Is Ebay a good place to sell a Porsche?

[adamnitti]

Every once in a while I think about maybe selling my car to get something else, like a 930 or a 964... Has anyone ever sold there Porsche on Ebay before with positive results? I'm just toying with the idea.

[LeeH]

I sold my 2000 Audi A4 1.8T Quattro on eBay. I got what the Audi dealer was ASKING for the same car.

[nostatic]

It does give you national exposure, and the possibility of having the car go for more than if it was in a regular ad. That being said, it can also result in a number of flake "buyers" and wasted time and money.

Seems to me that a lot of people use Ebay to "advertise" the car, then sell it offline to someone that saw it there. That way Ebay doesn't collect their cut, only the listing fee. If you do decide to go that way, spend a fair amount of time writing a good ad with lots of good pictures. That seems to make a difference in how active the auction gets. Also, don't post a high initial starting bid. I'm a fan of reserve auctions, but there are arguments for not useing them.

[LeeH]

Ditto on putting the auction together. To get top dollar you have to have lots of clear detailed photos. The buyer needs to feel like they've looked at the car. I probably had 20 or more photos on my Audi auction. Plus I offered a refund if the car wasn't exactly as I described. The refund offer gives more people the confidence to bid, in turn raising the price.

[adamnitti]

did you set your own terms regarding purchase? did you give the buyer the option of seeing the car before bidding or anything like that? how is this typically done? pardon my ignorance, but it just seems like a pretty expensive item to be bidding on sight-unseen (essentially).

[nostatic]

You are the seller, so you can set whatever terms you want. For smaller Ebay sales, I always specify pre payment by cashiers check or money order. I used to use PayPal, but they charge now, so I'll take them but the buy has to cover any expenses.

Most of the auctions have something along the lines of the buyer being able to get an inspection during the auction, but once it is over they are bound to buy it. That is risky with a big ticket item, so you could soften things a bit and allow a PPI for the winning bidder, or do a money back.

[speeder]

Adam, How's it going, man? I've studied ebay quite a bit, bought a couple of items but never sold anything yet. Soon I might try, though. I think if you set a reserve, what have you got to lose? Absolute rules for successful selling, IMO and from observation, is to have a reserve, (which is realistic and not disclosed), plus start bidding fairly low to get action going. It seems like the most clueless thing to do is start bidding high, sometimes people start it for selling price w/ no reserve which is the same as disclosing reserve and defeats purpose of an auction. And usually get zero bids even if car is nice. You are competing with other similar cars usually, you have to get the fever going!

Study ebay, go to 993s for instance, and notice which cars are getting action while other almost identical cars are not. Good luck!

[john_colasante]

Nostatic,

I don't think you're allowed to charge the buyer to use Paypal. eBay will cancel your auction automatically and give you a warning if you specify it. It probably applies to all payment services. Check the eBay terms of use.

[nostatic]

Hey Adam,

kinda OT, but tough week or so for bass players, eh? Ox and Ray have left the building...

[nostatic]

Originally posted by john_colasante
Nostatic,

I don't think you're allowed to charge the buyer to use Paypal. eBay will cancel your auction automatically and give you a warning if you specify it. It probably applies to all payment services. Check the eBay terms of use.

Does anyone actually read the terms of use? Egad...

Well, I had two buyers email me asking about Paypal, and I told them I would pass whatever costs on to them. I didn't mention PayPal in the ad. Maybe that gets me around their rule? I don't understand the logic behind it anyway. In most cases the convenience is to the buyer rather than seller. Seems to me they should foot the bill.

[jjforland]

It can be a pleasant experience. Just make sure that if the 'buyer' is a lawyer, every flaw of the vehicle is exposed even if there are very few. Lawyers love to get their every penny's worth! I found out the hard way. The Ford Explorer was clearly described as-is, in excellent running condition, but that wasn't good enough for him. After his purchase and my delivery, he heard a little squeal in the brakes. "OMG-The world is coming to an end!" He tried to get me with a very personal 'from-me-to-you" lawsuit, but failed. I had documented proof that the brakes were replaced shortly before selling him the vehicle.

I guess if there is a point to this, it would be 'try to avoid selling your vehicle to a lawyer on e-bay" I know thats kind of silly, but they know or think they know how to live for free in this world.

Thats my kinda-unrelated experience in a nutshell....ha!

[LeeH]

I did offer buyers the chance for a PPI (at their expense, of course) during or after the auction. My buyer happened to be local. She sent me e-mail 15 minutes before the auction closed asking if I would call her. I guess she just wanted to see what kind of person I was before she bid. I told her to bid what she thought the car was worth and if she wasn't happy with it the deal was off. She was also worried that I had required payment in 5 days. She was pre approved for a loan but was going out of town the next day and was worried I would hold her to the 5 days. I told her to come see the car, give me a deposit and we'd complete the deal when she returned.

It was wierd, but 30 minutes after the auction closed we were on an extended test drive and I had a deposit. It really worked out great.

Note that your auction will close at the same time you post it. Don't have it close at 4:00 am! Shoot for a time when people on both coasts will be home from work, but not in bed.

[jluetjen]

I've used Ebay for buying and selling stuff with values up to +$1000 so far. A couple of simple things which I've learned:

1) Be "above board" and honest. Take accurate and clear pictures that show the condition of the item. If extra pieces are included, show them laid out. If there are faults, make sure that they are displayed honestly in the pictures. Nothing sets off a buyer's red flags like doctored, vague or unclear pictures. If you are trying to hide something, the buyer will often sense it, or find it at pick-up.

2) From a marketing perspective, it is always a good idea to hold a little back to sweeten the deal. If you have for example the driver's manual or maybe a couple of 911 books that you are no longer interested in - don't list it and then throw it in at the end to close the deal or as a good-will gesture. Nothing makes a buyer happier then a pleasant surprise.

3) Make sure that you have a clear idea what you want to accomplish. If you want to sell it for your best price, then a reserve may not be the right thing for you since a lot (most?) of the reserve auctions that I've seen have ended up with "Reserve not met". If on the other hand you have a pretty good feel for what the car will fetch in another venue (let's say a buyer who've offered you $X), you should set your reserve to that price plus any costs associated with that transaction. Also if you have a personal "walk away" value (...I've spent $50K restoring my '69T, I won't take a cent less then $51K ), that is another case where a reserve provides value. Essentially you are submitting a bid of your own into the auction. As a buyer reserves throw me off again because so many auctions don't happen because of them.

4) Be a nice guy/gal. Don't fill up the ad with lines and lines of small print and special conditions. They throw off buyers. Remember that in many cases the buyer is as nerveous about giving you their money as you are concerned about giving them your car. Do whatever you can to make buying your car a pleasant experience for everyone (including yourself by the way!). You will be rewarded wth glowing feedback and cash in your pocket !

[adamnitti]

these are all great points and comments. i plan on being 'mr. honest' as usual if i go this route, and want to disclose anything that might be off-putting once the car is seen in person. but, how detailed do you suggest i get, with respect to photos? is it important to closely photograph each flaw, regardless of magnitude? should i, for example, photograph each seat and each wheel individually? how much is enough? should i scan service records, etc???

one more thing; how do you feel about making the buy it now option the reserve price? do you think buyers will respond or be scared off?

nostatic: yeah, last week was pretty sobering. in addition to those deaths, rocco prestia is in dire need of a liver transplant. i've got a link to the fund raiser on my website. what a drag.

speeder: what's up? i really enjoy your posts here. always clear headed and informative. how's the acting???

[cegerer]

Of course you could use one of California Classics' techniques: start the bidding at $9.11 with no reserve. Admittedly, that's takes some courage, but it will get the bidding going in a hurry! -- Curt

[nostatic]

Originally posted by cegerer
Of course you could use one of California Classics' techniques: start the bidding at $9.11 with no reserve. Admittedly, that's takes some courage, but it will get the bidding going in a hurry! -- Curt

It doesn't take any courage at all if you've got multiple personalities or shills ready to bid it up.

[speeder]

I do not believe that "buy it now" option is an effective tool for seller, unless item is something you really want to get rid of and B.I.N. price is a "good deal". Otherwise it is just giving away reserve, defeats purpose of auction. Might as well just advertise/sell the regular, (not auction), way. Do it the way I suggested, even if item does not meet reserve you will get lots of bids and potential buyers to trade emails/offers with. And then when you sell to one of them, ebay doesn't get commission!

"Buy it now" option is great for a leather jacket, or some item that is ~$100.00, when cars do sell for B.I.N. price, seller probably cheated himself out of higher bids, IMO.

[ccandgc]

Hi,

first post.... I sold my Beck Porsche Spyder#11 for $17K after I bought it for $15K and played with it for a year.

Chad Castle
Kailua, Hawaii
71 911S Targa