Any Experience Buying BIG TICKET items on EBay??

[DDD]

easy child/difficult child has found a CAR on ebay. Good Grief! I can't wrap my head around buying such a big ticket item, sight unseen, from a stranger who lives in Utah. Yeah, that's right Utah...and we live in Florida? WTH???

Based on the communication:
1. A divorced woman has a low mileage great car with Carfax etc. and will pay for the shipping costs.
2. The pictures look great and she alledges that it is in prime shape.
3. Why isn't she keeping it? Well, she got it after a divorce and she does not drive at all.
4. The Ebay site shows that it has an automobile financing expert etc. available to buyers ? sellers ?
5. It is represented that you pay 1/2 to Ebay, then Ebay approves the car to be shipped and holds the money.
6. There is a Buyer inspection period (can't remember how long but at least two weeks) and the Buyer can back out if not satisfied.
7. If the Buyer is happy the remainder of the money is sent to Ebay and then ??? Ebay sends all the paperwork to the Buyer.

Does that make sense? Please let me know if you have any experience with this type of sale. DDD

 

[CrazyinVA]

I would be very cautious of buying a car sight unseen on eBay. There are many scams out there, and I've known a few people that almost got caught in them. Warning signs are prices that are too good to be true (i.e., way below blue book), people that live in one state, but the car is in another, and convoluted stories about why they're getting rid of them.

That said, my brother has bought a car via eBay with success. He drove out to get the car, though, didn't have it shipped to him. I can't remember how he did the payment part, but he met the owner in person.

Edit: here's a decent article about it:
http://www.thecarconnection.com/news/1048856_buying-cars-on-ebay-what-you-need-to-know

 

[witzend]

Not in a million years would I do that! The more "personal background story" they give you, the more likely it is that they are yanking your chain.

At the VERY LEAST I would ask for the VIN so that I could research it on CARFAX.

 

[GoingNorth]

No way would I buy a car without being able to drive it first AND have my mechanic check it over.

 

[Hound dog]

ONLY LOCAL for such a purchase, for the above mentioned reasons.

sister in law has purchased many cars and motorcycles ect on ebay, craig's list what have you but only from someone close enough he could go check out the vehicle. He's only had good experiences mostly but then again he's an airline mechanic who also knows his way around cars. He has spotted some bogus "deals" though and it made him either furious or laugh depending.

 

[DDD]

The mystery is solved. S C A M! easy child/difficult child contacted the automotive division of Ebay and they immediately told him to forward copies of the emails he received for them to turn over to the FBI. I was really tip toeing on egg shells with him because he is 25, because he does have Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) effects and because, of course, I still control his money and had to Thank God that he couldn't make a decision on his own of that magnitude. Sigh!

on the other hand......this was a slick scam. In fact I was leery but not really convinced it was a scam at all. It seemed "odd" but the lady provided all the info on who the Ebay representative was for the auto sale. She provided her personal name and address ??? She politely insisted that she would only sell if Ebay was the financial partner in the transaction.

I did, in fact, reach out to a few people and both of them knew someone who had purchased an auto via Ebay. Wow! I am so relieved and so proud that easy child/difficult child took the initiative to contact Ebay himself and HE was the one who got to declare it was a scam. Phew/Whew. LOL, I was born after the era of the "snake oil salesmen" but the Net makes everyone vulnerable I guess. Sigh. Thanks, as always, for the support. DDD

 

[witzend]

Excellent! M is dying to spend money that he doesn't have yet on a car, too. I hope that he won't, and that if he does that he will do his due diligence, as your difficult child did.

 

[susiestar]

VERY PROUD of difficult child!!!

He did exactly the right thing by contacting ebay. I would not buy a car from ebay. Esp one I could not go and inspect and take to a mechanic.

It is great that you did not have to be the 'bad guy' shooting down his car, but even better that he did his own research and footwork and discovered the scam.

 

[DammitJanet]

Whew. My idea was going to be to have a mechanic in that area go investigate the car. One he contacts that she doesnt recommend. That is the only way he could be somewhat assured that the car was legit. Then he should arrange for transport. Not her.