Tips for selling my car on eBay

benjus

I would welcome potential buyers coming to test drive a car I was selling... as long as they had insurance. Whether you are happy with 3rd party only (e.g. the Driving Other Cars cover from a policy in their name - ask to see the policy, and don't assume that all comprehensive policies include DoC cover) is up to you, although demanding comprehensive cover effectively means that they would have to shell out for temporary insurance.

If they didn't have acceptable insurance cover I would offer to take them for a drive.

zappahey

benjus wrote: »

I would welcome potential buyers coming to test drive a car I was selling... as long as they had insurance. Whether you are happy with 3rd party only (e.g. the Driving Other Cars cover from a policy in their name - ask to see the policy, and don't assume that all comprehensive policies include DoC cover) is up to you,

If they only had 3rd party, I'd be wanting to see the full price in cash in my hand, on the basis that they crash it, they've bought it.

Hammyman

oceanscape wrote: »

- Should I let potential bidders come and see it before the auction ends?

Would you buy a car without seeing it? You have no choice if you want to stand a chance of selling it. Anyone who put "no viewings" wouldn't get a second look from me.

- If a potential bidder does come and see the car, I assume they can't test drive it?

If they bring proof they are insured on their policy to, yes they can but don't let them go on their own. If it turns out they're not insured and they're stopped then you would get convicted as well for allowing someone to drive your car without insurance - 6 points plus fine.

Hammyman

jase1 wrote: »

No no no no no.

If the bidder doesn't bother to visit before bidding, he has no right whatsoever to pull out after winning.

Wrong. If you turn up and the item is not as described then you can walk away.

jase1

Hammyman wrote: »

Wrong. If you turn up and the item is not as described then you can walk away.

The time to decide whether the car is as described is before bidding.

Otherwise there is nothing stopping anyone from pulling out arbitrarily, making up some story (which car have you ever seen that has had every scratch, trolley dint, worn trim part or slight exhaust rattle explained in minute detail?) and leaving the seller with a bill through no fault of his own.

By the letter of the rules you are quite correct, but it just isn't good enough to waste sellers' time in this way.

If someone can't be bothered to get off their lazy fat backside before the auction has ended and inspect the car before bidding they deserve all they get.

Hammyman

Fully agree but thats the situation unfortunately.

Noelsagan

alcot33uk wrote: »

... when I got there the airbag light was on, seller said 'oh it's never done that before'....yea right... So I negotiated a £250 discount (which off a 1K car was reasonable). Luckily turned out to be caused by the drivers seat being moved backwards and forwards too many times.. disconnect, contact cleaner, sorted!!

Was it a Megane or a Scenic?

Exemplar

How could you Noel........

zappahey

jase1 wrote: »

The time to decide whether the car is as described is before bidding.

...

By the letter of the rules you are quite correct, but it just isn't good enough to waste sellers' time in this way.

If someone can't be bothered to get off their lazy fat backside before the auction has ended and inspect the car before bidding they deserve all they get.

At risk of repeating myself, if the seller is honest about the condition, there is no issue. If the seller doesn't honestly describe the car then they are the timewaster, not the poor sap who crosses half the country to discover that the "mint condition" car is a bag of bolts.

I'd be interested to know how many cars you have bought and sold on ebay and how many problems you have encountered in the process.

I have sold 5 and bought 3 and, prior to the end of the auction, none of them were viewed by the successful bidder. One guy even travelled from Ireland on the strength of an honest description. The only problem was the one lying seller.

mikey72

I agree entirely.
Bought 4, sold 1, no problems at all with any of them.
And I had test drives in all of them, (apart from the last one, a non runner that I trailered a couple of hundred miles home) and let my buyer drive before paying as well.