eBay was a sponsor of the event so it made sense to be doing market research. They’re walking my way . . . a little closer . . . I scootch conveniently into their path . . . . Hi, how are you? We are from eBay Motors and are asking people about our auction service. Do you use it to sell cars and parts? Where do I begin? It has lost all its luster for selling cars for me and I’ve really tried a range of different scenarios from reserve to no reserve, to Buy it Now, to having the vehicle inspected, etc. These are the reasons I’m not using it anymore.
Solution: Call someone in the associated car club to look at it for you. Independent inspections are good if you can get it done. As I told eBay, have longer auctions. The forums, Craiglist and Autotrader can run lifetime ads (with Craiglist you have to relist it).
2. People bid up the auction with a dummy account to see your reserve
Solution: Lock out bidders with no or negative feedback. eBay now lets you list for free, you pay when it sells.
3. You have to be brutally honest; or do you?
Solution: I don’t have one. What line do you draw between your truth and the other guys slimy sales person spin? Receiving eBay negative feedback on such a big ticket item as a car is not good, especially for someone who likes to trade them. I have been working on my 100% positive feedback since 2000 and I wanted to build a trustworthy car trading reputation.
4. Deals often happen after the auction ends
Solution: Use a the “Best Offer” option. I’ve never used it but it sounded like a plan.
5. People tie up the car after winning the bid trying to resell it
However, if they took anything away from our conversation, eBay has been more of a hassle than it’s worth and I’m burned out on it. I’m most likely not going back since the other sell sites I mentioned work well. As a side note, I am still a big fan of eBay Motors for selling parts and looking for cars. But when it comes time to sell my 1991 M5, I’ll probably give Bring a Trailer a whirl. People can call me if interested, arrange for a visit and I don’t have to put up with the intense anxiety of an auction to add to the anxiety I already have about selling the car.
Read more of Paul’s work at blog.motorcarmarket.com
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I know two guys who bought cars on Ebay and were very disappointed. They were both Mustangs. One was a 1960's model and the photos put on Ebay were outdated by many years. The other was a newish model convertable that turned out to have structural damage. And the top leaked. My own experience was one of identity theft. Someone in Miami opened a "company" in my name and started purchasing items on Ebay on my credit card and having them shiped to FL. (I live in another state) Ebay was no help at all. I could never get any customer service. My credit card company was great (Discover)and promptly shut the card down and the charges were reversed.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140438252031&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_1787wt_1161 I was the "winner" of this eBay auction. What I bought was a 4-owner, stolen, damaged, auctioned-by-the-insurance-company-because-the-1st-owner-didn't-want-it-back-vehicle. eBay's "Gilbert" in response tells me that eBay won't honor their promise against fraudulent misrepresentation/stolen vehicle/etc because my Department of Motor Vehicles has only "discouraged" me from titling the car. Gilbert? eBay's service department is a real-live Dilbert cartoon. Hello? The thieves pried off all the VIN plates. Replacement identification numbers were not properly notified with the California Department of Motor Vehicles, and my local sheriff was doing his job by refusing to approve the title. I was lucky that the sheriff was in a good mood and didn't arrest me for a previous owner's negligence in reporting an A-class felony. I paid for a 1 owner mint 300SD. Instead, I get smoke and mirrors.