ebay vettes are they safe or should I look local

[jsimpson]

...oh yes, and PLEASE don't pester the e-bay seller with inane questions that are already answered in the ad. I clearly stated in my ad that mine was a project car, that it had been raced, that it had a LOT of non-original parts and modifications, that it was NOT numbers-matching, that it was NOT an appropriate candidate for a 100 point restoration, and specified what needed to be done to get it on the road. In spite of my forthrightness, the majority of the questions were about number-matching, and what is needed for restoration to original.

 

[Jack]

This not to disparage any particular individiual ... this is a generalization. Nothing is "safe" on eBay ... because eBay itself ... and its sisters Paypal & SquareTrade actually provide little to no REAL recourse in the event a buyer wins a pig in a poke. I know, I've tested them & found their limits when I was burned on a relatively inexpensive item. Any "safety" lies solely in the integrity of the seller ... the eBay "group's" policies lend themselves to aide & abet unscrupulous sellers. The higher the price of the item ... the greater the buyers' risks. There's plenty of honest sellers on eBay ... but there's some real toads too ... it's impossible to really tell ... feedback ratings can be (and are) manipulated. For my tastes, the bad apples ruined it for the good guys. Do not let eBay or its sisters' "safe harbor" (total flop) lull you into a sense of false security ... you can rely only upon the honesty of the seller. BTW ... has anyone ever tried to phone eBay? ... has anyone ever found their number? I found out some of eBay principals' emails ... do ya think they ever replied? That tells me a lot! I note eBay's stock performance has been real good ... about $102/share today ... but I'm not gonna put a penny toward it. I would never agree to buy any vehicle unless & until MY agent or myself has personally checked it out ... whether it's on eBay or just across town.

 

[jsimpson]

It's generally accepted that e-Bay's service to both buyers and sellers is terrible. My comments apply to any long distance purchases in general, e-Bay or magazine ads - ask for answers and pictures of details you are interested in. If you don't get what you ask for, go elsewhere. It's just as easy, if not easier, to get burned locally. When you're looking at the car, feeling it, running your hands over it, it's all too easy to let emotion cloud your judgement. A long distance purchase allows you to keep calm, cool, and objective. And there's no trained salesman lulling you into a purchase that you really don't want to make.