eBay Motors
An Introduction
Launched on April 24, 2004, eBay Motors has succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest expectation. The prediction that consumers were generally hesistant to purchase used cars online was completely wrong. In its second year of exesitance, eBay Motors sold over $1 billion in cars!
Although it’s a separate site within eBay, buyers and sellers can use their same user ID and password on eBay Motors.
More than half of the listings on eBay Motors are from professional dealers with listings in five main categories:
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Boats
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Motorcycles
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Parts and Accessories
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Passenger Vehicles
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Power Sports
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Other Vehicles
Buying Cars on eBay Motors
Nearly 450,000 used cars were sold on eBay Motors last year. Your dream car just might be the next.
After you’ve found an auto in which you are interested, go to Edmunds.com or NADAguides.com to learn what the true value of the car you are looking is. This will help you place a realistic limit on your bidding.
Note the car’s description. Unless otherwise stated, assume that all cars listed on eBay Motors are sold As Is (without a warranty). Check the reputation of the seller by carefully reading his or her feedback.
Next, click over to Carfax.com with the auto’s vehicle identfication number (VIN) and plop down $19.99 to obtain a vehicle history report. This will point out potential problems by providing a the car’s history of salvage, accidents, repairs, flood damage and owner history. eBay Motors and SGS Auto offers a service where a licensed local mechanic will inspect the car for $99.50.
Don’t be afraid to contact the seller for any clarification or questions before you bid.
Finally, if you are not close enough to the seller to personally pick up the car, ensure you factor in the price of shipment by auto carrier into your bottom line. Shipping across country will generally cost $800.00. Many dealers can arrange this for you and eBay Motors has also teamed up with a shipping company to provide this service to its community.
Selling Cars on eBay Motors
Selling a car on eBay Motors is similar to listing on eBay’s regular site. A good description and pictures are key. Have the title or registration handy when creating your listing. Assume that potential buyers are going to run a vehicle history report on your car, so you should to if you are not the original owner.
Something else you may want to consider is an inspection. Pep Boys and eBay Motors have teamed up to offer a cosmetic and mechanical inspection for $24.99.
The fee structure for selling on eBay Motors is different than eBay’s regular site.
There’s a flat $40.00 listing for vehicles posted to the Boat, Passenger Vehicles, and Other Vehicles categories ($30.00 for Motorcycles and Powersports) and a $40.00 fee if your auction receives a bid ($30.00 for Motorcycles and Powersports).
eBay’s regular fee structure applies to items listed for auction in the Parts and Accessories category.
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