Anyone bought from the ebay no reserve seller?
Discussion
You probably know the one, they auction their cars with no reserve, they're based in Reading.
They often have stuff in that interests me, it'll usually be something decidedly ropey and with a v10 engine.
I'm fairly sure they bid up their own stuff based on the number of times cars tend to cycle through and some of the comments on their negative feedback. Cars always reach roughly the same.
Guessing most of their stock is stuff no one bid on at BCA auctions.
They often have stuff in that interests me, it'll usually be something decidedly ropey and with a v10 engine.
I'm fairly sure they bid up their own stuff based on the number of times cars tend to cycle through and some of the comments on their negative feedback. Cars always reach roughly the same.
Guessing most of their stock is stuff no one bid on at BCA auctions.
I’ve done it. I can’t complain, treat it like buying at auction and you’ll be fine. Expecting a shiny showroom and to be sold to by a salesman and you’ll be disappointed. They wash the cars but they don’t prep them the same way many would expect from a traditional showroom.
I ‘won’ a car via there - went down, they threw the keys at me and told me to make sure I was happy with it and take it for a drive. I did. It was fine. Paid. Drove away and it was fine. Mechanically sound but scratches here and there and the interior needed a good deep clean. I got it for a v good price and had budgeted for remedial work which just wasn’t needed.
Whilst I was there I saw a few people turn up having ‘won’ cars - sit in them and just decided then they didn’t want them. The excuses I heard myself were:
“I don’t fit in it” - he was a big guy but surely try and sit in one local to you rather than a 4 hr round trip to sit in one for 20 secs.
“The black isn’t as black in real life as in the pictures”
“It needed jumpstarting so is probably broke”
Each time there was no hard sell or pushy sales stuff but obvious a little frustration on their part - people bidding and “winning” but then ducking out and then cars being relisted - you and I then see it’s relisted and assume the “winner” turned up and found some awful fault with it, maybe sometimes that’s the case but not always. The car I won I’d missed out on 4 weeks in a row - and I was apprehensive about seeing it in person and drove all the way home expecting it to die on me - it just didn’t.
Maybe I got lucky, but think of it like buying at BCA, albeit with a test drive and the price is known upfront, no need to figure out commission or vat etc.
(I heard too they shill bid to bump up the price, I don’t know if true or not but even if that were the case, I’ve still seen some highly competitive prices)
I ‘won’ a car via there - went down, they threw the keys at me and told me to make sure I was happy with it and take it for a drive. I did. It was fine. Paid. Drove away and it was fine. Mechanically sound but scratches here and there and the interior needed a good deep clean. I got it for a v good price and had budgeted for remedial work which just wasn’t needed.
Whilst I was there I saw a few people turn up having ‘won’ cars - sit in them and just decided then they didn’t want them. The excuses I heard myself were:
“I don’t fit in it” - he was a big guy but surely try and sit in one local to you rather than a 4 hr round trip to sit in one for 20 secs.
“The black isn’t as black in real life as in the pictures”
“It needed jumpstarting so is probably broke”
Each time there was no hard sell or pushy sales stuff but obvious a little frustration on their part - people bidding and “winning” but then ducking out and then cars being relisted - you and I then see it’s relisted and assume the “winner” turned up and found some awful fault with it, maybe sometimes that’s the case but not always. The car I won I’d missed out on 4 weeks in a row - and I was apprehensive about seeing it in person and drove all the way home expecting it to die on me - it just didn’t.
Maybe I got lucky, but think of it like buying at BCA, albeit with a test drive and the price is known upfront, no need to figure out commission or vat etc.
(I heard too they shill bid to bump up the price, I don’t know if true or not but even if that were the case, I’ve still seen some highly competitive prices)
+1 to the above.
The most stress-free, frustration-free car buying experience I've ever had.
No waiting on a call back, no waiting a week for 'prep' (usually a 5 min car wash).
The customer experience is exactly what I wanted (granted this might not be what everyone wants) bought a Porsche, wasn't even handed the keys as they were already in the ignition, test drove and inspected by myself with no rushing or distractions, was able to add up what it would cost to get it to a standard I wanted, added that to the price I bid and was still cheaper than currently advertised cars from dealers.
Paid and drove 175 miles home happy with no issues.
If I lived closer I would probably have a dozen different cars a year.
The most stress-free, frustration-free car buying experience I've ever had.
No waiting on a call back, no waiting a week for 'prep' (usually a 5 min car wash).
The customer experience is exactly what I wanted (granted this might not be what everyone wants) bought a Porsche, wasn't even handed the keys as they were already in the ignition, test drove and inspected by myself with no rushing or distractions, was able to add up what it would cost to get it to a standard I wanted, added that to the price I bid and was still cheaper than currently advertised cars from dealers.
Paid and drove 175 miles home happy with no issues.
If I lived closer I would probably have a dozen different cars a year.
The concept is fine it seems.
But there is more than circumstantial evidence that they shill bid. I watched all their cars tha ended last night. Most had bidders with zero feedback either win or atleast be one of the higher bidders. I'm watching all the ones where the zero feedback bidders won as I'm sure they'll reappear.
The other issue is that if you do genuinely win an auction and they deem it too cheap it seems you'll be told it's developed a fault and no longer for sale until it's been rectified, low and behold it's relisted the next day.
They also charger around £200 for an MOT despite advertising 12 months on some cars.
It's a shame as I'd be more than happy to treat it as a genuine auction with buyer beware etc, but there's a line.
Have ebay removed the facility where you could see an ebayers bid history and therefore how many of their bids are with one seller? I can't seem to find it anymore.
But there is more than circumstantial evidence that they shill bid. I watched all their cars tha ended last night. Most had bidders with zero feedback either win or atleast be one of the higher bidders. I'm watching all the ones where the zero feedback bidders won as I'm sure they'll reappear.
The other issue is that if you do genuinely win an auction and they deem it too cheap it seems you'll be told it's developed a fault and no longer for sale until it's been rectified, low and behold it's relisted the next day.
They also charger around £200 for an MOT despite advertising 12 months on some cars.
It's a shame as I'd be more than happy to treat it as a genuine auction with buyer beware etc, but there's a line.
Have ebay removed the facility where you could see an ebayers bid history and therefore how many of their bids are with one seller? I can't seem to find it anymore.
I regularly watch their cars and did end up bidding on one a little while back. It felt like they were shill bidding to me.
Two clients have bought from there and said they were fine.
One has bought previously, not sure what, but he went to buy a 5-series from them a while back and decided not to go ahead. All painless and no bother apparently.
The other client bought a Macan that went through recently. I was trying to convince my wife it was ideal for us so recognised the reg when he gave it to me! He bought it and it hasn't caused him any issues. He said it's been very well looked after so feels like he got a bargain. I'd say it was at least £2k under what it should have been.
He did say it's an odd operation in that they just chucked him the keys and told him to test-drive it as long as he liked before he came back to settle up.
Two clients have bought from there and said they were fine.
One has bought previously, not sure what, but he went to buy a 5-series from them a while back and decided not to go ahead. All painless and no bother apparently.
The other client bought a Macan that went through recently. I was trying to convince my wife it was ideal for us so recognised the reg when he gave it to me! He bought it and it hasn't caused him any issues. He said it's been very well looked after so feels like he got a bargain. I'd say it was at least £2k under what it should have been.
He did say it's an odd operation in that they just chucked him the keys and told him to test-drive it as long as he liked before he came back to settle up.
PistonBroker said:
I regularly watch their cars and did end up bidding on one a little while back. It felt like they were shill bidding to me.
Two clients have bought from there and said they were fine.
One has bought previously, not sure what, but he went to buy a 5-series from them a while back and decided not to go ahead. All painless and no bother apparently.
The other client bought a Macan that went through recently. I was trying to convince my wife it was ideal for us so recognised the reg when he gave it to me! He bought it and it hasn't caused him any issues. He said it's been very well looked after so feels like he got a bargain. I'd say it was at least £2k under what it should have been.
He did say it's an odd operation in that they just chucked him the keys and told him to test-drive it as long as he liked before he came back to settle up.
Think I know which Macan you mean. That one looked tidy but sold for enough money that the risk fund had gone. Two clients have bought from there and said they were fine.
One has bought previously, not sure what, but he went to buy a 5-series from them a while back and decided not to go ahead. All painless and no bother apparently.
The other client bought a Macan that went through recently. I was trying to convince my wife it was ideal for us so recognised the reg when he gave it to me! He bought it and it hasn't caused him any issues. He said it's been very well looked after so feels like he got a bargain. I'd say it was at least £2k under what it should have been.
He did say it's an odd operation in that they just chucked him the keys and told him to test-drive it as long as he liked before he came back to settle up.
It was listed atleast 3 times from memory too.
Check out who won this one.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293680980659
Then look to see who won the relisted item. Same bidder.
Wonder why he wanted to pay more for the same car
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293680980659
Then look to see who won the relisted item. Same bidder.
Wonder why he wanted to pay more for the same car
This is the subsequent listing.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293689297722
If you want to report it click on report item, listing practices, fraudulent listing activities, seller is using other accounts to inflate price.
Ebay will do f
k all but makes me feel slightly better.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/293689297722
If you want to report it click on report item, listing practices, fraudulent listing activities, seller is using other accounts to inflate price.
Ebay will do f
k all but makes me feel slightly better. Looks an easy business model that could be copied around the country as they only look to buy from Blackbushe, which incidentally along with Nottingham are known in the trade to be the most expensive auctions.
So get a yard near another auction house, buy anything that is under book and looks good value, copy auction house pictures, cut and paste standard listing and get some friends ready to set up shill accounts. Probably also worth having a couple of “handy” staff in case of any returns.
Buying the volume they do their charges will be minimal and transport easy as it’s only a few miles away.
So get a yard near another auction house, buy anything that is under book and looks good value, copy auction house pictures, cut and paste standard listing and get some friends ready to set up shill accounts. Probably also worth having a couple of “handy” staff in case of any returns.
Buying the volume they do their charges will be minimal and transport easy as it’s only a few miles away.
They often advertise cars that are at BCA before they've even been sold at auction using BCA's photos. A mate of mine sells some of his part exes through BCA using their Partner Finance scheme and sure enough, when checking out of curiosity what other examples were selling for, he stumbled across his own part ex being advertised by this outfit in Reading on eBay while the car was still waiting to be auctioned at BCA.
In the end a couple of us bid the car up on eBay very high and sent lots of messages asking about the car. When we inquired about viewing it, we were told it was "awaiting preparation".
My mate attended the auction the day it was being sold to see who was bidding, but the car sold to a very keen net bidder (who I may or may not have been bidding against). Probably just as well they weren't there in person, as the car ran like a bag of nails.
The car sold at BCA for well above the reserve Jon set and a couple of days later we were receiving phone calls and emails from No Reserve Reading saying that the car was available to view. On their eBay listing, the BCA photos had been swapped for their own, though they hadn't bothered to remove the bar-code sticker off the windscreen.
Suffice to say we didn't follow up on our inquiries and the car was on their eBay account for a long time, constantly being relisted (presumably due to shill-bidding).
In the end a couple of us bid the car up on eBay very high and sent lots of messages asking about the car. When we inquired about viewing it, we were told it was "awaiting preparation".
My mate attended the auction the day it was being sold to see who was bidding, but the car sold to a very keen net bidder (who I may or may not have been bidding against). Probably just as well they weren't there in person, as the car ran like a bag of nails.
The car sold at BCA for well above the reserve Jon set and a couple of days later we were receiving phone calls and emails from No Reserve Reading saying that the car was available to view. On their eBay listing, the BCA photos had been swapped for their own, though they hadn't bothered to remove the bar-code sticker off the windscreen.
Suffice to say we didn't follow up on our inquiries and the car was on their eBay account for a long time, constantly being relisted (presumably due to shill-bidding).
Pistonheader101 said:
These tend to be leggy cars thsts are generally lemons. Don’t go expecting a showroom car.
On average each car needs £500-£1000 to get into a retailable condition
That's absolutely fine, no issues with that whatsoever.On average each car needs £500-£1000 to get into a retailable condition
Paying £3k more because you're being bid off the wall is not ok.
93DW said:
ChocolateFrog said:
Paying £3k more because you're being bid off the wall is not ok.
Unfortunately that is the nature of an auction, Anyone whos been to a car auction knows that the fire extinguisher is very high bidder on problem cars 
Fair enough.
The older I get (and slightly wiser) the more I realise you're competing against liars/frauds/cheats/scammers etc in pretty much any financially driven scenario.
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