Best way to sell a car privately - ebay?

Felicity

Hi, hopefully I can get some advice off somebody experienced here.

I've got a 6 year old BMW in excellent condition to sell and I was just wondering what the best way to sell it is .... I was thinking of either ebay and / or Exchange of Mart.

I want a relatively quick sale but obviously the best price and NO SCAMMERS!

Should I put it on ebay with a low start price and reasonable reserve? Does that attract bidders, or should I just sell it in a mag at a fixed price?

Just looking for tips and advice really.

Thanks in advance ....

glossy123

Hi
I have had two experiences of selling cars on ebay.

One was my late father's very low mileage but not that young top of the range Jaguar and I dithered for ages before deciding to put it on. When I did I put starting price the very min I would accept with a buy it now somewhat higher, and within an hour I had an e-mail from a truly genuine buyer who had been looking for just that car. That was probably a bit out of the ordinary but it has gone to a terrific home which actually in that case was just as important as price.

I then did a classified listing for a friend who is totally ebay illiterate(!) for a land rover - that is very good value for money because it lasts 28 days, - and we had a number of contacts. She sold it - for less than we hoped but for more than she would have got from the dealers around here, so really another positive result.

What I would advise caution about is payment methods - I have read so many scare stories that even cash can't be taken for granted - so don't part with car till cash or banker's draft definitely in your bank account!

HTH

globalds

I have bought 2 cars off ebay .
A Honda and a Lexus ,Both were nearly new ,in excelent condition and I paid far bellow the market price ..Why ...because the listings were very poor .
If you are going to sell a car for a few thousand ..Then put in the effort ..I may not bid on the item ,But lots of people will .
Lots of good quality pictures.Make sure the Key words are all in place .Be prepaired for tyre kickers and time wasters .
The Honda I won because the original winner had claimed his bid was by a drunken mate ...Item re-listed on 3 day auction ...not to good when there is no reserve .
The lexus ...Well if you are going to sell a Lexus without including the word Lexus !

Felicity

Thank you both so much for those tips, they are helping me to think the right way.

LOL at the Lexus ad without the word Lexus in ..... Dhhhhhhh!

Yes, I am VERY nervous about the payment but have decided to go ahead and list the car anyway. Will put a low start price on it and reasonable reserve and see how I get on.

I've chosen a price which is about £1k or 8% lower than the dealers are offering the same car at. Obviously that extra £1k gives the buyer additional piece of mind and a 3 month warranty, but hopefully some people are brave enough to buy privately (even though I am not sure I would be!).