Selling a vehicle on ebay & buyer protection

B0bbyEwing

Some of you regulars will probably know that I don't really have a high opinion of ebay - in that in my opinion they're all for the buyer & don't care much for the seller. The buyer is at the mercy of the sellers honesty & could quite easily lose out.

Now that'd one thing when you're selling a pair of jeans that no longer fit you but not so great when selling a vehicle.

If I sell you a car privately & in a few days time you change your mind or it breaks down but my listing has been honest & you want to come ranting at my door for a refund I can tell you to jog on.

But what about when ebay (and I assume PayPal?) are involved?

My concern is the buyer ending up with car and their money refunded.

There's no reason why it should but with a car it can go wrong at any point & so I need to see what could happen before I jump in with both feet.

I'd be hoping for the £1500-£2000 sale but expecting the £1000-£1500 price point.

And while I'm asking, how is payment handled for cars on ebay? I'll assume not cash in hand so is it bank transfer? PayPal?

And I assume there's the usual fees with PayPal. So I'd get the ebay classified fee of £20 & if PayPal is as it used to be then it'd be an additional £41 on a £1200 sale? Meaning £1200 would bag me £1139?

But anyway my main concern is that ebay politics winds me up with no car & no money and just wondered if that's a possibility with ebay selling whereas it wouldn't be with say Facebook or Gumtree?

marcia_

I have sold two cars on eBay after needing to hand my license in for disability reasons. I always listed cash on inspection and pickup. Can you still do that?

B0bbyEwing

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81989621#Comment_81989621

Not sure. I last sold on ebay about 4-5yrs ago.

A relative of mine has sold a few things this year (first time they've used ebay as a seller) & from the questions they were asking me & the screenshots they were sending me it's totally changed.

My concern is the buyer taking the car, x-days later filing a not as described claim & then getting their money back & keeping the car.

Or returning it with all kinds of new damage & then getting their money back through the ebay system.

soolin

You can use the classified ad system on ebay for cars, a set fee and you control the listing and arrange viewings, payment type etc just as you would would for any classified ad.

eBay Customer Service

Or if you opt to use the auction/Bin format This might help

Selling vehicles, parts, and accessories | eBay

GDB2222

At this price point, I can’t imagine anyone would travel far. So, would Facebook marketplace be worth a shot? Or is it too full of crooks?

There’s also Autotrader, which speaking from memory charges about £60 but reaches an audience looking for your type of vehicle.

B0bbyEwing

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81989805#Comment_81989805

It's been on Marketplace for a little over a week now.

I've had 1 real contact for it. A guy who came in way under the asking price. Looking at the range they're listed for on FB-M, AT & eBay he offered a tad under the lowest part of that range.

And to be clear I'm not just talking about say a MK5 Golf as in everything under that umbrealla, I'm talking about I looked in to what my specific engine, my rough miles, year of manufacture, trim level etc etc - what all that was being listed for and he came in underneath the bottom.

Tried to talk the guy up a few £100 but he said no, his offer was good for the miles. I pointed out that there's listings with more miles for a higher asking price (I didn't want to come across as desperate so put up mild resistance) but go on then, when are you thinking of coming to view it?

His replies up to that point were rapid. Never heard from him again.

Few days later I say look I've got someone else asking but they can't make it for a couple week so I'm just checking if you're still interested at your price or if you've changed your mind.

Read it - never responded.

I've had a number of people view the advert, just no other contact, not even from other timewasters.

Car currently sits on a 6month MOT. I personally wouldn't be put off buying a car with a 6 month MOT. We all want 365 days but let's be real, the majority of sales are not going to give that. It's about being at an acceptable point. I also don't want to risk MOT'ing it & have it fail & need £100s of repair work done (I don't think it will but you never know).

So all the while it's sat there with no interest the MOT clock is ticking.

born_again

Also remember when it is sold that you transfer ownership online at point of sale. That way no nasty surprises in the post for fines that have nothing to do with you.

https://www.gov.uk/sold-bought-vehicle

GDB2222

I've got a 20 year old Volvo C70 to sell. It drives okay, but it has a few things wrong with it. Driver’s heated seat doesn’t work, for instance. More seriously the opening roof needs a service, although it can still be driven as a saloon. I’m honestly thinking of just scrapping it, a working car, rather than having people carping on about the defects.

B0bbyEwing

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81989923#Comment_81989923

Hear where you're coming from.

It's when they start waffling on that it's got a graze here & there & the alloys have been kerbed, so on & so forth & that means they need to offer you half your asking price to get these fixed.

And you just know that in 5 years time when they're driving around in it, it's going to have the same grazes & same kerb marks that it did the day you sold it because it's a 13yr old hatchback that'll be used to do the shopping & get to work, just like you're using it for & it's not a flipping show car.