Selling a car using "best offer"

SnowWhiterThanWhite

I've been a member on ebay for many years & have just used it to advertise my car, mainly because is was a lot cheaper to advertise than my local paper or autotrader.

I specified a 'buy it now' price, and also, 'best offer'.

Within the first day, I received an offer, but it was a silly price & I declined the offer.

The next day I received another offer from a different buyer (feedback good, lives locally), very near the asking price & so accepted.

What I don't understand is why someone would make an offer without even seeing the car?

I have given my contact numbers, & obviously members can contact me through EBAY e-mail (none have) but, what happens if the buyer sees the car & then makes a lower offer? At the moment, it has cost me £8 to list the car & a further £20 as a final value fee - Has anyone got any experience of 'best offer' and if the sale doesn't go ahead, will the fees be refunded?

An invoice has automatically been sent to the buyer - how long should I wait before contacting the buyer?

Thanks

Mrs_justjohn

Some buyers think that they are 'bidding with a view to buying'......some just hit buy it now to get it off the site so they get first refusal....

If the buyer does not buy then you will need to do a NPB dispute to recover your FVF's - I don't think you get your listing fees back

Whatever you do - don't accept paypal!

JPS29

As already said DONT TAKE PAYPAL

Have sold loads of cars on ebay. Majority of them with no viewings just click buy it now or best offers, or highest bidder. If you have good feedback, showing a history of honesty and give a detailed description including photos then they aren't really buying it "blind"

I describe EVERY single known fault on the cars I sell. If I do get a clown who tries to chip me down I inform them that Im not desperate for the money and advise them they've just wasted their petrol money viewing as the winning bid is the LEAST I'll take. If they dont go through you can file a NPB or a mutual cancellation and you'll get your FVF fee back anyway. Bidding listings have their advantages as you can just second chance offer...

SnowWhiterThanWhite

Thanks for your replies.

I still haven't been contacted by the buyer so have req their info via EBAY. Just out of interest, accepting payment by PAYPAL should be avoided because....??

JPS29

Because buyer can file a claim for not received. Paypal only go with online tracking with a signature (which you dont have) automatically rule in favour if buyer leaving you to go down small claims route, thats if you have the right details.

You dont have to accept paypal when selling (cars) on ebay

SnowWhiterThanWhite

JPS29 wrote: »

Because buyer can file a claim for not received. Paypal only go with online tracking with a signature (which you dont have) automatically rule in favour if buyer leaving you to go down small claims route, thats if you have the right details.

You dont have to accept paypal when selling (cars) on ebay

Thanks for the info

SnowWhiterThanWhite

Am really annoyed:mad:
I e-mailed the 'buyer' several times with no response. I even got their contact details through Ebay & tried calling - left a message.

I finally received a message almost a week later saying that they 'forgot' they had made an offer, 'forgot' to check Ebay and have now purchased a car elsewhere!

What an absolute waste of my time - I then had to cancel the trans under mutual consent to get my final value fee back, but have still lost out £8 having to re-list! I can't even leave a neg remark on their feedback.

Hintza

Don't accept ther offer until they have come and viewed the car and sale agreed. If they offer without seeing it they are 9/10 wasting everyons time.

soolin

SnowWhiterThanWhite wrote: »

Am really annoyed:mad:
I e-mailed the 'buyer' several times with no response. I even got their contact details through Ebay & tried calling - left a message.

I finally received a message almost a week later saying that they 'forgot' they had made an offer, 'forgot' to check Ebay and have now purchased a car elsewhere!

What an absolute waste of my time - I then had to cancel the trans under mutual consent to get my final value fee back, but have still lost out £8 having to re-list! I can't even leave a neg remark on their feedback.

Even worse if they refuse the mutual you lose your FVFs.

OPen a full NPB on them, they might chance paying by paypal but if they do argue it with ebay that this is a strictly cash on collection deal (as is allowed with cars) and that the NPB stands.

JPS29

Hintza wrote: »

Don't accept ther offer until they have come and viewed the car and sale agreed. If they offer without seeing it they are 9/10 wasting everyons time.

I have sold over sixty cars on ebay and the majority (80 percent or so) are to people who either buy it now or win on bids without viewing. Yes there are some timewasters/dreamers but if the seller is realistic and honest with their listing it is no where near 9/10 timewasters, or I wouldn't have had so many sales.

Also by getting someone to come and view the car but not accepting the offer someone else could click the buy it now while you're shaking hands on the deal. You would then be in a very awkward position with the ebay buyer who would prob neg you.

rosie383

We sold our car on Thursday night on a best offer. The buyer emailed me that night, but I hadn't put the pC on ( I had last checked for the night about 10 mins before they bought it!). The next email I got was from a different ID with virtually the same message ( very badly spelled text speak) on the Friday at about 12.20pm. I replied to the buyer, not to this new ID as soon as I saw it at around 1pm.
Since then, we have heard nothing. Even though this new ID is obviously the same person, there is no way I am emailing them. Why should I email someone who has 'not bought my car'?
When I checked out the feedback that the buyer has, it is obvious from a trail I was able to find, that they seem to get NFB, then change their ID.
Just a thought, as they changed the ID the day after I sold the car, the original ID they were using would be inactive so they wouldn't have got my message, would they?
Any ideas what I should do? I know it is only a few days, but this smells very bad to me.