Can anyone tell me if ebay car shipping is legal/safe, etc??

Question

i need a car really bad and cant find a good deal locally. Is this a scam or for real? I saw several articles saying ebay is legit for selling reselling cars but they have to "WIN" the buyer that they are for real. SO>..is it??? real or not?

Answer 1

If you buy the car THROUGH eBay, it is legit 80% of the time.  But only if its an auction on their site.  Fo not fall prey to the hundreds of scams out there on autotrader or craigslist.  They say that they are seilling a car cheap, and they will run the transaction through ebay, yahoo, or worldpay.  Those are scams 100% of the time.

I am not in favor of buying a daily driver off ebay.  If it is your main car, buy locally.  That way you can see, drive, and inspect before handing over your money.  Buying your main car off ebay is taking a huge chance that the seller was 100% factual.

I have bought several cars off ebay, and sold a few.  BUT, they were always project cars or cars destined to be turned into race-only application.  So, it really didnt matter to me if the engine was shot or the tranny was out, since I was ripping them out anyway - but I bid accordingly expecting problems.

Answer 2

I bought my Benz in Ebay.  I personally went to pick it up myself. Theres no way you can get scammed if you pick it up. :)  You also end up paying less since car shippers charge in excess of $500-$1500.

Answer 3

Ebay does not ship cars. You need to make your own arrangements to have a vehicle shipped. You just need to make sure the car you are bidding on actually exists. There are several scams that are hard to spot unless you know what to look for. Keep in mind that shipping a vehicle can be expensive, especially if it is going a long distance. This can add a lot to the "bargain price" of the car.

Answer 4

I considered this as well.  But than I went to a BIG CITY Toyota dealer and got a fantastic deal on a used Carola with a 100% warranty for 100,000 miles.  The car also gets great mileage.  With Ebay you are dealing with a lot of uncertanties.  I would not buy one without paying for an extended warranty.  I did on my car as well, payed $1000 (but it's worth it).  I get 100% coverage for 100,000 miles and if I dont use it I get the money back.  On Ebay they sell a lot of cars that have been in wrecks, make sure you get a report on the history of the car.  It is true you can save a few thousand compared to car dealers but if you shop the RIGHT dealer (go to a bigger city) and shop the big ads.  Check the real value on the Internet Blue book site.  When I bought my car, I was looking at private owner to private owner value (not dealer value to owner).  They gave me within $400 of the private owner value which I thought was very good.  The smaller city Toyota dealer wanted to charge me $3000 more for the same car.  The BIG CITY dealers have a lot more cars and they are more competitive.  Yes, buying off Ebay has risks, uncertanties, and you have to pay to ship the car back to you.  Or the expense of picking it up, the time, the gas, I wouldnt do it really.  In your city, or within a reasonable traveling distance, theres a great deal out there!

http://www.kbb.com/

http://www.carfax.com/

Answer 5

I would highly recommend TransferMyCar.com. You'll can several quotes from only reputable auto transporters. The car shipping companies at TransferMyCar.com have all been fully checked out with the FMCSA and the BBB. You can fill out an online form, then you'll get a few competitive auto transport quotes. I got my 07 Camry transported from CA to GA for only $850.00 using their service. I can't say enough positive things about them!