Buying on E-bay

[dlrshort]

I was wondering what have the members here bought on e-bay, and what have your experiences been? I've bought parts and literature only for my corvettes and never been disappointed. What about a car, has anyone done that?

 

[paintdaddy]

Ive never bought a car.Ive bought quite a few parts and literature.Ive also sold some parts.I think its a good thing as long as everyone is honest and you know what your looking for.The new parts on there seem to be the best deal around usually.

 

[BLACK MOON]

I buy and sell on eBay and you need to be careful. I've gotten some excellent deals and gotten some real crap too. Check sellers feedback, ask for good pictures if the ones posted aren't clear, always ask for feedback before posting yours. It's your only leverage in resolving a dispute. One last thing; check shipping before bidding. You might save $10 on a part and spend $15 shipping it.
Good luck!

 

[dlrshort]

Has anyone bought a car there? How did you handle it, inspect it, etc.? What were your experiences?

 

[BLACK MOON]

I bought my 63 online. Sent no deposit but got in the truck and drove 12 hours to pick up car. Paint was terrible and got seller to reduce price $2000 off of an already great deal. It's a risk so be very prudent with your money.

 

[Rowdy1]

I agree with Black Moon, it can be great or a nightmare. I'm always looking around in there, I haven't sold anything yet but have bought plenty. I bought my lovely bride's 93 Toyota Celica GT in eBay from a dealer in Pa. Had a lot of emails back and forth, knew what the rules were for inspecting the car before plunking down the $$$ etc. turned out to be a GREAT deal, got some money off for some little things I didn't care for, and saved $2,000 form what they were selling for everywhere else. I also bought my 02 F-350 XLT Super Duty long bed Power Stroke Diesel ext. cab on eBay. Found it in Buffalo NY along with 60 others coming from a fleet. Again, MANY emails, a few phone calls, a ride up to check it out and leave the deposit. Took a train to there to pick it up, the dealer picked me up at the station, took me to lunch, went back did the deal and drove it home the next day after a stay over at a local hotel. I looked for months and couldn't come close to what I got for what I paid. At the time they were going for $36K with more mileage than mine, I got mine for $28,000. I told a few of my friends about them, two of which bought trucks, and got another $1,000 off mine as a finders bonus. I, and my friends are EXTREMELY happy with these trucks. It's really no different than buying local with the exception you usually can't see what you're buying. I've got almost all my diecast stuff off eBay. Like anything else, do your homework, buyer beware.

 

[dlrshort]

Black Moon, what recourse would you have had if the seller wouldn't have reduced the price?

 

[Ron Miller]

I buy and sell on eBay and you need to be careful. I've gotten some excellent deals and gotten some real crap too. Check sellers feedback, ask for good pictures if the ones posted aren't clear, always ask for feedback before posting yours. It's your only leverage in resolving a dispute. One last thing; check shipping before bidding. You might save $10 on a part and spend $15 shipping it.
Good luck!

Amen to everything above. I've bought a few things and luckily have come out OK as a whole. But you can't overemphasize the importance of good pictures, examining the seller's feedback (the more the better), and asking the right questions in an e-mail to the seller before entering the bid.

The last item I bought was a turn signal lever for a '65/66, it was a GM replacement in original GM sealed wrapper. Only paid $6.00 for it, turned out to be a piece of crap like a lot of the GM replacement pieces for these earlier cars. It was apparently made in Mexico or someplace, was stained and almost rusty (even though it was in a sealed unopened clear plastic pack), and didn't have the turn signal knob. (Made like a '63 where a plastic knob is to be placed on the end). The picture shown on the seller's site didn't display the product well (still in the wrapper) and oriented in such a manner I believe, so as to purposely conceal the fact that the lever had no knob on the end. They are still on E-bay if you wish to see what I mean. Only cost me $6.00, so it was a cheap lesson, could have been much more!! So, caution is the watchword . . .

rlm :cool

 

[61 Silver]

Ebay

I purchase mostly original or NOS parts on Ebay. I do my homework to insure that I do not over pay. I email numerous questions and keep them on file. If there is a problem I have the emails as support materials. You need to check shipping charges as previously stated, I was burnt once on a manual that was no more than a few Xerox copies and shipping cost was $6.00. I also purchased a 1965 Corvette Roadster. The car needed complete restoration, but was matching numbers. I ask if I could look at the car and the seller sold it to me for the reserve price. I thought I got a great deal.

Ray

http://home.rochester.rr.com/carneycorvette/

 

[Piet]

I bought my 1973 Camaro from eBay
Ask LOTS of questions.....
got Lots of answers and photos...

It was as promised

 

[Rain]

Think i posted here before about this, but will quickly go over it again.

I bought my gig van on ebay late last year.
Shopped auto trader.com and auto .com and read up on what model I wanted.
Checked KBB.com and others to check current values on the van.

Then watched a dozen or so auctions for that vehicle in diff. states, similar miles, and options all close without reaching its reserve and the sellers would not sell for less off line.

So I waited for an auction with no reserve. Also one that was selling thru a dealership.
The one I settled on was a 98 Astro van, conversion, 50k miles, etc thru a small mom and pop dealer.
I emailed every day with questions and pic requests. But waited to bid until the last 5 seconds of the auction.
The 10k$ van cost me 5K$. His auction page had about 25 pics already, btw.
But lots of history, pics, and communication with the seller helps.
Making sure they have good feedback and fair payment policies.

I had my bank do a transfer with his bank.

If you can see the vehicle in person, thats the best bet.
if not, then arrange some sort of inspection/refund minus deposit plan with the seller.

I had a friend drive it from TX to MS instead of hiring a delivery truck.

The deal of a price on the van off set the new tires and lb of freon it needed.
Mint condition now

Rain

 

[Eric]

We bought my wife's 99 Malibu through Ebay a year and a half ago. It just so happened that the car was about two miles from work so I went at lunch and drove it then went back to work and bid on it.

- Eric

 

[dlrshort]

Ray, beautiful job on the '65. You did a nice job on the website pictures. You guys that can do that work yourselves amaze me!! :BOW Did you keep track of all you spent on the restoration? Eric, you poor guy, still no Vette? :cry

Dave S.

 

[BLACK MOON]

Black Moon, what recourse would you have had if the seller wouldn't have reduced the price?

Well in this case the seller already said he wouldn't obligate me to buy the car but if not I probably would have reniged on the deal and got bad feedback as a result. For that kind of money I wouldn't care. In this case the car was advertised as 'NON NUMBERS MATCHING' and come to find out the only major non matching part was the cluster. The lack of interest and final selling price were were greatly affected by this statement. The seller had so many of the original parts I probably would have still bought the car.

Just be careful. I recently got emails from a guy in england saying that he had a set of knock offs just like the set I was bidding on. No pictures and when I asked him if they were 8" wide or 9" he replied with 9". I turned him into eBay and told him to stick his '9" factory knock off wheels' where the sun didn't shine.

 

[61 Silver]

Hi! Dave

Yes we kept all receipts; I believe I have some where in the range of $25,000 total in the car. It is a completely matching numbers car with the correct date codes. I still have to install a replacement windshield, restore the antenna and I am going to re-spray the upper section of the car this spring. Thanks for the compliments! Ray

 

[dlrshort]

It's easy to see how frame offs can really bring up the sales price of a car. $25,000 in parts + all that labor.

 

[duals]

I bought a 1999 FRC from a guy in Maryland who had it listed on ebay with alot of pics and descriptions of all the work that had been done on it, borla exhaust, $2500 stereo, K&N ram air, chip, etc. he even listed his reserve. I contacted him thtough email and made an offer and he took it. Had alot of conversations with him over the phone and had more pics sent to me. He had all of the service receipts and work receipts plus all of the original equiptment that had been removed. It is always a gamble but if you take your time and investigate some it can be a good experience. The car was exactly as he promised.

 

[61 Silver]

65 Restoration

DLRSHORT:

Hi

I have $25,000 totally in the 65. That includes the purchase price of the car, NOS or restored original parts. The only labor that I paid for was the machining of the engine, bushings in the front A-arms, stainless sleving the original brake calipers and riveting of the ball joints. I figure my labor at $1.00 per hour so I did not include the $5,000 for all my time.

I had fun restoring the 65!!

Ray

 

[dlrshort]

Ray, at a buck an hour I'll have to look you up when I need something done!!

 

[IH2LOSE]

Way back when I had purchased a pro street truck off ebay.This was a very exspencive truck ,The fellow must have had 100 pictures of the vechicle,inside outside,top side underneith you name it there was a photo, I mean of the body seems, the fellow who was selling it was definatly a car person because he explained and showed every thin on the truck.I wired him the money and he arranged shipping and every thing for me .I purchased it and it was better in person then the pictures.

The truck was perfect in every way and detail except I hated to drive it,because the top was chopped I almost had to sit indian style in it and had problems with my legs. I was made an offer on it I could not refuse and ended up making about $200.00 on it after paying the shipping and the sales tax when I registered it.

It was a lot of sleepless nights for 2 long weeks waiting while the truck was being shipped. I was so nervous when the shipper open the door to the trailer to see it for the first time.

I would purchase a car off ebay again but I ask alot of questions and ask for a lot of photos,If its local look at it,If they have any bad feedback pass on it.If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.I have a freind who just purchased a car off ebay and its a low quaility car he is trying to correct with the seller now but the seller is not to co operative.

This same fellow was taken advantage of before and he sent a private eye (so he said) to get his money back and he did


I may be posting about a car I am going to bid on this week I requested a video of the car and should get it tomorow.Its a fairley high dollar car (not a corvette) and the request of a video was no problem and I was quite specific on what I wanted to see of the car.he actually had to bring it to a local shop to get it on a lift .

If they dont respond to you email or only want to speak on the phone use caution.Good luck but remember its all a gamble when you cant see it touch it feel it in person.

I have purchased alot of parts for my car off ebay with great results,I have also contacted sellers off ebay listing my year corvette parts to see if the had other parts I may need and they did and I purchased them off ebay from them.