|
|
 |
How to Buy on
Online-Car-Auctions.net
|
Step 1: Find Items
Look for
listings of interest on Online-Car-Auctions.net by taking advantage of our
browse and search features. Whether you are looking for a car,
motorcycle, or part, you can specify the make, model, and year range.
|
|
Step 1A - Browse
You can
browse or search on Online-Car-Auctions.net to find listings of interest.
To browse
on Online-Car-Auctions.net:
1. Access a category of interest
directly from the Online-Car-Auctions.net
home page or browse
all Online-Car-Auctions.net categories.
2. Review the categories list and
click a link of interest.
[See
Figure: 1]
A results page with all of the current listings will automatically appear.
3. Use the Categories section in the
left navigation to narrow choices to a particular model, if applicable.
[See Figure: 2]
4. Use the column headers to sort
listings by mileage, year, price, or the time left before the listing ends.
5. Click the column headers again to
reverse the sort order.
|
Figure: 1
Figure: 2
|
|
Step 1B – Search
Use
search to find a broad range of items (such as by year) or narrow down your
search to a particular make or model (such as “GT”). There are several ways
to search on Online-Car-Auctions.net:
·
Search on the Online-Car-Auctions.net
home page by entering a name or keyword in the Search field.
[See Figure: 3]
· Search using the advanced search
features in Online-Car-Auctions.net or search within categories by using the Search
by Online-Car-Auctions.net Category option. This search option allows you to
specify a make, model, and year range as well as other options specific to
vehicles, motorcycles, and parts.
[See Figure: 4]
|
Figure: 3
Figure: 4
|
|
|
|
|
Step 2A - Learn About the Item
Once you
find an item that you are interested in purchasing, you should use eBay and
other online or offline resources to obtain information about the item’s
history, features, and current condition.
|
|
Read
the Item Description Thoroughly
The
description is the seller's chance to elaborate on all the details of the
item, such as the condition, terms of sale, any guarantee, and so forth.
Descriptions do vary, and the most successful sellers will be very thorough.
If you have a question that isn't addressed in the description, contact the
seller by clicking the "Ask seller a question" link at the top of
the listing. Don't wait until the end of the auction. Also, be aware that
many sellers do not want to negotiate price (or reveal reserve price), but
they do want to answer any questions that you have.
[See Figure: 6]
Run a Title Check for a Vehicle
It is
valuable to run a vehicle
history report on any used vehicle that you intend to purchase. You can
learn about the history of the vehicle, including accident reports or title
brands such as “flooded” or “salvage.”
Assume Vehicles Are Sold in
"As Is" Condition
Make an
independent assessment of the condition of the vehicle and again, contact the
seller with any questions about condition before making an offer. Be
realistic in your expectations of used or older vehicles and expect normal
"wear and tear." If possible, make arrangements with the seller to
see the vehicle in person or have an inspection
service inspect the vehicle to ensure accurate representation. Online-Car-Auctions.net
recommends arranging an independent third-party inspection through SGS
Automotive. An inspection is a reliable way of validating a seller’s claims
about a vehicle’s condition.
|
|
|
Step 2B - Learn About the Seller
While you are gathering information about the item, establish
contact with the seller and review the seller’s feedback rating on eBay.
Many vehicle sellers include their phone number in their listings. If this
information isn’t available, you may request the seller’s phone number via
email. Sometimes a phone call is much more efficient than back and forth
emails.
Establish Contact With the Seller
If you
cannot reach your seller, or your seller is inaccessible by email and phone,
do not buy the vehicle until you have made successful contact and the seller
has addressed your questions to your satisfaction. According to eBay policy,
if you are unable to reach the seller during the course of the auction, you
may retract your
bid once it has been placed (up until the last 12 hours of the listing).
|
|
Review the Seller’s Feedback
Rating
Check the seller's feedback rating for positive comments
and to see whether the seller has sold similar items in the past. Please be
aware when you are buying a vehicle from an individual who is selling a
vehicle for the first time on eBay Motors. In this case, a seller with a low
feedback rating may not always be a cause for concern. It is best to
establish contact with the seller to understand the situation.
Feedback is a critical part of buying and selling on eBay.
It provides important information to buyers and sellers about the people with
whom they are transacting. As such, it is one of the most powerful ways to
build trust and a reputation on the site. For this reason, you should look at
every seller's complete feedback history. Keep in mind that some sellers’
feedback scores might be low, because they are just starting out on eBay and
have received little or no feedback. If you are interested in purchasing an
item from a seller who has a low feedback score, be sure to contact the
seller directly in order to form your own opinion. [See Figure: 7]
|
|
|
Step 2C - Estimate Total Costs and Know
What You Can Afford
Before
you bid or buy, you should:
Determine guidelines for what
you are willing to pay.
Know your total costs and how
you'll cover them.
Provide eBay with your credit
card information if you are bidding
over $15,000.
Apply for financing if you
want to make monthly payments.
Determine
Guidelines for What You Are Willing to Pay
All bids on eBay are binding; therefore, you should make
sure that you know how much you can afford. A great way to determine a
realistic price is to look at final sale prices for similar items that sold
on eBay. This can be done easily by using the Completed Items option within Advanced
Search. If you are considering a vehicle purchase, use Kelly Blue Book as an additional resource
for pricing information.
If an item is selling at a price far below fair market
price, use extra caution as to the nature of the transaction and try to
understand what may be contributing to such a low price such as damage, title
issues, and so forth.
Know Your Total Costs and How
You'll Cover Them
If you are
bidding or buying a vehicle consider other potential costs such as title,
registration, state taxes, and any shipping costs. Refer to your state’s Department of Motor
Vehicles Web site for guidelines on taxes, title transfer, and
registration.
If the seller isn't local, make
sure you know how you will pick up the vehicle or arrange shipping if you are
the successful buyer (typically, sellers can help arrange shipping, but
buyers usually pay for it). Get shipping
quotes from DAS, a company that ships cars, motorcycles, and most other
vehicles.
Provide eBay With Your Credit Card Information if You Are Bidding Over $15,000
You are required
to have a credit
card on file with eBay if you bid more than $15,000 for an item. You will
be notified that you need to provide this information when you bid;
therefore, allow yourself some extra time if you are bidding during the last
minutes of an auction. Your credit card will not be charged; instead, eBay
uses it to confirm your identity—a safety measure to help protect both buyers
and sellers from potential high-bidding fraud.
Apply
for Financing if You Want to Make Monthly Payments
Buying what you want is easier when you can make affordable monthly payments.
eBay, together with several top lenders, can help you get the financing that
you need. Visit the eBay
Financing Center to arrange financing before you bid or after you buy or to calculate monthly payments.
|
|
Step 2D - Learn About eBay Motor’s Buyer
Protection Programs
eBay offers the following buyer protection
programs:
Passenger Vehicle Programs:
· Vehicle Purchase Protection
eBay Motors helps protect buyers against fraud and
material misrepresentation through the Vehicle Purchase Protection program.
This free program is available for
all eligible passenger vehicle transactions completed on the eBay Motors
site. There's no sign-up, opt-in, or registration necessary. Your passenger
vehicle purchase is protected for up to $20,000 or the vehicle purchase
price, whichever is lower. Learn more about the Vehicle
Purchase Protection program.
· Short-Term Service Agreement
You can purchase a used vehicle on eBay Motors with a free*
30-day or 1,000-mile Short-Term Service Agreement. It protects you against
chance repairs that might be required shortly after you purchase the vehicle.
The service program is administered by subsidiaries of Aon Warranty Group. Learn
more about a short-term
service agreement.* You may activate the short-term service agreement at
no charge. A $500 deductible applies per usage of the service agreement.
· Condition Guarantee by Seller
The purpose of the Condition Guarantee by Seller program
is to provide buyers with added confidence that a passenger vehicle purchased
on eBay Motors is accurately described in the listing and to protect buyers
if the actual vehicle condition is materially different from the listing
description. Learn more about the Condition
Guarantee by Seller program.
· Vehicle History Report
A vehicle history report is an inexpensive way to learn
the facts about a particular pre-owned vehicle before you make a purchase.
eBay Motors provides a link to a vehicle history report on most vehicle
listings pages. Protect yourself and your investment with a vehicle history
report. Learn more about vehicle
history reports.
Passenger Vehicle
and Motorcycle Programs:
· Vehicle Inspection
Arranging for an independent third-party inspection is a
great way to validate a seller’s claims about a vehicle’s condition. eBay
Motors recommends arranging your inspection through SGS Automotive. With
their 150-point vehicle inspection, SGS Automotive helps you build the
confidence that is crucial to any vehicle sale. Learn more about a vehicle
inspection.
Parts &
Accessories Programs:
· PayPal Buyer Protection
PayPal Buyer Protection offers free coverage up to $1,000
when you buy from qualified sellers. Learn more about PayPal
Buyer Protection.
· eBay Standard Purchase Protection Program
For most items, eBay covers you up to $200 (minus a $25
processing fee) in the event that you don't receive your item or it is
significantly not as described. Learn more about the eBay
Standard Purchase Protection Program.
|
|
Step 3: Bid or Buy
Now that
you’ve found an item that you’d like to purchase, you can choose to make a
bid or purchase the item immediately using the Buy It Now option. If you have
not already registered on eBay, we make it easy for you to do so during the
bidding and buying process.
Use the
following links to bid or buy an item:
Register
on eBay
Place
a bid
Use
the Buy It Now option
|
|
Step 3A - Register
To buy on eBay Motors via Online-Car-Auctions.net, you
must register as an eBay member.
Register As an eBay Member
The one-time registration process at eBay is free and
easy.
When you register at
eBay, you will be asked to:
1. Provide your basic contact
information.
Your information will be kept private on
eBay's secure servers.
2.
Create your own User ID and password to ensure that transactions are
safe and secure when you sign in at eBay.
3.
Confirm your eBay registration via email. eBay will send you a message
with a link and instructions to confirm your registration.
Advantages to being a registered eBay
user:
·
Watch auctions without
bidding
You can request email
notification for your watched items and bid when the time is right for you.
·
Save your
favorite searches
eBay will also email you new
search results.
· Search completed
listings
You can research completed
listings to make informed buying and selling decisions.
·
You can bid or buy
immediately
Bid or buy without delay when
you find an item of interest.
|
|
Step 3B - Place a Bid
Most eBay Motors item listings are in an auction-style
format where items sell to the highest bidder. To bid on an item, click the Place Bid button on the item page [See Figure: 8] and enter
the maximum amount that you want to spend [See
Figure: 9].
Here's
How Bidding on eBay Works:
1. When you place a bid, enter the
maximum amount you'd be willing to pay for the item. Your maximum amount is
kept confidential from other bidders and the seller.
2. The eBay system compares your bid
to those of the other bidders.
3. The system places bids on your
behalf, using only as much of your bid as is necessary to maintain your high
bid position (or to meet the reserve price). The system will bid up to your
maximum amount.
4. If another bidder has a higher
maximum, you'll be outbid. BUT, if no other bidder has a higher maximum, you
win the item. And you could pay significantly less than your maximum price!
This means you don't have to keep coming back to rebid every time another bid
is placed.
If
another bidder outbids you before the listing ends, eBay will send you a
notification email. Learn more about placing a bid.
Note: When
you place a bid, you are entering into a contract with your seller. Make sure
that you want the item before you bid or buy.
|
|
Reserve Price Auctions
Some
auctions have a reserve price—a hidden minimum price—for an item. A reserve
price is the minimum price a seller is willing to accept for the item. As a
buyer, you are not shown the reserve price, only whether or not the reserve
has been met.
When
you're bidding in a Reserve Price Auction, bid as usual, entering the maximum
amount that you're willing to pay for the item. Watch the label next to the
current price to see whether the reserve price has been met. Until you see
that the reserve price has been met, there will be no successful bids in the
auction. Once the reserve has been met, the item will sell to the highest
bidder when the auction closes.
Confirm Your Intent to Purchase
Sellers may choose to email potential buyers to verify
their intent to purchase a vehicle. It is important that you follow up with
the seller, because he may legitimately cancel your bid if he does not
receive a reply within a specified period of time.
|
|
Step 3C - Buy
It Now
Some sellers offer you the choice to bid or Buy It Now.
Other sellers may only offer the Buy It Now option. With Buy It Now, you have
a special opportunity to purchase the item immediately without waiting for an
online auction to end.
If available, click the Buy It Now button at the bottom of the item page. If there is
more than one item available, indicate your desired quantity and confirm your
purchase. In some cases, a seller may require immediate payment or deposit
with PayPal. In this case, it
is important to complete your purchase right away, as the item will remain
available for purchase until your payment transaction has been confirmed.
[See Figure: 10]
Note: When you use the Buy It Now
option, you are entering into a contract with your seller. Make sure that you
want the item before you bid or buy.
Watch an Item
If you are not
ready to bid or buy, try watching an item.
When
you find a listing that you’d like to watch, click the “Watch this item” link
on the item page.
[See Figure: 11]
Items
that you are watching will automatically appear on your My eBay page
in the Items I'm Watching section.
You will also receive an
Item Watch Reminder email with a daily list of all items in your watch list
that will end within the next 36 hours. If you prefer not to receive this
email, you can change
your notification preferences.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Step 4: Complete Your
Purchase
Once
you’ve won or committed to buy an item, you’ll need to pay for the item and
contact the seller (if necessary) to arrange pickup or shipping.
Use the
following links to guide you when completing your purchase:
Make
payment to the seller
Arrange
pickup or shipping
Transfer
title and pay taxes (if applicable)
|
|
Step 4A - Make Payment to the Seller
Once you have been notified that you are the winning
bidder, you may begin the payment process to complete the purchase of your
item. It is important to follow the seller’s instructions regarding accepted
payment methods as they were described on the item page. If you are
purchasing a part or accessory, many sellers accept payments via PayPal.
If you are purchasing a vehicle, you should follow the
seller payment instructions which may include some type deposit (if required)
followed by the balance payoff amount.
Deposit
Is it common practice for vehicle sellers to require a
deposit within 72 hours after the end of a successful listing. The item page
should contain any relevant deposit information and instructions. If this
information is not available, please contact the seller directly.
Balance Payoff Amount
Refer to the item page to learn how and when the seller
would like you to send the balance payoff amount. If this information is not
available, please contact the seller directly. If you will be picking up the
vehicle directly from the seller, you may be required to bring a check to pay
off the balance.
Financing
If you prefer to get a loan for your | | | |
