Slightly OT: Purchasing Car on eBAY

MadMango opined in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

I've had several experiences with it...

bought two from private owners... and two from dealers who use Ebay

Have had two not-so-good experiences... guess which!

Not that i got REALLY screwed by the dealers, but I might as well have just gone down the street to "Honest Al's" and paid too much for what i got.. I wont buy from a dealer on Ebay again, twice is an idiot, three makes you a moron.

I dont use my Paypal account... and so I dont have to worry about those phony "update your account" emails.

I always check the sellers' feedback... anything less than 98 % should be thought about and buying from a new seller is a roll of the dice.

I bought a 93 Tbird from a guy in Atlanta... I live in Columbus (OH). After vetting the guy, and the car, I paid without seeing it because i am very familiar with that model and what he stated was perfectly in tune with what i know. Then bought a cheap one-way ticket, flew down and drove it back.

Since rust is always a consideration, if the car is a distance away, i suggest you have a local "buddy" check out the item. And this group is a good place to find one.

I have bought one car, '95 T-birdwhich I am driving right now, it was from a dealer also. I would not buy another from a dealer as well. After investing another grand or so I finally got the car I thought I was buying in the first place. Just because the pictures look good don't be fooled. I payed with a check and picked it up myself as it was only a few miles away. I got a good deal price wise and saw his rating on e-bay was good but would check things out a bit more next time. I think you are taking a risk no matter where you buy a used car from. excobra boy

I've bought and sold a total of 6 cars on ebay in the last 3 years. Just need to do some homework for researching the car (carfax) and seller. I guess I've been lucky as the 3 buys were all good. But lately,l with all the scams going on, I would prob not buy from a private seller unless I could verify who he/she is somehow.

Thanks for the feedback all. That was what I was suspecting for eBay auto purchases... some good, some bad, nothing is perfect.

Those that bought from individuals, were the sellers open to further communications (phone, more photos, etc)?

MadMango opined in news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com:

My two private sellers were!... esp the last one, he had stated possible transmission problems and we corresponded and spoke on phone several times till I felt comfortable that i could get the car home.

In return, I sent the money order, he sent the title.

I had forgotten one other transaction, which you should be aware of...My Son won auction on an Aerostar for much less than book, seller backed out because he had forgotten to put on a reserve.. turns out he was 17 and selling for his father.

Feedback is the only recourse you have in a situation like that because we COULD have made a big deal of it and forced the guy to deliver for the price, but while that was going on, he would have had the car... if you get my meaning and what we finaly got wouldnt have been all that great .

And that's why it's so important you read feedback closely.

Overall though I will trust a private seller with good feedback -THAT's what it's for - more than any dealer UNLESS the dealer specializes.

BECAUSE the car is much more likely to be in good shape when you look close, pictures flatter, remember!

The one dealer had a lot full of cars with minor hail damage or cracked fascia and stone pits..worn upholstery, worn paint etc.

i suspect he did almost all his biz thru EBAY and priced just good enough to have the buyer accept the car reluctantly because he had already made the long trip.

I bought my 99 GT on ebay. I put money down and arranged financing thru household bank, the bank that ebay sends you to if you click there link to find financing. Household was a hassle and required so much of us and the seller before they would release the funds. They wanted basically a packet signed and notorized , title, power of attorney to get the title transfered and other papers filled out before they would give us the control code to put on the check to allow the seller to cash it. The seller, thought it was bad business to release his title and a POA giving someone legal control over his car, without the funds being payed in full, plus it took about 4 days for the check to clear. The seller finally did conceed and complied with household only after talking to him and pursueing other options for securing funds and coming up empty. To make matters worse i live in NC, the seller was in FL and Household bank is in CA. once the check did clear i drove our van to FL on a Friday night in late September of 04 (hurricane season), rented the last auto transport in FL, got my stang and drove back to NC in strong winds and bad rain and a hurricane on my ass. I anticipated gas shortages and brought 2 5 gallon gas cans with me. I used them when i came to an area where the gas stations were closed or out of fuel or power and always filled them up when i could find a gas station that was open. Everytime i would stop i had to wait around for so long that by the time i was getting out of there the hurricane weather was catching up to me. I finally made it out of there and got my pony back home though. it was a good experience mixed with bad experiences and a little adventure too.

Ryan "MadMango" wrote in message news: snipped-for-privacy@comcast.com...

I bought a 76 Nova in August, drove it from TX to Ar, did nothing but put gas, oil, and insurance in it for 4 months,turned a $500 profit on it selling it on Ebay

Guy I bought it from answered all my questions, guy I sold it to was on the phone with me several times.

Ebay worked for me.... but I bought my Cougar local from a car dealer.....

in a few months, I may try it again with the Cougar, but I will always be open to buying a car, parts, books, accessories, etc from Ebay.

This doesn't really answer the question but when I buy a used vehicle I like to kick the tires (so to speak),I check the transmission fluid to see if it's clear and red,or brown and smelly.I like to see some repair history,invoices etc.I will run a compression check,look at the tires for signs of front-end trouble.I want to feel the power,hear the engine,listen for bad noises,feel the shifts,look at the interior,smell the interior,take a close look at the paint etc. I realize this is the "information age" and I am just hooking up at this late stage,but I would NEVER buy a vehicle without a thorough inspection.There are plenty of local cars.Why gamble like that?Plus with a local car you may be the only one "bidding" on it and can really get a deal. Brian O.

This is the main issue I can't seem to get over when considering buying a Mustang (or any car) over the Internet. I mean you are basically taking an unknown person's word as "solid gold" considering what they think of the car they are trying to sell. A '69-70 Mustang is going to run me around $10-15k, this is not pocket change to me.

I *need* to kick the tires, smell the interior, feel the worn vinyl, push down on the bumpers, look for even tire wear, see that fog-clear glass. All those things let me get to "know" the car. An emailed picture might be worth a 1,000 words, but doesn't come close to matching the other 4 senses.