Perhaps you have seen a friend or someone on TV that got an amazing deal on a rare vehicle all through eBay. Well if you have seen that it can very easily entice you to give it a shot yourself. For just the average rookie trying to buy a car on eBay it will be a lot trickier and potentially more dangerous. When you are dealing with the high numbers involved with purchasing a vehicle it is not a time to mess around on eBay especially because very easily you can end up paying a lot more than you originally intended.
Tips on eBay
When you are purchasing a vehicle or at least looking and playing with the idea of it you need to hear the best tips to keep you and your wallet safe from a poor purchase.- Narrow your Search: Have a make and model in mind. It will be much easier to find something you like and something at a better price if you are looking for something specific.
- Don't Get an Itchy Finger: Do not just start bidding on anything and fighting right away. Watch the item for a bit and even look at previous sales history.
- Use eBay's Buyer Tools: It is very important that you check the feedback from other buyers. Read what people who have already bought from the user have said about them to make sure it is all positive.
- Call the Seller: If possible get into direct contact with them. This will help you feel much more safe and will also give you a chance to try and negotiate the price.
- Look for No-Reserve Auctions: Usually the minimum bid amount will be as high as the car's retail price, so on average it will be better to avoid these.
- Have an Out: Only bid on vehicles where you can get out of the deal after an inspection.
- Have the Car Inspected by a Mechanic: Find a mechanic in the area to make sure that it is checked out.
- Get the CarFax: For a fee of only $24.99 you can get an online vehicle history report to make sure that the seller is not trying to hide any information such as flood damage or mileage number from you.
- Bid and Back Off: Decide on a price that you will go up to, bid up to that point, and then walk away. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement and pay way too much, but do not be apart of that.
- Factor in Costs after Purchase: Remember that very likely you may have to go pick up the vehicle or have it shipped yourself so calculate those costs into your budget as well.