EBAY help needed

[RollingsFarms]

I want to sell my truck, NEED to sell it NOW! i've been trying to sell it for the past 3 1/2 months and haven't had but one serious buyer and he couldn't get financed with his bank. i've been using craigslist(doesn't work, only get those stupid calls from those places that want to charge you a fee if they sell your truck), my local trader paper(had a few calls from here but nothing to get excited over), and even have had the truck sitting in front of my old warehouse on a major highway. alot of people stop, none are serious about buying it. i'm sick of holding on to this thing and it's holding up my buying a new tractor! i'm ready for it to be gone! i figured EBAY is my last resort to selling it. i have an account with them, but never bought or sold a thing on the site. never really planned to do business with EBAY, just get on to look around sometimes. would it be impossible for me to sell my truck on EBAY since i dont have any feedback? seems like everyone i've asked that i know that knows anything about EBAY only knows how to buy, they don't know how to sell. if i am only asking for the payoff for the truck, should i set a reserve, or do a buy it now, or just set the auction at a couple hundred below the price i need and hope for the best? how much is it going to cost me to sell this thing on EBAY?

I guess what I'm trying to get at is I need all the help I can get from anyone that sells on EBAY.

 

[RobJ]

For starters look at the way other vehicles are sold on Ebay. Do whay they do in most cases. Buy it now good, a reserve a must. Add in your write up "for sale locally, reserve the right to cancel at ANY time". Be prepared to get stiffed. You can put the VIN out there and serious folks will run a carfax before they bid.

But if it's been for sale that long, I'm thinking you might have it priced to high. When I want to sell something, and it's a decent item, I can always price it to sale quickly, or price it to get the max dollar....which may take longer.


What are the details on the truck if I can ask?

 

[RollingsFarms]

For starters look at the way other vehicles are sold on Ebay. Do whay they do in most cases. Buy it now good, a reserve a must. Add in your write up "for sale locally, reserve the right to cancel at ANY time". Be prepared to get stiffed. You can put the VIN out there and serious folks will run a carfax before they bid.

But if it's been for sale that long, I'm thinking you might have it priced to high. When I want to sell something, and it's a decent item, I can always price it to sale quickly, or price it to get the max dollar....which may take longer.


What are the details on the truck if I can ask?

I've been looking around for trucks that are the same year and setup as mine but there is only one for sale similar to mine and it's being sold by a dealer for WAY more then i am asking for mine. it's a 2007 toyota tacoma 2wd, regular cab, 5 speed manual with only 21,400 miles on it. clean as a whistle. i only owe 13,200 on it so that's all i want to get for it. have asked many people if that was a fair market price and have been told yes by all of them. i bought the truck for my mother but she cant drive anymore, and i dont have any use for the truck...great gas mileage or not, it doesnt do what my current truck does. the only way i was planning on parting with it if i listed it on EBAY was bring me cash in hand, or bring a check but understand that you will not leave with the truck until that check clears. then my bank will mail you the title since the own it. what did you mean by look out for getting stiffed?

 

[jdbower]

It depends on your exact model and options, but $13k is a bit on the high side according to Edmunds. It's not horribly off, but maybe a few thousand too high depending on the condition and options (the 2WD Tacoma 5-speed I priced was about $11-12k from a dealer).

 

[RollingsFarms]

It depends on your exact model and options, but $13k is a bit on the high side according to Edmunds. It's not horribly off, but maybe a few thousand too high depending on the condition and options (the 2WD Tacoma 5-speed I priced was about $11-12k from a dealer).

i priced mine with all the options, and came up with $12,850

 

[jdbower]

It's good that you're at least pretty close, but remember that you'll want to look at the "Private Party" value. Printing out the Edmunds report and putting it in the window can help a lot.

Regarding eBay, it's hard to actually do things well. Selling anything as a new eBay user with little or no feedback it rough but I'd imagine that selling a vehicle as an unknown user is even tougher. A reserve price will ensure that it doesn't sell for below that, so that should be your rock bottom price (it's hidden from users but they can see if it's been met or not). The "Buy it now" price allows someone to bypass the auction style and just buy it outright for the price you set - but there could still be bidding if no one clicks the button.

The advice to search for similar vehicles is a good one, some eBay strategies work better than others depending on the item being sold (and where). You can sell the car for $1 and let people decide how much to bid, you'll probably get a few teaser bids of $100 or so before they get to real offers but it may generate interest. On the other hand, starting it close to or at the minimum sale price could mean you don't want to play auction games and just want to sell it. If you're brave $1 with no reserve gets a lot of attention, but you may end up writing a $13k check if things don't work out.

 

[RobJ]

I've been looking around for trucks that are the same year and setup as mine but there is only one for sale similar to mine and it's being sold by a dealer for WAY more then i am asking for mine. it's a 2007 toyota tacoma 2wd, regular cab, 5 speed manual with only 21,400 miles on it. clean as a whistle. i only owe 13,200 on it so that's all i want to get for it. have asked many people if that was a fair market price and have been told yes by all of them. i bought the truck for my mother but she cant drive anymore, and i dont have any use for the truck...great gas mileage or not, it doesnt do what my current truck does. the only way i was planning on parting with it if i listed it on EBAY was bring me cash in hand, or bring a check but understand that you will not leave with the truck until that check clears. then my bank will mail you the title since the own it. what did you mean by look out for getting stiffed?

I didn't look up the price but the 5 speed manual stands out. Just like having a pool whaile selling a house, sometime it'll hurt, sometimes it'll help. Just depends on the buyer.

Good Luck,
rob

 

[ultrarunner]

I grew up around a the family car business...

People right now are looking for deals more than ever.

Trucks are not in favor at the moment even though selling a Toyota is a plus.

It is MUCH easier to buy a new vehicle than a nearly new one from a private party due to lack of Dealer financing... so you are competing with all the new vehicle Dealers and their financing promotions.

It is always harder to sell a stick because you have eliminated 60% of the public that can't or won't drive one.

Small Regular Cab Trucks are harder to sell today because many now need the utility of a car that is big enough to take the family in a pinch...

Give EBay a try... just realize that it is not without cost... especially if you plan on taking Pay-Pal for any part of the sale price.

Have you put the word out that you are open to trading for a tractor? Never know, you just might find a Dealer or Owner to make it happen.

 

[tallyho8]

With all the dealer financing programs being offered, most people wind up owing more on the vehicle than it is worth. Getting back what you owe on one is very rare these days on almost new vehicles because many are sold with little or no money down and low notes over an extended period of time. I have seen some new standard pickups selling for $13,000 and most people would rather buy a new one with less features than a used one for close to the same price. The day you drive the vehicle off the lot it depreciates in price several thousand dollars and it may be many months before you even pay off this price depreciation much less the diminished value of the used vehicle. It sounds like you have to lower the price to sell it even if the one on the dealers lot is priced higher because most people are willing to pay a dealer more than an individual.

I have bought and sold on ebay thousands of times and I hate reserve prices when I am shopping for something. I want to know what the seller wants for the merchandise with a buy it now price or an actual bid price that I may get it for. When I'm searching for something like a tractor in the $5000 range, I want to look at tractors that will be sold in this range, not a $20,000 tractor that is listed for $5000 with a hidden reserve price of $20,000. When I see a reserve price on an item I just skip to the next item.

 

[RollingsFarms]

I grew up around a the family car business...

People right now are looking for deals more than ever.

Trucks are not in favor at the moment even though selling a Toyota is a plus.

It is MUCH easier to buy a new vehicle than a nearly new one from a private party due to lack of Dealer financing... so you are competing with all the new vehicle Dealers and their financing promotions.

It is always harder to sell a stick because you have eliminated 60% of the public that can't or won't drive one.

Small Regular Cab Trucks are harder to sell today because many now need the utility of a car that is big enough to take the family in a pinch...

Give EBay a try... just realize that it is not without cost... especially if you plan on taking Pay-Pal for any part of the sale price.

Have you put the word out that you are open to trading for a tractor? Never know, you just might find a Dealer or Owner to make it happen.

i wasn't going to use paypal for the sale. strictly cash or check, and the buyer will not be able to take the truck until the check clears. what's messing me up is the loan i have on it, otherwise i would sell it for little to nothing of what it's worth just to be rid of it. the thought of trading for a tractor is nice, but would have no way to payoff the loan and my bank does not transfer payments. even though it is a stick and a regular cab, the fact that it consistently get's 26mpg around town should be a great selling point but hasn't worked out that way yet. i am of the minority that if i own a truck with a 4cyl it must be a stick and do not really care for extended cabs in small trucks. to me, a 4cyl with an automatic gets inferior mileage and feels underpowered. if i wanted an extended cab, it has to be a v-6 or if it's a full size truck then a v-8 will only suffice. hopefully there's a buyer out there with the same vehicle logic as me.

does anyone have any other helpful information about ebay? thanks for the posts so far!

 

[RollingsFarms]

With all the dealer financing programs being offered, most people wind up owing more on the vehicle than it is worth. Getting back what you owe on one is very rare these days on almost new vehicles because many are sold with little or no money down and low notes over an extended period of time. I have seen some new standard pickups selling for $13,000 and most people would rather buy a new one with less features than a used one for close to the same price. The day you drive the vehicle off the lot it depreciates in price several thousand dollars and it may be many months before you even pay off this price depreciation much less the diminished value of the used vehicle. It sounds like you have to lower the price to sell it even if the one on the dealers lot is priced higher because most people are willing to pay a dealer more than an individual.

I have bought and sold on ebay thousands of times and I hate reserve prices when I am shopping for something. I want to know what the seller wants for the merchandise with a buy it now price or an actual bid price that I may get it for. When I'm searching for something like a tractor in the $5000 range, I want to look at tractors that will be sold in this range, not a $20,000 tractor that is listed for $5000 with a hidden reserve price of $20,000. When I see a reserve price on an item I just skip to the next item.

i think thats what i'm going to do. im just going to list a buy it now price and see what happens. the main hurdle i have to jump is the fact that i have no feedback, no buying or selling experience, so its going to be almost impossible to sell it to serious buyers without them thinking its a scam. are there ways around that? would putting my cell number in the add help you think? how difficult is it to make an add to sell a vehicle for a first timer? are the steps pretty straight forward or is it confusing? i wish there were business or people in my area that would list stuff for ebay for you and charge a small fee.

 

[tallyho8]

i think thats what i'm going to do. im just going to list a buy it now price and see what happens. the main hurdle i have to jump is the fact that i have no feedback, no buying or selling experience, so its going to be almost impossible to sell it to serious buyers without them thinking its a scam. are there ways around that? would putting my cell number in the add help you think? how difficult is it to make an add to sell a vehicle for a first timer? are the steps pretty straight forward or is it confusing? i wish there were business or people in my area that would list stuff for ebay for you and charge a small fee.

Having no feedback is only a problem when you want people to send you money before they get their item. Selling the vehicle with no feedback will not be a hinderance if you state that they have to pay with cash on pickup at the bank's notary office within 3 days of the end of the sale and tell them that if it is not completely as you described it that you both agree to cancel the sale. If you request them to pay a deposit before coming to see it, then no feedback will hurt your sale. On your auction page state that they can contact you by "ask seller a question" and you will provide them with your phone number and answer any questions.

Ebay is pretty easy and straight forward to list items on and you can go to the help page to get info on listing and end of sale fees.

 

[RobJ]

I have bought and sold on ebay thousands of times and I hate reserve prices when I am shopping for something. I want to know what the seller wants for the merchandise with a buy it now price or an actual bid price that I may get it for. When I'm searching for something like a tractor in the $5000 range, I want to look at tractors that will be sold in this range, not a $20,000 tractor that is listed for $5000 with a hidden reserve price of $20,000. When I see a reserve price on an item I just skip to the next item.

If I see something with a reserve and want to bid I'll PM the guy and ask what is the reserve? Every time I've asked they have responded back and told me.

As you mentioned, easy to sell something, look at other ads, do what the masses do. I probably would not put my number in the listing. But if someone sends you a message, respond ASAP. Then give them your number offline to talk. Then everyone feels warm and fuzzy.

 

[California]

All good advice. I'll add a couple of comments FWIW.

I've read that if an item sells on Ebay the first time you list it, you set the reserve too low! Expect a couple of cycles at least.

You might set the reserve at what you need for it and the opening bid at say $10,000. Any bids you get from buyers who seem real (good feedback, real dealers, etc) might help you judge a more realistic sales price. For subsequent auctions you might need to move the reserve down below what you owe on it and make up the difference yourself, just to get rid of it.

Somebody out there wants it. But at their price.

 

[dooleysm]

I tried to sell my truck on eBay a few years ago. I think I had a reserve and a Buy It Now price on it. Nobody ever put a bid on it. I got many inquiries on the reserve (which was about $4k below blue book private party price, as I owned it and wanted to be rid of it). I had a couple people that were seriously interested and finally found a buyer. Between the time he agreed to buy it and when he wanted to pick it up I found a local buyer that paid $500 more, so I sold it to him.

It was frustrating to me that nobody wanted to use the eBay process, they all wanted to get around it for some reason. I don't see where that helped them, as a buyer, in any way. If the guy I had originally agreed to sell it to had used eBay he could have gotten the truck for about $1k less than what he agreed to pay.

 

[RollingsFarms]

does EBAY charge when you re-list an auction if it doesn't sell? i know there are initial charges, but are they only a one time thing?

 

[tallyho8]

does EBAY charge when you re-list an auction if it doesn't sell? i know there are initial charges, but are they only a one time thing?

There is no charge for relisting it one time if there were no bids on it and it sells the second time. This is from the ebay web site:
Normally, Insertion Fees are non-refundable. However, if your listing ends without a winning buyer or ends with an Unpaid Item (UPI), you may qualify for a credit by relisting the item. If the item sells the second time, eBay will refund the Insertion Fee for relisting.

 

[kenmac]

Have you thought about autotrader.com. Don't know if they are in your area or not but, I have sold several vehicles with them. They come out , take pictures , etc, It may be hard to sell that truck . I talked to a car dealer today & he said about the only thing selling right now is the 30- 30+ mpg vehicles

 

[riptides]

Have you thought about autotrader.com. Don't know if they are in your area or not but, I have sold several vehicles with them. They come out , take pictures , etc, It may be hard to sell that truck . I talked to a car dealer today & he said about the only thing selling right now is the 30- 30+ mpg vehicles

So my F250 Super Duty Diesel with the crew cab ain't gonna move anytime soon?

Autotrader is a great idea. They are online and have paper in stores too.

 

[Podunkadunk]

I know you said you had problems with Craig'slist, but it's always worked for me. I've sold 2 motorcycles and a lot of "junk" on there.

One thing is I don't put an email or phone number or name in the posting. Let them contact you via craig'slist, then if you feel they're legit, email them a number to contact you. Worked for me. Those "professional" car sellers peruse Craig'slist looking for contact numbers to call. They usually won't take the time to go through the process of contacting you via the server first and waiting for you to get back with them. They are looking for an "easy" sell.

Good luck with Ebay...I consider the site a last resort, just like you mentioned. Too many fees since they are publicly traded.

Podunk