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Help with Ebay
Once in a while I see a car on Ebay that interests me. Can anyone with experience of purchasing on Ebay help me with the following:
1. Is there a way to contact the owner of the vehicle. 2. Is there a way to see the vehicle prior to bidding or purchase. 3. Is it possible to make a bid conditional upon a PPI. Thanks ------------------ Allan Broadribb '70-911E, 2.2l with Webers http://www.cheaterswayside.com/uploads/Mvc-002s355.jpg |
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05-16-2001, 09:34 AM
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You can email the "seller" of the listed item. All "sellers" on Ebay must give their email when listing items. Keep in mind that the seller isn'n always the owner. Quote:
Sure, go to the location of the vehicle and look at it. Quote:
Personally, I would be real hesitant on buying a vehicle on Ebay. |
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05-16-2001, 11:11 AM
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You have to be a registered member on Ebay to send a seller an e-mail. Click on the seller's name and you will be able to send him an e-mail, but first you have to enter your Ebay user name & password. Ask the seller for his phone # and give him a call. Than you can find out if he will go for a pre-purchase inspection. Most sellers will go for it as long as you are reasonable in what would dis-qualify the car from you purchasing it. Get him to describe all of the car's defects in e-mails, that way if you are the winning bidder and you go to pick up the car and find "surprises", you can use his e-mail descriptions of the car's condition to bail out of the deal. I have made many purchases on Ebay but would really think twice before bidding on a P-Car, site unseen. If the car is such a good deal, the seller should be able to sell it locally.
Bill Carcot 1979 911SC Diablo Region, P.C.A. |
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05-16-2001, 11:27 AM
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I to would be hesitant to make such a large purchase on Ebay. If you are looking for a
P-Car I know a guy who buys and sells P-Cars No affiliation with this person. He is someone I met through a friend of a friend. Very reputable deals only in very nice cars... he does his own PPI before he buys the car. If you are looking for something unique he can help you find it. I have seen some of his cars they are very nice usually low mileage cars. Good Luck ------------------
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05-16-2001, 11:47 AM
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I bought my '83 on eBay, as well as my Rolls. I think you'll find that if you ask intelligent questions (you'd be surprised at the howlers most sellers get) and seem serious about the car, the seller will agree to make your purchase contingent on a PPI coming back positive. The catches are that you usually have to agree to pay the auction commission on the car if you end up not buying it, since eBay is going to charge them for the completed auction, and you have to pay for the PPI.
Being willing to do this shows that you're a serious buyer who's definitely interested, and a legitimate seller (who isn't simply trying to unload a piece of crap) won't mind cooperating with you. Few people realize just how few of the eBay auctions are completed - half the time, the buyer backs out for lack of cash, loss of nerve, or simply flakes out on you. It happens much more often that you see mentioned (and it's mentioned a LOT). Coming across in your e-mails as a sensible adult will go far. Use punctuation, good grammar, check your spelling, and you'll go a long way towards convincing the seller you're not some flakey teen playing around. A fellow Chicagoan bought a very nice 82 Targa with 54,000 miles from an ebay seller. He e-mailed the guy with a similar proposal, and after the PPI he agreed to buy the car outright for the current high bid ($13k with 4 days remaining) if the guy ended the auction early (avoiding the commission fees). Week later, he picked up the car. Overall, though, I think you're better off dealing with people outside of eBay. The ads in Panorama and Excellence run high, but that's usually to scare off looky-loos. If you see a nice car, call the guy, asks the smart questions (maintenance records, updates, upgrades, and fixes for problems common to the model, body condition, paint, etc) and you'll likely find that they're willing to come down. Oddly enough, having previously owned a Porsche is your best discount-getter - people like to sell to those already "in the fold," knowing you'll take care of their baby better than some lead-footed newbie with some extra cash in his pocket. The RROC (Rolls-Royce Owner's Club)is the same way. One tactic I don't like, but a friend of mine says works like a charm, is to dis another model. "Well, I've got a Corvette now but I'm looking to get a "real" sports car, ya know?" and like that. Use at your own risk. Emanuel ------------------ Emanuel Brown 1983 911 SC Targa http://home.att.net/~epbrown01/91183.jpg [This message has been edited by epbrown (edited 05-16-2001).] |
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05-16-2001, 03:24 PM
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