Auto Dealers hows sales on ebay? Traffic? Is it even worth it any more?

[h13creations]

Hello I'm wondering how other vehicle sellers are doing in terms of ebay? I have never had so many non paying buyers it was always bad but lately it takes an average of 3 buyers before someone actually pays. I will no longer even accept and offer until I'm paid because PayPal gives them thier deposits back and I'm stuck with hundreds in relist fees. One month was 2200 in fees. I have enough inventory I could get a motors subscription for a flat monthly fee but I just wonder if Ebay is worth it any more. About 8 yeate ago I managed an account for a large dealership and everything I listed sold and sold fast. I really have stopped listing vehicles on Ebay and the website traffic is declining too I noticed the search engines are all messed up. Some vehicles I'm lucky enough to have right ar the top others you cant find even if you type the exact listing title.  Just wondering how everyone else is doing?

[nunabr0]

Ebay allows people to sign-up and bid on big-ticket items without so much as knowing their name; let alone holding them financially responsible for what they do- meaning that one has to use Buy-It-Now with immediate payment required in order to not waste one's time and money- which pretty much kills the whole point of Ebay- that of having an AUCTION, which often results in higher prices. So since Ebay has effectively killed off auctions for vehicles, what is the point of listing here?

Secondly, the niovelty of buying vehicles online has worn off long ago. Unless you are selling rare or exotic vehicles, there is really no point to selling here. You can buy a Camry or Accord or F150 anywhere....why bid on stuff 1000 miles away that you can't inspect and test drive first, and then have the expense of bringing to your locale?

That being said, PayPal should NOT be refunding deposits! If you specify in your ad "Non-refundable deposit", and then fight it when people open a case, by telling PayPal that the money being disputer was a DEPOSIT for a titled motor vehicle, and the buyer never paid the balance due, they will NOT refund it.

Their own policy states that deposits do not qualify for buyer protection, as they are a "service". People know how to work the system, and word their claims as though it is an "item not received" case or "not as described" siutuation (even thouigh they never paud in full, and never took possession), and PayPal falls for it, since most of this stuff is automated- but if you make them aware of the facts, they will not entertain a claim for a deposit refund.

It's just such a PITA having to take the time and effort to struggle with these disputes multiple times on each listing.... and for what?- to get less money than you would if you sold locally.

And oin top of all of that, the average person comes here and types the type of vehicle they want into the search engine, and gets listings for parts or fuzzy dice. If they do manage to find the actual vehicles, the options to sort and filter them they way they please, are all but gone- so either way, they can't efficiently find what they want, so they gfet disgusted and click away.

15 years ago, this was a great place to buy and sell vehicles. Today? Pffftttt!

[atikovi]

Ebay is an auction site but your 2 listings are fixed price. Might as well just list them on classified sites. People here want to bid on cars hoping to get a good deal but can often get caught up in the excitement and bid more than expected. List them starting at $100 with a reserve at the least you would take and a Buy It Now price $500-$1000 above that.

[h13creations]

You are so spot on its chilling and I feel that we were separated at birth lmao. It does bring me some comfort to know I'm not  completely crazy as we obviously experience the same problems. As for the PayPal deposit once again you were right and I found myself more and  more having to remind whoever I was talking with at PayPal what their own policy stated about vehicle deposits sometimes it went in my favor. What happens now is the  buyer  goes to Ebay who somehow forces a refund which just happened and I dont know how ebay can override PayPals previous decisions  but they claimed it was not them who logged into the account... every day for 7 strait days and out bid 11 people ... and than again with 2 minutes left it was not them... not them logged in who asked me great specific questions through out the auction including a shipping quote to thier home address. Or the buyer is able to cancel it with thier bank and I get pulled out of my account randomly later. Ebay was worth it because the used vehicle market is so significantly different across the USA. In the northeast vehicles are rotten and a pickup is in high demand they run 40 to 60% higher than they do in my dry rust free market. That's one example of some little niche type vehicles. It's just the lack of solid customers and zero recourse for us sellers these days that has me ready to leave agin and not put an effort towards this site.

[h13creations]

As we mentioned above I cant do auctions any more just to many people dont pay over and over and I'm stuck with the fees. I have played with the buy it now best offer lately because it weeds out some of those people but I still have people who submit an offer and I accept and I never here from them again as well. It's a back and forth issue with no real winner as far what works best. But it's great to get other sellers advice and experiences. Thank you 

[h13creations]

Here we go again trying to clean some stuff out did no reserve listings my views are pathetic barely 100 a day. The same cars on offer up are getting 1000 a day. What has happened to this site. I use to be able to list anything and see 300 to 500 views a day. Does anyone buy on ebay anymore? Even when I look for parts or anything other people's listings if they have a counter are sad. This is by far the most expensive place to list a car and they are giving us less and less. 

[deech21]

may be Ebay Motors is not where serious car buyers go to browse,bid and buy.

THere must be other sites .

Just like folks looking for true antiques do not expect to find them on Ebay  

[mr.elmwood]

I personally know a fellow that make his living selling cars on eBay. The market eroded away. He refocused his business in other directions, and is doing well. 

I sell parts. What I sold, and how I sold them, ten years ago, does not work now. The market has changed, the buyers have changed.

Buyers no longer use "computers", PC's. They use their phone. How the eff do you sell a car over the phone? Oye?

I have re-focused, re-invented, changed, bettered, altered, so many times, that I am unsure of my name.