Advice on listing a car on e-bay.

[rexav8r]

I'm sure some of you have listed a car for sale on e-bay before, I haven't.

Does anyone have any advice on do's/dont's for listing ?

I've been told to put some type of text on photos so that they can't be used by others trying to market (or scam) on your sale...

Thanks !

[DRACO A5OG]

Do:

Disclose Everything even if it seems minimum.
Escrow Account even if Buyer is rated high. The extra cost is well worth it for high dollar transactions.
Offer a PPI

My .02

[Joe Bob]

Don't take yourself serious, invite questions, post the answers.

[desgoud]

I've Sold 1 Or 2 Items. In General It's Been A Good Thing.
One Important Rule,never Tell The Reserve If You Have One.
Press The Winning Bidder For A Deposit Within 48 Hrs, Make Them Commit. Good Luck With It,
Ps What Kind Of Car Is It, I Buy Alot Too.

[Spede]

Post lots of pictures of your car on the auction page or have links to them.

[carolinatrophy]

Use a reserve and start the bidding at one dollar. It's pyschologically powerful for people to see a low price, even if it hasn't met reserve. If you start the bidding at the lowest price you'll accept for the vehicle, it's more likely that no one will bid at all.

Proofread the text and make sure you spell everything correctly and punctuarte everything correctly. Don't skimp on detail, but make sure you break up the description with plenty of paragrah breaks, because the brain doesn't like to read one massive paragraph that goes on forever.

Don't try to sound "salesy." Just give a rational, calm account account of the vehicle. Eschew the billowy horse crap. I always seem to get more for my cars than most people, and I think it's because I stay well clear of stuff like "imagine yourself driving this pinnacle of motoring bliss" or "the sexy bodywork and race car handling are matched only by the breathtaking power." Just write the text as if you were explaining the condition of the car to your uncle or something. Be honest and open and you're going to get better results.

If you are very familar with the marque or the model, tell people that. If it's a Porsche and you're in a member of the PCA, put that in there.

Oh, and I always think it's a good idea to let people know that it's your PERSONAL car, and that you are NOT a dealer or a reseller. I think it means a lot to people if they know they are buying a well-loved car from a person who actually wanted it, as opposed to a dealer or speculator who's just trying to flip it for a buck.

[carolinatrophy]

Oh, and although scams are out there, the risk of them is somewhat overblown and I woudn't freak out over stuff like that. Your gut instinct is usually correct, and if you're not the kind of person who falls for an email scam from an exiled Nigerian prince, you're not likely to fall for the scamming car purchaser either. That's not to say you shouldn't be careful and protect yourself, but the more I am exposed to the public at large the more I realize the vast majority of people are honest.

The bottom line is that if you're selling a special interest car like a Porsche, you're going to get two kinds of interest - serious potential buyers and total time-wasters. But you'll usually be able to tell which is which right off the bat, and if someone sounds genuine and honest, they usually are.

Although eBay is a huge medium, you're still going to be looking for the two or three "right" people who know what your car is, what it's worth, and are ready to pull the trigger. Focus on those people and don't worry too much about the strokes or the casual shoppers. They aren't going to buy it anyway, no matter what they say.

[Mr.Puff]

Do it local and have them test drive before buying. Use it like an advertisement and not an auction. That way, you can get a cashiers check and confirm it with the bank before signing anything. I sold my 2005 Mazda 3 like this; got $15,700 for it in July last year.

[EarlyPorsche]

I say just put it on this board for whatever you think its really worth for about 3 weeks. If you are reasonable on price in relation to the circumstances (take the economy into account as well), you will probably get a similar result.

[jhubs]

I sold my 65 Mustang on eBay in 2005. I sell lots of other things too, but selling cars are a different process.

Take lots of good clear photos! 50-75 photos! DO NOT put blurry photos on the Auction! Bidders think you are hiding something. Learn to use your Macro setting on your Digital camera!
Take photos of the good and the bad and post both. Post at least 20 photos.
Be extremely honest about everything regarding the history of the car.
Be very "wordy" and explain everything in detail.
People know the car has 4 wheels and tires...don't waste the photos. One photo of One wheel and tire is enough.
Encourage the prospective buyer get a PPI asap.
List the car for more than 7 days...10-20 days is better.
Start at $1 and set a reasonable reserve.
Never tell anyone your reserve! EVER!
You will want to be careful about meeting people to look at your car. Make arrangements with your wrench before the Auction starts to meet any prospective buyer at his Porsche repair shop. NEVER at your home!
1 out of 3 sales of autos on eBay fail. Be prepared!
Require a $1,000 deposit within 48 hours and the balance on delivery.
Be smart about what kind of payment you receive. Make sure the checks or ? clears at your bank before you give the buyer the keys and the car Title.
The final transaction can be done at your Porsche repair shop or at your bank...NOT at your home!
Good Luck!
Oh, you may want to consider AutoTrader.comx, that is where I purchased my 87 911.

Jerry

[rexav8r]

Thanks for all the advice !! (Keep it coming if there's more, please.)

If you searched my user name or looked (somewhat) recently in the 'cars for sale' section, you probably saw that this is about a 2008 GT3 RS.

Granted the listing price I put here is more than realistic, but I had to list something to get started.

I was only going to list 8 photos actually. It's a brand new car, NO street miles, so no wear to even show.

My biggest problem is that no matter how I word it, this sale is going to come across as if I'm a "flipper" and that's going to turn some people off to some extent. [I got an amazing opportunity to get this car pretty much direct from the factory, not available through normal channels. Not really one of the planned 60 for the US. Although I'd love to keep it, marriage says otherwise...]


Thanks again !
Very good ideas !

[haycait911]

I don't like a reserve price. when I bid I feel like I'm the sucker going out there to find the number. I like to put a starting bid that's my bottom line and let it happen. reserves are very frustrating/annoying.

make a point of disclosing every little flaw you can think of. it makes me more comfortable when I see a seller describing a nick in the upholstery that anyone else would never see. also shows you're probably selling your own car and aren't a 'flipper'.

[rnln]

Originally Posted by desgoud

never Tell The Reserve If You Have One.

May I ask why?

[khamul02]

Also, get a leakdown test or full ppi and post the results. Pictures of an actual document would be best.

[Guard Bum]

Be honest.