I am going to swallow the brave pill...

[SD1992]

...and put my car on eBay.

I haven't had much interest in it so far, so I think the best thing to do is to put it up on our favourite auction site so I can open it up to a wider audience.

So, would it be best to put it on as a classified ad with a best offer option, or to put it up for bids and out a sensible reserve with the buy it now option?

And will it cost me anything? I am going to do cash on collection ONLY.

I am not really sure what to put the reserve at, so I can PM the ad on here to anyone who can help or give advice as I don't want to break any rules and put it on this thread.

Thanks for any help!

[magpie215]

With the car I sold I put it on a classified with best offer option.

You can set auto ignore to derisory offers...sold mine no problems and got more or less what I wanted for it.

[zaphod42]

Without naming the exact car, could you give us in indication - is a mass market, niche / specialist, kit car, classic?

[toast boy]

I've been helping my neighbour try to sell his car and he's had hardly any interest in it, I think for certain parts of the market the economy/fuel/insurance prices has just flattened things.

[zaphod42]

If it's the car in your profile, it is probably because there are loads about, and it isn't a diesel - may buyers don't understand Total Cost of Ownership, just headline numbers about MPG, regardless of the reality...

[Petrolize]

Feel free to PM me. Are you local? I think I've found your ad. on the Inverness Gumtree ..

[tomsugden]

If you put 'cash on collection only' on an ebay listing, they tend to pull the auction. I think you have to give buyers the option to pay via paypal.

[SD1992]

zaphod42 said:

If it's the car in your profile, it is probably because there are loads about, and it isn't a diesel - may buyers don't understand Total Cost of Ownership, just headline numbers about MPG, regardless of the reality...

Yeah thats the one, you are probably right that most buyers will just look at the mpg and tax rather than the long term reliability (hence why I bought the petrol one). A guy at my Mum's work bought a cheap diesel one and has just been landed with a four figure bill for a new clutch and DMF

Petrolize said:

Feel free to PM me. Are you local? I think I've found your ad. on the Inverness Gumtree ..

PM sent

tomsugden said:

If you put 'cash on collection only' on an ebay listing, they tend to pull the auction. I think you have to give buyers the option to pay via paypal.

Am I right in thinking that rule does not apply to car sales? I may well be wrong.

[Evangelion]

I think this rule may not apply to car sales. Also I've noticed a lot of people ask for a deposit via PayPal, and the rest in cash. Perhaps this is a way to get round it.

[BruceV8]

I always ask for cash on collection for vehicle sales and I haven't had any problem woth it. Sold my recovery truck last week with this proviso and it didn't get pulled.

I think people do the 'deposit by paypal' to deter bidders from chickening out of the sale.

[Thom987]

Sold a car on ebay a couple of weeks ago. Buyer paid a deposit by paypal and collected a couple of days later. Hassle free sale, if only they were all like that.

[MattyB_]

I'm considering doing the same - very little interest on the usual channels, but I was told it was full of chancers and timewasters, and therefore more trouble than it was worth for £15.

Did anyone of you have many people come to look at it first, or did they all just turn up post-purchase?

[XJS07]

I always state in the listing that I would prefer if they came to view the car first, before bidding. But in my experience they very rarely do. Last one I sold the buyer only lived 15 mins away but did not view, turned up with cash, no problems.