How to Buy a Car on EBay

This post is a guest article from Larry of How to Car. Larry loves to buy, fix, and sell cars. If you need advice on your car, Larry has the answers. His website is full of tips about car maintenance and is an excellent resource for Do-It-Yourselfers.

Prospective car buyers, who are looking for a bargain, choose to attend car auctions in hopes of bagging the car of their dreams at a cut-rate price. Prices from car dealers are just too high for many people today. This is the reason why hundreds of thousands of people in the United States have purchased their cars online through EBay Motors, an online car auction resource.

You need to be cautious as fraud and misrepresentation abound in the cyber highways of EBay. A good number of bidders end up as happy buyers of a car they snagged. They get it below its market value and have no problems with the seller. However, since internet fraud has increased in these online auction sites, it won’t hurt to be extra careful in dealing with sellers. You don’t want to end up being one of the 1% who fall prey to fraudulent cases from EBay transactions. Don’t shell out that hard-earned money too fast too soon. Make sure you do your part in ensuring a legit transaction with an EBay car seller.

The ratings on sellers’ feedback indicate a lot about them. If a seller is serious in his trade, he will do anything to make sure he gets very high feedback grades. Take time to also read the comments posted by other buyers. Also check the items being sold by the seller and examine the products the feedback refers to. Pay close attention to the high ticket item feedback ratings, these will help you the most in determining if the seller is legit and honorable.

It would also be wise to check the car’s history with a Carfax report. One can be easily obtained for a small fee. What you will need is the car’s VIN (vehicle identification number), afterwards you will have the car’s history, including its previous accidents and maintenance. This is good information to have in your hands and you will be wiser in your dealings by not getting suckered into what seems on the surface to be an excellent deal.

You can also pay a third party to inspect the car of interest for you if you live far from the seller. General inspections cost about $99.50. It may be a high price, but if you’re committed to bidding on a car, this inspection could save you a lot of grief later. For your peace of mind it’s a small price to pay.

Whatever the seller has promised you should be put in black and white. Keep every bit of written communication that passes between you and the seller, including your responses. Verbal agreements may be denied in the future. If you have it all in writing, then any issues that come up later will all be to your advantage.

It is highly recommended that you should not pay in cash and this includes sending money through Western Union, money orders, or personal checks. Opt for the safer options of paying with Paypal or credit card if your limit permits. You want Ebay’s buyer protection—always.

Buying a car on EBay is a great alternative to purchasing the same car through a dealer. By following the simple precautionary measures listed above, you can be assured of making a great deal.

Photo Credits: KevArchie

Originally posted 2010-04-20 09:29:56.

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car auctions, car buyers, car maintenance, car seller, carfax report, cyber highways, ebay, ebay motors, ebay transactions, online auction sites, online car auction, vehicle identification number, vin vehicle identification number

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