Viewing cars on eBay

[Dwyster]

I'm trying to sell a car on eBay and naturally people want to view before bidding
eBay seem to make it almost impossible to arrange that - this seems to be new, I sold cars in the past without this problem

Is there a way to resolve this9other than using a fixed price Classified, which I don't want to do for an unusual classic with few recent examples to judge a price by)

[LandieMark]

Photo of a piece of paper with your mobile number on is a common bypass to this issue.

[ChocolateFrog]

Yeah I done a few different things. Letters instead of numbers etc, A=0, B =1.

[Trevor555]

Dwyster said:

I'm trying to sell a car on eBay and naturally people want to view before bidding
eBay seem to make it almost impossible to arrange that - this seems to be new, I sold cars in the past without this problem

Is there a way to resolve this9other than using a fixed price Classified, which I don't want to do for an unusual classic with few recent examples to judge a price by)

Just do the classified listing and allow people to contact you to view.

Or do autotrader, people can call, or email you on there.

[Defcon5]

Could you do a classified but put the probe as POA?

[ilikepeas]

Tell people to contact you through eBay's messaging system

[LandieMark]

The point is that ebay won't let you exchange phone numbers or address details through their messaging system.

[steveo3002]

have to try and get a crafty photo of your phone number in the background

[tinyboytim]

I am doing the same currently. I started off with a Buy It Now price with a make offer button. This is a mistake. You get some f*&kwit who makes you an offer or uses the buy it now and then never shows up. But your advert is toast then. You have to plead with ebay customer service to refund your listing fee to re-list the car. So second time round I went with a classified advert which cannot be ended by an ejit. You can list your phone number for people to arrange a viewing and then never show up. Ask me how I know?

[Luther Blissett]

Go into MS paint and make an image of your phone number.
Include it in the ad or send it via the messenger.

[sixor8]

Why would you actually want to talk to anybody, I don't particularly. I've sold loads of cars and a few motorbikes on eBay, quite a few sold without anybody actually viewing it first! But I do take a lot of photos and point out any issues, there's no point avoiding them, the sale may fall through.

Those who do want to view can just send you a message requesting this and you reply arranging it. eBay need this visbility so you can't sell outside the listing and cancel the sale avoiding the final value fees (if it's an auction). I tend to use them as a classified (fee up front) and if somebody buys it, you just end the listing.

[tinyboytim]

ChocolateFrog said:

Yeah I done a few different things. Letters instead of numbers etc, A=0, B =1.

I was selling something or other on ebay one time and myself and a potential buyer could not agree to the price I think. So next thing he sends me a message and it was like something from the Davinchi Code and I felt like I needed an Enigma machine to work it out. All the blindingly obvious methods of dechyphering his letter/number code failed me. I don't think he was the buyer in the end.

[Fady]

Dwyster said:

I'm trying to sell a car on eBay and naturally people want to view before bidding
eBay seem to make it almost impossible to arrange that - this seems to be new, I sold cars in the past without this problem

Is there a way to resolve this9other than using a fixed price Classified, which I don't want to do for an unusual classic with few recent examples to judge a price by)

It's not new - has always been like this for sale by auction as indicated earlier the thread. You need to list as a classified ad with fixed price which then allows you to legitimately include your contact details.

[ilikepeas]

LandieMark said:

The point is that ebay won't let you exchange phone numbers or address details through their messaging system.

But you can just send them a screenshot of your phone number/ address

[LandieMark]

I thought I had said that in my first reply, but it seems to have passed people by.

[pembo]

I did just this a couple of weeks ago.
Messaged the guy saying I wanted to have a look at the car before I bid and he gave his address on the ebay messaging system.
I had a look at it, decided how much I would be willing to pay, and went home and put the bids in.
I didn't win it in the end, but getting an address wasn't an issue. They just check messages and I assume will come down hard on anyone who breaks the rules.

[rallycross]

I’ve even been banned for a week from eBay tor sending people my number strange ways of doing things when you are trying to buy something.