Interesting car sales scam on ebay

[toughes]

Bought a car on ebay from an out of state seller....slow delivery (I understand this is usual due to shipping complexities).   Car has a rebuilt title.  Ad claims car is perfect ("needs nothing" and is less than a year old in my case).  The day the car is due to arrive I get a text from seller that side mirror is not working and they will send replacement and pay for install.    Car arrives. 

Overall good condition at first look.  Find mirror is non-functional.   Also find headlight switch non-functional.  Open hood and find dried mud caked into underside of hood (obvious flood car).  No info on flood/water damage in ad (car was rebuilt for front end damage from an accident).

Took car to dealer and dealer confirms car had been submerged for some time.  Corrosion led to wiring issues and mirror problem (as well as some other long-term issues i'm dealing with regarding lubrication).  Also AC was not working. Waited for any replacement mirror from seller...none arrived.  Had mirror fixed and sent bill to seller...no payment after 2 months but promises weekly to send one.   I find out that it is now too late to leave a bad review under ebay's policy (sellers reviews are 100% good).  Seller is also a dealer with no website so feedback there is not an option.  I don't think this is their first complaint!  They have the ebay system figured out for their benefit.

Ebay was not at all helpfull.  Obivously the fee they get from car sales exceeds what they make from me.  Clearly ad was fraudulent and seller is not trustworthy.  Ebay hid under the umberella of the rebuilt title and could provide no remediation.   Is fraudulent advertising not an issue?  Sellers not living up to their promises?   I offered to supply all texts/emails confirming my long standing issue and not one person from ebay even cared to look at them.  Again clearly ebay wants no involvement in governing their website/sellers.  I am pursuing other avenues to get my money and will never purchase a car again on ebay ...FYI, small claims court for out of state purchases from ebay are performed in the seller's state (i.e. you must go to that state if you want to file/settle, not very convenient...hmmm i'm thinking the sellers also now this legal feature).

[marinermikes]

You should have posted this on he EBay motors board. For cars on Ebay motors there is VPP Vehicile protection program.  It's pretty much worthless however it does cover title issues. I'm pretty sure it won't cover it since you did get a title. Also the program requires you to inspect or have a inspection company look at the car before you buy it. I would always advise looking at the title also.

It's a shame this happened to you. Obviously the seller pulled a fast if he didn't tell you it was a flood car. Could it be that is why it had that title?  If it runs and drives and has no other issues consider yourself lucky.

If you wouldn't buy a car listed in the local newspaper sight unseen why would you ever buy one from a stranger on a website?

[marinermikes]

I guess you are on the motors board! Other than what I just said I don't know that there is much you can do.

[mr.elmwood]

Pedantic, but, you did not buy the car "on" eBay, but rather, through it. Same as an ad anywhere. You bought the car from the seller, who merely advertised it on the eBay platform.

eBay had long had an arm's length association with vhicles. Basically "caveat emptor".

For any help from eBay, you are required to do a pre purchase inspection. This did not happen.

[tony1963]

This is a glowing case of how eBay has messed up their marketplace.  The buyer thinks that somehow the car is magically better since is is coming "through" eBay.  eBay has falsely let people believe that they are watching over the buyer and that has led to unrealistic expectations.  Those unrealistic expectations have led to unfair feedback for the seller.

Since we stopped selling through eBay, we have not had a single complaint.  The cars are the same serviced quality as we always had but there is no negative feedback to harbor or hold over us like with eBay.  Not that I ever gave in to that way of doing business, but it is a way to be rid of the problem, and the fees $$$$.