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vehicles
Are vehicles sold on this site? I feel like a scam is happening but am unsure. If they are sold, how do you get the actual vehicle? I know local pick up but what if there are states to cross? I feel stupid even asking but would rather sound silly than be out of hard-earned money. Thanks anyone who can help.
4 comments
shipscript
·2 years ago@eburtonlab explained how scams originate on other sites, pretending to be handled by eBay and typically pulling in victims with prices that are too good to be true.
@justme432010
Now let me explain how sales are handled when you find a vehicle here on eBay at
https://www.ebay.com/b/Cars-Trucks/6001/bn_1865117
Sellers may list by one of three methods:
eBay does not force either party to complete the deal, so either party can walk away prior to payment and collection of the vehicle. But be aware that the seller pays a listing fee up front, so if a buyer takes the vehicle off the market, and then has a change of heart, the seller has to again pay the same fee to relist the vehicle.
Prior to purchase, the buyer should examine the vehicle. There is an option on each listing to hire a third party to look at the vehicle for you.
Except for dealer classified ads, a seller can collect a deposit of a few hundred dollars through eBay's checkout. The balance of payment is made by the buyer, directly to the seller, in exchange for title, bill of sale, and keys.
If the vehicle is too far to pick up personally, it can be shipped. You should see a shipping quote option directly in the listing. The buyer arranges and pays for shipping (which will probably be around $1500 coast to coast), and it usually takes a couple of weeks to negotiate a carrier that will handle the end-to-end shipment between both locations (keeping in mind that the carrier may need perhaps 6 cars to complete a load). Shipments between major cities are easier to negotiate than remote locations.
The payment is where most buyers are hesitant. Typically, a buyer would send a cashier's check by overnight mail and the seller would wait for that payment to clear the bank before overnighting title and bill of sale back to the buyer and releasing the vehicle. Another option is to handle the transaction through https://escrow.com where the buyer pays the fee, or both parties might split the fee, to place the transaction in escrow.
Don't overlook the issue of insuring the vehicle once title is transferred, but while the vehicle is not in your possession (in the seller's garage or on a transport carrier).
eBay has a Vehicle Purchase Protection plan to handle disputes surrounding undisclosed issues.
https://pages.ebay.com/motors/buy/purchase-protection/
Be sure to read that policy before choosing a vehicle to make sure your transaction will be covered. The policy will not cover "undisclosed" issues that would have been readily apparent if the buyer had checked out the vehicle beforehand.
eburtonlab
Mentor2 years agoVehicles are sold on eBay, but vehicle transactions are not like most eBay transactions where the buyer pays online and the seller ships the item to the seller.
Beware scammers who advertise on other sites and tell you that the transaction will be handled through eBay.
That is not how eBay works. eBay does not rely on users finding ads on Facebook or other sites and sending contact information to a seller. Likely the seller will send a phony "invoice" that appears to be from eBay but is not, asking you to pay with gift cards to have the vehicle shipped to you for a free evaluation period.
eBay has no warehouse and does not ship vehicles. eBay does not handle such transactions or provide "vehicle protection orders". Scammers often promise those things, though. Any phone number you may receive on such an "invoice" does not connect to eBay, but to the scammer.
Anyone that asks you to purchase gift cards or to send card codes to them to complete a transaction is trying to take advantage of you. Anyone asking for a gift card is looking for a gift at your expense. Once anyone else knows the code, your money will be gone and you will have no recourse.
See here for some info about avoiding such scams (US links):
https://pages.motors.ebay.com/buy/security/index.html
https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-fraud-schemes/online-vehicle-sale-fraud
The only way to purchase a vehicle on eBay is to sign in to eBay, find the vehicle on eBay and complete the checkout process on eBay, so that the item appears in your Purchase History. Then you typically meet the seller to inspect the vehicle, pay the seller, and collect the keys, title and vehicle.
If you encountered an ad on another site, contact that site to have the ad removed. eBay is not involved with any ads listed on sites other than eBay itself.
justme432010
OP2 years agoThank you so much for the valuable information
eburtonlab
Mentor2 years agoYou are very welcome -- good luck!