I'm not sure what the folks in San Jose have been doing lately but whatever it is they should keep it up. I've had more people approach me during last month with questions about picking up a car from eBay than I've had during the last year.
Buying and selling cars on eBay has been both a hobby and profession of mine since 2003. Much has changed over five years but for you, the customer, car buying basics still rule the day. In the past "experts" always trumpeted their opinion that eBay was only viable for "savvy" buyers, those with more than average car buying knowledge. I emphatically disagree with this. If eBay is the chosen venue for your next car purchase you should approach your buying adventure the same way you would off-line which means anyone can buy a car from eBay.
Find a reputable seller or dealer. One of the many things car dealers train their salespeople on is just this. For most of you out there your dealer or seller will play a far more critical role in your overall satisfaction than whatever car you buy ever will. Think about this. You can buy the best used car ever to grace eBay's website but if the seller or dealer is a complete jerk or just flat out unprofessional will you truly be happy with the transaction? Will you ever really feel comfortable with your new car if you can't shake the uneasy feeling you got from the dealer? Probably not. On the other hand you could buy the worst used car ever listed on eBay and still end up satisfied if the seller or dealer is truly professional, understanding, and helpful.
Once you have found your ideal vehicle listed with a dealer or seller that you are comfortable with, pay to have the vehicle inspected. Most dealers do check out the cars listed on eBay but nobody is perfect 100% of the time. Pay to have a trusted third-party repair shop or inspection service go over the vehicle, especially if the car is located too far from you to justify doing it yourself. Do not expect the dealer or seller to repair everything discovered during the inspection process unless you are willing to a pay a premium for such work. Remember, we are talking about buying a used car and while common sense may dictate that a used car will not be a new car, reality indicates many car buyers leave their common sense at home when shopping for a used car.
Now you have found the car you want from the dealer or seller you're comfortable with and the car checked out during inspection. You've invested considerable time and possibly a little bit of money in the vehicle at this point, right? eBay may not be happy with this next part so don't tell them please. Why on earth are you now going to sit there for the remaining time the auction has left and basically allow your opportunity to buy the car ride on chance? How do you know you're going to be the winning bidder? You don't and therein lies the rub with buying a car on eBay.
The good news is most actual car dealers will be more than happy to assist you in completing your purchase as quickly as possible. Dealers have no more desire than you to wait to complete a sale. However, the truly professional dealers that are making decent money from their eBay listings will never ask you to buy the car now. Why not? They can't. eBay rules forbid it. It is easy to see where eBay is coming from in regards to this as some dealers would decide to end every auction early to avoid paying fees. But you don't care about fees at this point. You just want to secure your vehicle.
To recap we now have walked through the following:
- Selecting a seller or dealer you are comfortable with that has the vehicle you want.
- Arranging and paying to have a third party repair center or inspection service thoroughly go over the car in question.
- Approaching the dealer or seller with the prospect of buying the car immediately.
Best of all I haven't touched on your biggest advantage the whole eBay buying process presents. That of course, is price. Over the next day or two I will explain in detail how to best determine a fair price for the car you want and how to obtain that price with little or no haggling from the dealer. Sound to good to be true? It's not. Thanks for stopping by and check back soon for tips on getting the best price on eBay!
