Ebay...Selling Car's/Parts..Pros/Cons let's hear em

[NOVA]

My question is what are the (Real) pros and cons of selling on ebay, I am considering trying to sell a Car and parts,wheels,tires,hedders,etc on ebay.

I have had an account for 3 years but have yet to sell anything on there, I did list something on there a couple years ago and never did sell it?

So I want honest Pros and Cons, what sells? what does not? what is some key advice.
Plain and simply what is the best way to be successfull on ebay with used car's and Parts?

Looking for tips and pointers to selling on Ebay,I need to clean out the garage, slim down the fleet and move forward with other projects.

Thank you & Happy New year.

[69TAPoser]

I have my used Dealer's License and sell exclusively on eBay as a hobby. I have sold 24 cars on eBay in the past 1.25 years. Here are a few of my personal thoughts when it comes to selling a car:

Pros:

No other medium will get you as large an audience
No other medium will sell your car quicker
Relatively inexpensive ($40 to list, $40 when you sell)Cons:

Depending on the car, prices are VERY low on ebay. If your car is nothing unique, expect it to sell for near trade-in value at best. In particular, the last 6 mos have been very tough. Market may be flooded?
Lately, is seems as though there are lots of false bidders (people not intending to actually buy your car). The lower the price bracket of the car, the worse this seems to be.
Communication can be a challange. People will want to offer you trades, alternates payment methods, etc.
Everyone is looking to get something for nothing, this is the premise of eBay. This philosophy is consistent with eBay Motors too. It can be very frustrating.Suggestions:

Clean you car inside and out (sounds obvious but...)
Take as many GOOD pictures of your car as you can get. Walk around and take photos from all angles, inside and out. Take pics of the engine bay and tire tread. I usually post 35 pics.
Provide a complete and accurate discription of the vehicle and any history that you know. There is no such thing as too much information.
Use an auction listing service to make your ad look professional (I use www.carad.com as it is owned by eBay and integrated with their systems). It's only $10.
Pricing method is tough. Everyone will have a diff opinion. Based on my experience, if you are not selling a unique/classic car, I would NOT use a reserve. Reserve auctions get less bids. I start all of my auctions at the absolute bottom line price to help promote bidding.
Duration: 3 days is too short, 10 days is too long. I typically use 5 days, but 7 is ok too.
Not sure what you are selling, but I have found that cars in the $4k-$7K range have the largest selling success.
State your payment terms in your auction. I require full payment within 3 business days. Be aware that bank checks are very easy to fake. 90% of my customers pay with a wire transfer or with eBay finance (or a similar verifiable funding source like CapitalOne Auto Finance).
Selling parts:


Selling parts is easier (I assume you meant classic car parts). Somone is always looking for that 69 Camaro muffler bearing that you have had in a box for 5 years.
I employ the same strategy as stated above, but with way less pics and no listing services (not needed). Start at your rock bottom and let it get bid up.
Shipping: I state a flat rate that I know will cover the cost. This way you don't have to respond to the 50 inquiries about "how much is shipping to xxxxx zip code." This also allows you to close out the sale quicker and make 1 trip to UPS or USPS.
Get a Paypal account if you don't have one to accept payment.Hope this helps,

Phil

[GAS]

If you weigh the part as shipped you can use the online shipping calculator on EBay.
I also use usps and ups online for printing shipping lables and payment. Never need to leave the house that way. They both will pick up at your door.

Don't forget to factor in packaging cost, it can sneek up on ya some times.

Micha

[smack_talker]

Good advice. I want to sell my car on Ebay if it doesnt sell locally.

[NOVA]

Wow Great tips 69TAPoser & GAS!
Anyone else?
Thanks.


I have my used Dealer's License and sell exclusively on eBay as a hobby. I have sold 24 cars on eBay in the past 1.25 years. Here are a few of my personal thoughts when it comes to selling a car:

Pros:

No other medium will get you as large an audience
No other medium will sell your car quicker
Relatively inexpensive ($40 to list, $40 when you sell)Cons:

Depending on the car, prices are VERY low on ebay. If your car is nothing unique, expect it to sell for near trade-in value at best. In particular, the last 6 mos have been very tough. Market may be flooded?
Lately, is seems as though there are lots of false bidders (people not intending to actually buy your car). The lower the price bracket of the car, the worse this seems to be.
Communication can be a challange. People will want to offer you trades, alternates payment methods, etc.
Everyone is looking to get something for nothing, this is the premise of eBay. This philosophy is consistent with eBay Motors too. It can be very frustrating.Suggestions:

Clean you car inside and out (sounds obvious but...)
Take as many GOOD pictures of your car as you can get. Walk around and take photos from all angles, inside and out. Take pics of the engine bay and tire tread. I usually post 35 pics.
Provide a complete and accurate discription of the vehicle and any history that you know. There is no such thing as too much information.
Use an auction listing service to make your ad look professional (I use www.carad.com (http://www.carad.com) as it is owned by eBay and integrated with their systems). It's only $10.
Pricing method is tough. Everyone will have a diff opinion. Based on my experience, if you are not selling a unique/classic car, I would NOT use a reserve. Reserve auctions get less bids. I start all of my auctions at the absolute bottom line price to help promote bidding.
Duration: 3 days is too short, 10 days is too long. I typically use 5 days, but 7 is ok too.
Not sure what you are selling, but I have found that cars in the $4k-$7K range have the largest selling success.
State your payment terms in your auction. I require full payment within 3 business days. Be aware that bank checks are very easy to fake. 90% of my customers pay with a wire transfer or with eBay finance (or a similar verifiable funding source like CapitalOne Auto Finance).Selling parts:

Selling parts is easier (I assume you meant classic car parts). Somone is always looking for that 69 Camaro muffler bearing that you have had in a box for 5 years.
I employ the same strategy as stated above, but with way less pics and no listing services (not needed). Start at your rock bottom and let it get bid up.
Shipping: I state a flat rate that I know will cover the cost. This way you don't have to respond to the 50 inquiries about "how much is shipping to xxxxx zip code." This also allows you to close out the sale quicker and make 1 trip to UPS or USPS.
Get a Paypal account if you don't have one to accept payment.Hope this helps,

Phil

[69TAPoser]

I just listed a car last night. Go here and you will see how I list:

Ebay Listing (http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=017&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&viewitem=&item=270076784886)

Anyone need a Passat Wagon? :fingersx:

Phil