Selling Cars and Trucks on Ebay (your experiences)

AndyM · Nov 26, 2004

I've bought several small items on Ebay over the years, and actually bought a car on Ebay once (a $300 car /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif).

Since I had always been a buyer and never a seller, I was kind of nervous at first about going into the great unknown, but I got into selling some of my old CD's earlier this year, with great success too (I never thought people would pay over 20 dollars for used CD's /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif). Now that I've sold over 100 CD's, I'm looking into selling some much larger items...

Looking to reach a large amount of interested people, I'm now looking to sell a Ford Ranger and a Ford Club Wagon (van). Other than higher fees, is there anything else I need to look for if I decide to try to sell these on Ebay? I've already got a minimum price in my head that I would like to see out of each one. What are some of your experiences selling larger items such as cars and trucks on Ebay?

Bob_Skurka · Nov 26, 2004

After trying to sell a couple of restored antique tractors via newspapers, and various antique tractor websites, I finally gave up and sold them Ebay. The tractors sold for far more than I could get locally and they sold in 7 days. While that is not a car a restored tractor can sell for a pretty penny. I've also bought 2 cars on Ebay. One was a brand new Volvo C70 convertible from a dealership who listed it on Ebay, the other was an Avanti Convertible from a private buyer.

The biggest issue has always been the same, regarless of car or tractor. SHIPPING.

Inspector507 · Nov 26, 2004

Andy,
I sold a camper, a tractor and a motorcycle on Ebay. I set the starting price at a few hundred dollars and the "Buy it now price" at what I needed out of them. They all three sold within hours. I was happy and so were they. A lot of people sort them by the lowest price and some will sort by the ending time. It's all a crap shoot........
Get a Postal Money Order or cash in hand first, before signing over a title.

Junkman · Nov 26, 2004

the trick to selling vehicles on e Bay is to be as honest about the description as you possibly can. Buyers will look at your feedback to check your honesty. If you know of a defect, tell the potential buyers. Use lots of pictures and make sure that they bring cash when the car is picked up. Make sure to get a deposit within 24 hours, because if the deal is going to fall through, better to know earlier than later. I have never sold a car on e bay, but I did sell my tractor. The bidder commented that it was better than I had described in the auction. This makes for a happy buyer. A unhappy buyer will always give you negative feedback, and that will last for your entire e bay history. While it might not be deserved, it will still be there and work against you in the future.

aardvark · Nov 28, 2004

As well as the most honest and accurate description as possible, but also take lots of pictures. I sold my old race car chassis (not even a car, just a chassis that was NHRA legal to 7.50 ET's in the quarter mile, and an interior), and supplied about 45 pictures. I just supplied a link from the ebay auction to my web space and said "45 more pictures here", and let the bidders look through them. For a car, the extra money for a gallery picture is worth it. I think it's even just fifteen cents, but I can't remember. I've sold a Mustang race car chassis, a Jeep CJ7 and a motorcycle all on ebay. As was said above, they sold in seven days to someone who wanted to buy it, and I didn't have to keep showing the stuff to tire kickers hoping for a deal.

sendero · Nov 28, 2004

I know some car dealers who make their living buying at the wholesale auctions and selling on ebay. In fact, I am in the process of switching careers from software developer to used car dealer - though I don't plan on doing much ebay for the foreseeable future.

They do quite well, but there is a trick. You have to be willing to sell way below "book" value, otherwise you are wasting your time. People don't buy a car sight unseen without getting something in return.

And yes, if you intend to do this often, your feedback rating is critical. If one of your first 8-10 customers leaves you a negative feedback, you'll be hurt. You have to describe the car down to the smallest defect. If a customer feels your description was "inflated", you'll get the dreaded NF.

Plus, there are way more deadbeats than on regular ebay. In other words, one out of 100 folks may fail to follow through with a deal on ebay, on EbayMotors, it is more like 1 in 10 or even worse. You can leave them a neg feedback then they will leave you one. Nobody wins.

One of my guys just learned that lesson again - now he will never accept bids from new people or people with NF. If you do, you triple your odds of never completing the deal.

Best of luck, there is money to be made on EbayMotors if you play the game correctly!

aardvark · Nov 28, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Best of luck, there is money to be made on EbayMotors if you play the game correctly! )</font>

Yep! But the name of that game is parts. I have sold alot of stuff on ebay, but last month I actually had no listings, as I've been tractoring every weekend. I find wrecked 5.0 Mustangs and part them out on ebay. The typical $1500 wrecked 5.0 Mustang is about a $6000 parts car on ebay. Parting out my race car, the one I mentioned above, was about $14k. That's the money I bought the tractor with. Any desirable car can be parted out on ebay, but I really only know about the 79-93 Mustangs, so that's all I really do. I do have a 95 Nissan 240SX SE sitting here I need to part out, but lately I've been working on the yard so much, it's just been sitting. It's probably a $5500 parts car, paid $280 to the towing company get it out of thier lot, it was cheap enough I couldn't pass it up. Granted, parting an ENTIRE car is ALOT of work. I can strip a Mustang in less than a day, but inventory, documentation, and listing of the parts takes several months.

AndyM · Dec 8, 2004

For those of you who have been following the story, I listed my Ford Ranger on Ebay about a week ago.

The auction ended last night...
I met my reserve price, the seller emailed me within 10 minutes, and he picked up the truck and paid in full in cash 14 hours after the end of the auction! /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

I'm sure all Ebay Motors experiences don't go this well, but it was a good first experieince for me. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Now I have a Ford van to sell... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Inspector507 · Dec 8, 2004

Andy,
You didn't give us first dibs on the Ranger?? /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

AndyM · Dec 8, 2004

Jerry! Now you tell me!
Actually, anyone interested in it had this thread to mention it to me before I listed it. It would have saved me $80!

Since you brought it up, anyone interested in the Club Wagon before I list it? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif