• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

Ebay Selling question

Share this page

NutmegCT

NutmegCT

Great Pumpkin
Bronze
Offline
I've been advertising one of my cars (not the Triumph!) on a marque specific classic car website.

Over the last week I've spoken several times with an interested buyer in California, and we've agreed on a price.

But the buyer wants the protection of the "Buyer Protection Programs" offered by Ebay on car sales. Buyer will buy the car directly through Ebay, and pay me with a bank to bank transfer (which is ok with me, and which will eliminate PayPal from the loop).

How can I list the car on Ebay so that only she can buy it, at the agreed price?

I think there's something called a Private Listing?

Thanks.
Tom
 
Can't direclty answer your question, but I'd call eBay. They, and PayPal, have some nice customer support people.
As to your specifics, I've heard some post a car with a "Buy It Now" in such a way as to time it so that your agreed-to buyer is right there waiting for the post to click on that buy-it-now button.
 
Thanks Mark.

I just spent ten minutes on the ebay customer support line, and never got a human being. The system is strange to say the least. Robot identified my phone number, and asked me to enter my zip code. I did, and robot said "account not recognized". But I hadn't entered my account name yet. System never said what to do, but then moved to generic Buy/Sell menus.

Finally got to "Questions about Selling", but it never gave me a chance for a human. And none of the menu choices were close to what I needed to know.

So I gave up, called again, then kept hitting "0" to get a human, but no luck. There was never a choice for a human.

I'll probably just use a ridiculously high Buy It Now price, then call the buyer and while we're on the phone together, I'll drop the Buy It Now price to the agreed price.

There are complications on changing price if bids have already been received. Maybe I won't even list the car until the buyer is on the phone.

Can't believe this is so complicated. I can understand the buyer (in California) wanting "buyer protection" - I'd probably want the same. But all the hoops you have to jump through to list it, and *guess* what to choose in the selling options, can be overwhelming.

Tom
 
It never ends ...

I created the ebay ad, and clicked List Now.

But no confirmation email arrived.

I checked the MyEbay page, and the ad wasn't listed.

After checking several other ebay links, I realized my ad was missing.

I called another ebay number 866 540 3229, and immediately got a human being - no robot at all.

The service rep verified my account info, and said several thousand Motors accounts had a technical problem on the server, and that my ad had not been saved. Said I'd have to keep calling every few hours, asking when the problem is resolved. When the problem is resolved on the servers, I'll have to create the ad all over again.

I'm now looking for a convenient cliff to jump off.

Tom
 
Look for Craig's List.
 
Doc - Buyer wants the ebay "protection". I can't blame her.

Craigslist, etc. don't provide that.

I detect a trend developing: when I was showing the car to the car inspection company the buyer hired, another car breaks down right next to my car. We can't get in the driver door of my car.

Then the other car's driver's buddy pulls up to help him, parks ... and locks himself out of his truck.

Finally get those two out of the way, inspector drives my car, then we stop so he can take pictures. Camera battery dead. I loan him my own camera.

Guy sends report and pictures to buyer, who calls me and agrees to buy my car, but only using ebay. Now ebay is stuttering.

Keystone Cops, the sequel. Warning: do not get in an elevator, or into an airplane, if I'm aboard.

T.
 
Maybe it was PayPal where I got to speak with a human about buyer-protection.
 
The universe is trying to tell you something about selling this car...........but what's the message??

Oh yeah...it's also a full moon..........
 
Silverghost said:
The universe is trying to tell you something about selling this car...........but what's the message??

Oh yeah...it's also a full moon..........
Click to expand...

I sure want to believe you there! I spent almost three years restoring that old Mercedes-Benz, to make a cross country retirement trip in honor of my parents. They had planned to do the same trip in their own old Mercedes, but cancer ended their dream back in the early 1980s. For the full story, click the link in my signature below.

In 2011 I had a few surprises which cost me a lot of patience and money: cancer, blindness, flood damage, five surgeries. As I can't make the trip now due to the medical 'after effects', and I need to pay the bills, I decided to sell the car. No trip = no need for the Mercedes.

Buyer wants to buy the car on ebay. Ebay Motors is still "down" for several thousand accounts, so I can't post the ad. She now thinks I've been banned from ebay.

This is ridiculous. How do you guys deal with such a string of frustrations?

T.
 
NutmegCT said:
How do you guys deal with such a string of frustrations?

T.
Click to expand...

Sounds like my typical string of luck. Hang in there, Tom things can only change for the better from where you stand now. My third car was a '58 Mercedes 220s. I loved that car. It was solid as a rock. Closing the door was like closing a refrigerator door. Sadly, I had to get rid of it when I found I couldn't afford the parts. Bilstein gas shocks in 1968 were going for $58 <span style="font-weight: bold">each</span>! :frown:
 
If you sell the call through Ebay, won't you get slapped with a big fee? Has the buyer agreed to pay that for the protection?
 
Tom,
My experience with ebay is that it offers lot's of help to buyers and not much help/protection to sellers. Personally I'd say you've done more than enough. How much more does this person want? The buyer has to assume some level of risk. If she insists on "buyer protection" through ebay I'd be inclined to believe she's telling you right now that she's going to have problems with the car when she gets it.
 
I believe that the so-called "buyer protection" is offered through PayPal.
 
As I understand the details, eBay offers Vehicle Purchase Protection rather than Buyers Protection on vehicles. And it is eBay rather than Paypal. Those things covered really reduce if the vehicle is older than 10 years and older than 20 years it almost just amounts to blatant fraud, bad title, no title not vehicle, etc. Even then they place so many restrictions on it that its value is questionable. I suspect Steve (AN5Sprite) may be right. Sounds like she already is planning to have problems with the car.
 
Back
Top