Buying A Classic On Ebay Motors

eBay Motors is today one of the most important markets in the buying and selling of classic cars. Consider the following:
• eBay Motors sells a car per minute
• Every day, more cars are sold by eBay before 9am than are sold by the average dealership across an entire year
• In 2006 eBay Motors was the world'’ most popular automobile website
• At any given time, you can access around one million parts on eBay

These are pretty impressive statistics. However, you still need to be very market savvy in order to get real value for money on an auction website like this. Take the time to read on so that you are thoroughly prepared before entering the world of online classic car trading.

Firstly, ensure you have a good, fast computer and a high-speed Internet connection. These factors can be critical when it comes to the crunch on an auction and you are bidding against fellow enthusiasts from around the world.

If you are not already a member, you need to register on eBay. Do this before you start searching, because it will enable you to access all the relevant information and features, like being able to watch a bid without bidding yourself, saving favorite searches, and reading full descriptions and seller feedback.

If you have no experience with buying and selling on eBay, it is worthwhile getting some practice under your belt by bidding on and buying a few low cost items. These can be car related or not; you can search for just about anything on eBay, so take the time to look around and get familiar with how the site works, and how the bidding and buying process runs. Practice communicating with sellers via email through the site, and ensure that images download from the site to your computer.

When you are ready, start browsing through the car inventory to see what might be of interest to you. Click through on a car that takes your fancy to see a detailed listing, questions and answers between the seller and other interested buyers, the bidding history, and so forth. Take particular note of the following:

• Reserve: As in all auctions, this is the minimum that the seller will trade the vehicle for .
• Buy it Now: At this price, you can buy the car outright without going through the bidding process.
• Best Offer: With this feature, you can make an offer directly to the seller, who can choose to decline or accept your offer.
• Meet the Seller: Click through here to read previous buyer feedback. This is really important and will give you an excellent indication of whether the seller is genuine, and how she/he has operated in the past.
• Buy Safely: This Vehicle Purchase Protection is a means to protect consumers against misrepresentation and fraud.

Once you have begun to narrow down your search, start obtaining and recording all the information you can about the car’s repair and restoration history, current condition, and features. There should be plenty of pictures, so inspect these carefully. Any questions you may have can be directed to the seller via the “Ask the seller” feature. Don’t hesitate to request more details or pictures. Do so before you bid so that you do not end up wasting your money on something that is not what you thought it was.

Of course, there are risks involved in purchasing a car over the Internet, but there are a few things to look out for that might help you avoid the scam artists.

• Request to see the vehicle in person. Whether or not you intend to do so, asking will usually reveal whether or not the seller is actually in possession of the car.
• Do not accept photos that appear to be out of a brochure or auction listing. A genuine seller should provide genuine pictures he or she has taken themselves.
• Avoid paying by wire transfer if this is the only payment method available. People who are paid only via wire transfer could be anywhere in the world, and may simply be posting pictures on the Internet, collecting the cash, and vanishing.
• Beware of cars being sold at well below their typical market value. Genuine buyers and sellers know what they market value of their cars are, and while cars sold online typically trade at 10% less than what they would at auction, seriously undervalued cars should ring alarm bells.
• Check the seller's feedback carefully. Make sure they have a history of selling classic cars. If they are offering something you are after, but their transaction history refers only to a trade in video games, look elsewhere.

Consider what you are willing to pay and stick to it. Just like any other auction, there is a risk that you will get carried away by excitement and pure competition on eBay. Consider market value and your own budget, and do some research on what similar items have traded for on eBay in the past.

Don’t forget that buying a classic car typically involves more costs than just the price of the car. Consider shipping, taxes, title transfer and registration costs and incorporate these into your budget.

If you are bidding at prices over $15,000, eBay will require that you have a credit card number on their file. This is used not to charge you for an item won, but to verify your identity. Provide these details before you start bidding.

Be fully informed on payment terms and methods, and remember that first installments are typically required as soon as the auction closes. Usually you will be asked to pay in full within 7 days. If you are looking to arrange finance, eBay can do this for you. Click on

“eBay Financing Center” for details.

When it is time to bid, it could be an idea to offer a scouting bid rather than your maximum bid, just to see where your competition lies. Ultimately though you should bid the maximum you are willing to pay, and eBay will then bid on your behalf up to that maximum. If you are outbid, eBay will send you an email to notify you.

If you are quickly outbid past your maximum, you may need to reconsider what you are looking to buy. However, if the auction is drawing to a close and you are in the running, make sure you are at your computer in the last ten minutes or so. If it is a matter of being outbid by, say, $50 in the last minutes, you might like to increase your maximum bid.

Remember though, do not get carried away and bid over what you can afford. And never bid over the market value.

If you are the winning bidder, make contact with your seller and arrange payment and delivery. Schedule a time to see the vehicle yourself. When you take delivery, make sure you have all the information from the eBay site printed and with you. Together with the seller, go over every detail and raise any issues then and there. If there are problems that cannot be solved, either renegotiate your price or ask for your deposit back.

If your car arrives by shipping, carefully inspect it before unloading. Damage that occurs as a result of unloading is the responsibility of the shipping company. The shipper’s driver and you should together inspect the vehicle, take notes and photos, and sign off on the agreed condition.

Take your car to a mechanic and get it thoroughly checked out. If there are issues that were not raised between you and the seller during the auction process, you might need to email the seller and discuss these. Ultimately, the seller will want positive feedback from you, so in general you will find most to be co-operative and willing to work with you to resolve any issues related to the sale.