ShipScript has been an eBay Community volunteer since 2003, specializing in HTML, CSS, Scripts, Photos, Active Content, Technical Solutions, and online Seller Tools.
Most likely, the car was not listed on eBay. There are many scams, on Facebook and other sites, that pretend to be selling something that eBay will be handling.
These are red flags for a SCAM:
- Vehicle found on some other website.
- The vehicle can not be found on https://ebay.com/motors
- Price is too good to be true.
- There is urgency due to death, divorce, transfer.
- Vehicle is not available for inspection.
- False claims that eBay will provide any of these non-existent services:
- broker the sale.
- require prepaid cards as payment.
- escrow/hold the payment.
- warehouse the vehicle.
- ship the vehicle.
- offer a free inspection period.
- provide free delivery or returns.
eBay Scam Info page:
https://pages.motors.ebay.com//buy/security/index.html
If you received an email or were directed to a website, forward this type of scam email as an attachment (so that the email headers are maintained) to car@ebay.com to add to their ongoing investigations, or send them the website address.
Can you post the item number or link to the car that was purchased or to the current car listing?
The listing ended Aug 17 2023 and shows that the car is covered by eBay Vehicle Purchase Protection for non-delivery of title.
https://pages.ebay.com/motors/buy/purchase-protection/index.html
The buyer is responsible for picking up the vehicle or for arranging carrier transport. Have you contacted the seller to make arrangements for picking up or transporting the car? Shipping a car must be arranged by the buyer - the seller is not obliged to ship, and is probably waiting for some communication from the buyer.
I would hurry to get this settled before the listing disappears at 90 days. Contact the seller and start discussing how to pick up the car and transfer title. The seller is probably wondering what happened to the buyer.
The title of your post is "circumventing fees". However, it is not possible to circumvent eBay fees when selling a car because the fees are paid up front by the seller. There are no Final Value Fees to circumvent. Due to legalities, the sale is completed outside of eBay directly between the buyer and seller, and, prior to payment, either party can walk away from the transaction without consequence.
The only sum that eBay could collect from a buyer is a deposit. Since that listing had no deposit, eBay would have nothing to collect - thus, no buyer payment. However, it is interesting that "no deposit" translates to no feedback.
A cashier check is a normal method of car payment, as is cash on pickup, while western union and wire transfer are not recommended due to high fraud rates.
It is difficult to advise from snips and bits, without the full story line. Did you take possession of the car and discover undisclosed problems? If so, read the VPP details here:
https://www.ebay.com/cdp/help/vehicle-protection-plan-details
eBay's Vehicle Protection Plan covers hidden issues that would not have been evident when personally inspecting the vehicle. eBay expects buyers to look at the vehicle prior to purchasing, and for those who can't, each listing has a link to a paid inspection service to take a look on behalf of the buyer. eBay VPP will not cover problems that would have been evident to someone examining or driving the car.
