Buying a car from e-bay

[jondude]

When you turn up with the cash (having not seen the car before) can you test ride it to make sure the engine is fine before handing over the cash or is it no way, pay up was your own fault for not popping by?

[Scrump]

Of course you can. You don’t have to buy it if it is not as described.
If it was described as driving ok or having no faults then driving it is the only way to see if this is true.

Edit to add: you may not be able to drive it unless you have insurance etc. But I would expect the seller to take you out for a test drive just like you would with any other purchase.

Edited by Scrump on Monday 16th September 20:31

[jondude]

Scrump said:

Of course you can. You don’t have to buy it if it is not as described.
If it was described as driving ok or having no faults then driving it is the only way to see if this is true.

Edit to add: you may not be able to drive it unless you have insurance etc. But I would expect the seller to take you out for a test drive just like you would with any other purchase.

Edited by Scrump on Monday 16th September 20:31

Thanks

[QuattroDave]

I've bought dozens of cars off of ebay over the years I tend to agree a price beforehand (as long as it's as described) and buy a return train ticket, just incase!

Only once have I walked away from an eBay car and that was actually a car trader in Reading that operates on a no reserve auction only basis.

[carinaman]

QuattroDave said:

I've bought dozens of cars off of ebay over the years I tend to agree a price beforehand (as long as it's as described) and buy a return train ticket, just incase!

Only once have I walked away from an eBay car and that was actually a car trader in Reading that operates on a no reserve auction only basis.

What was up with the car? You decided not to buy it after a test drive?

[InitialDave]

Sure you can.

Went up to Yorkshire with a mate who'd bought a cheap RX8. It vomited out a load of its coolant as soon as it got up to temperature, so we walked.

[QuattroDave]

carinaman said:

QuattroDave said:

I've bought dozens of cars off of ebay over the years I tend to agree a price beforehand (as long as it's as described) and buy a return train ticket, just incase!

Only once have I walked away from an eBay car and that was actually a car trader in Reading that operates on a no reserve auction only basis.

What was up with the car? You decided not to buy it after a test drive?

I didn't even need a test drive!

Waited in the collection yard for over an hour whilst they tried to get it to start at their main yard. When it did arrive it sounded like a bag of bolts! They popped the bonnet for me and upon checking the oil level I saw it had NO oil in it. They quickly scurried off to fetch some oil and when they started to pour it in the engine was so hot the oil immediately started hissing and smoking. That was enough for me.

The company had a policy of if you bid & win you must visit the site but if you then decide you don't want the car for whatever reason you tell the office on site and they cancel the bid.

[carinaman]

QuattroDave said:

I didn't even need a test drive!

Waited in the collection yard for over an hour whilst they tried to get it to start at their main yard. When it did arrive it sounded like a bag of bolts! They popped the bonnet for me and upon checking the oil level I saw it had NO oil in it. They quickly scurried off to fetch some oil and when they started to pour it in the engine was so hot the oil immediately started hissing and smoking. That was enough for me.

The company had a policy of if you bid & win you must visit the site but if you then decide you don't want the car for whatever reason you tell the office on site and they cancel the bid.

Thanks. I experienced a big end bearing failure in my youth. The smell and taste of an oil starved engine isn't pleasant.

[ianwayne]

The dealer in reading, is that "carswithnoreserve*****?" Seems they just punt on cars bought at auction elsewhere.

Most of them still with the auction ticket in the window on the photos. Lazy.

[Gareth79]

ianwayne said:

The dealer in reading, is that "carswithnoreserve*****?" Seems they just punt on cars bought at auction elsewhere.

Most of them still with the auction ticket in the window on the photos. Lazy.

They have been mentioned here quite a few times - I googled the name after seeing quite a few of their listings and found the posts. Apparently much of their stock is from BCA Blackbushe, they presumably give them a valet and vacuum and see what they can get. A few replies in previous threads have people who were happy, but obviously were buying eyes wide open - ie. realise it's probably WBAC or a dealership trade-in, so you might get a good deal, or it could be on its last legs (or the legs were superglued together before trade-in).

[anonymous-user]

jondude said:

When you turn up with the cash (having not seen the car before) can you test ride it to make sure the engine is fine before handing over the cash or is it no way, pay up was your own fault for not popping by?

Are you talking about eBay classifieds or eBay auctions.

For eBay auctions no, you can't . You bought the car. Its yours. It was your responsibility to go and see it before bidding.

For classifieds, of course, you can do what you like as long as they agree.

Judging by your "not popping by" comment I can only assume you are referring to an auction. You bid , its yours.

This is all assuming the car is as described in the listing. If not, you can walk away and eBay should support you.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 17th September 08:05

[Jazoli]

RogerDodger said:

Are you talking about eBay classifieds or eBay auctions.

For eBay auctions no, you can't . You bought the car. Its yours. It was your responsibility to go and see it before bidding.

I think you may be incorrect but I'm happy to be told otherwise, you can walk at any time if the car is misdescribed or you change your mind, the bids are non binding, you cannot bid on a classified ad, just make a best offer.

to quote from eBays own help pages

"For motor vehicles and real estate, bids are considered non-binding. When you bid on an item in these categories, you're expressing a strong interest in buying the seller's item, but no formal purchase contract is created if you're the winning bidder. For more details on non-binding bids, please see our full policy guidelines below."

Edited by Jazoli on Tuesday 17th September 08:14

[coldel]

If you win the bid for the car, then just decide not to buy it you can just not pay. The seller registers a non-payment dispute which they will of course win, the buyer then has this noted against their profile. As a seller there is an option when selling to prevent non-payers from bidding on your stuff, so if you have this tag against you as a buyer bear in mind you may be blocked from buying other stuff in future if the seller ticks that option. Additionally, if you repeatedly fail to pay for stuff ebay can suspend your account.

At the end of the day, just be sensible about it, don't bid if you only have a 10% chance you will actually go through and buy it - it does waste a lot of peoples time and can block genuine buyers from picking up something they really want. Sure, if the car is falling to pieces when you arrive fair enough, but bear in mind you are bidding on something based on some photos you have seen on the internet, make the effort to go see it first.

[anonymous-user]

If you bid and win on eBay, it legally binding. There have been threads were people have been sued. Remember people get romantic about cars on eBay, much better to see the car before bidding or just stick to local cars

[cjs racing.]

From eBay itself.

Winning bids on cars are non-binding.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/rules-policies-...

[anonymous-user]

RogerDodger said:

For eBay auctions no, you can't . You bought the car. Its yours. It was your responsibility to go and see it before bidding.

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 17th September 08:05

Not true, if I bid on a car and win it then I get there and they have decided to remove the engine, but it had a engine in the photos, do I still have to buy it as it's mine?

Extreme example I know.

Ebay auctions for car are non binding anyway, and to be honest even if they were binding, Ebays terms and conditions don't form part of UK law so nobody could make you pay anyway.

[anonymous-user]

cjs racing. said:

From eBay itself.

Winning bids on cars are non-binding.

https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/rules-policies-...

I stand well and truly corrected!

Seems they must have had enough problems to just call it non-binding. Fair enough.

Big pain in the butt for sellers mind you. Second chance offers rarely get a bite on ebay.

[anonymous-user]

5Cylinder said:

Not true, if I bid on a car and win it then I get there and they have decided to remove the engine, but it had a engine in the photos, do I still have to buy it as it's mine?

Extreme example I know.

Ebay auctions for car are non binding anyway, and to be honest even if they were binding, Ebays terms and conditions don't form part of UK law so nobody could make you pay anyway.

I did say at the bottom of my post the goods have to be as described.

Irrelivent anyhow as car bids are non binding

[anonymous-user]

RogerDodger said:

I did say at the bottom of my post the goods have to be as described.

Irrelivent anyhow as car bids are non binding

Didn't see that first time around!

[BobSaunders]

There was an issue up this way (on a local Facebook group - naming and shaming) where someone test drove a van, but handed over the cash before hand (to show faith in not running away). Van was a heap. Buyer went to return it and claim money, seller refused to answer the door. Deal done - cash handed over. Did not see the outcome of it.