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Smart Shopper Buying and Selling Vehicles Online (eBay, etc.)
225 messages, Last post on Sep 24, 2009 at 8:13 AM
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It's high season here in MI, boys, and I'm helping two people this week... ... the first one was a former neigbor; they're shoveling snow in the UP now, but the kid goes to school right here, and his car blew up. This is the kid who was too sexy for the 170k Corolla from his aunt that wound up being my major transportation for 1.5 years, but I digress. I do that. Anyway, Papa and I go shopping and pretty quickly land on former State-of-MI Taurus'. My friend Andre buys these like candy at the local auction; for around $4 I think. 2002 Taurus SE, semi-clean, Vulcan engine, a few dings and pings, well maintained, with 90k on it. $5 or a little less should buy one, and it's a lot of car for the money. Well, Junior has other plans, and so they wind up with an '01 Blazer LS 4dr 4x4 in pewter, 75k, for $10,600 with some short CPO left. You'd think they'd call and have me look up the values, but heck no. Alright, he can afford it. This one just for your entertainment. The second one I looked at today at the lab for one of our post-Docs. 2002 Prizm, white, base 3spd, crank windows but air and power locks. Some foreign dude pulls up in this thing, which appears to be pretty straight from the auction, with a GMAC sticker still in the window. He told our post-doc that he's a car dealer, but he's got private plates on the car... he also doesn't know from cars, as becomes apparent pretty quickly. I checked it out stem-to-stern... it was kinda hinky: No hits as far as I can tell. All VIN stickers there, no clamp marks or anything, the fender bolts looked original. O-kay. The template in the door jamb that has the manuf date was missing. Someone peeled it off...??? Never seen that before. The rear left turn signal isn't working, and someone pulled all the covers off on the inside but didn't replace the $2 bulb..? The tranny looks and smells OK, but the dipstick is just coated in waxy brown buildup, and the cyl head looks like a 70k car, not 36k. Not black, no goo, and no chunks, but nothing like *my* cars, which tend to be silverish rather than honey-colored under the valve cover. The valve cover has been off and his held on with 3 of four bolts ..?? they rattle when you drive. Other than that, it's OK; I'm not fond of the 3spd, but it drives alright, makes the right power and sounds, makes cold air to hang beef, and seems to be in ok shape. Smoker's car but you can barely tell. Ok, it needs new tires, the old ones are so bad they're round, and the car goes down the road funny because of it. My friend still likes it, so he's taking it to a competent shop to have it looked at.... the thing is, the guy is asking $6 for it, and that's the auction price for a decent one, so I encouraged him to pursue it so long as he has it checked out. But I told him, I'd get a $4,800 Taurus instead and have a *real* car. Boy, this got long. Good thing I touch-type  What do y'all think? Ta -Mathias |
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Replying to: rroyce10 (Jul 07, 2005 2:15 pm) To add to this discussion; ebay is a GREAT place to sell stuff. I just sold a 1974 Honda CB175 motorcycle. Took good pictures, described it really well, including a couple minor problems -- needed carbs rebuilt to idle properly, but it ran well. Also, the miles were low, 1,800. I really wrote "War and Peace" and described it to a "T". I think that helps attract serious buyers over flakes, but I could be wrong. Anyway, lots of interest, but not ONE technical questions...??? I would have asked a dozen had I been the buyer. Anyway, I bought it in '97 for $420, and with ebay and all, I figured it was a $6-800 bike. Well, I started it at $65 with no reserve, all sales final, and got $1125 from a guy who drove up from Buffalo, NY. He came with cash and left good feedback. I started it up for him, he didn't even ride it.... to each his own, I guess. Count me a satisfied ebay customer! -Mathias |
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I've been checking out trucks (250s/350s) on ebay for some time. Just curious I guess. But it dawned on me that about 98% of all SuperDuties are from Texas. Why is that? Do all SDs migrate to Texas to retire? It's the strangest thing. Thanks.
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Replying to: jhs70 (Jul 08, 2005 8:26 am) 
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Replying to: stickguy (Jul 07, 2005 8:15 am) Sure, and the check is in the mail! This is the INTERNET folks, beware...
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Replying to: cadillacmike (Jul 12, 2005 11:44 am) Ebay does have some pretty good fraud protection programs. My son bought some speakers for $200, never received them, the guy used his ex-girl friend's ebay id which had a good feedback rating. He got his money back but it did cost him a $25 filing fee. |
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....I mean, for the 'average' used car, I can't see or justify the use of eBay, unless the price is just phenomenal, or the vehicle in question is 'exactly' what you 'must' have. I like to see, sit in, smell, test drive and really examine my used cars before I buy, and even then I make mistakes. Bidding on a big ticket item like a car that hasn't even been in the same state as you seems counterintuitive. Of course, for other things, like the 'only' lavender '58 Eldorado Brougham left in the world, or that mint condition original Banana Splits lunch box with Thermos, I understand. For something like an '02 Ford Taurus, no.
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Replying to: ghulet (Jul 17, 2005 5:21 pm) |
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I'll never understand why anyone would buy a mainstream car on Ebay. If it's way below market value, there has GOT to be a reason! |
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Have you ever bought a car on eBay and had to go a distance to pick it up? If so, a reporter wants to hear about your experience. Please respond to jfallon  edmunds.com no later than Friday, August 12, 2005 with your daytime contact info, the cities and states involved and the make/model you bought. And, please put "eBay" in your subject line.
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