Buying a Car on eBay?

[Accordlover]

What do you think?

If a dealer told you the exact price, has a ton of pictures, and even guaranteed that they'll refund your purchase price, would you buy the car sight unseen? And then have it delivered to your doorstep?

I know there are good and bad eBayers :naughty: :nuts: :yes: out there, but that aside, what do you think? :wave:

[WolfpackBill]

I bought a car on Ebay once...and to be honest, never again, even though my experience was good.

I bought a '96 Acura 3.2TL in Sept of 2004 on eBay for only $8000 plus $800 shipping to Winston-Salem, NC from Houston, TX. The car was in excellent condition with only 62k miles on it. I had the car inspected by a 3rd party in Houston, which costs me $150. They said the inspection was good, but when I received the car, the ABS light was on. So we took it to the shop and found out the accumulator was bad plus the master cylinder was leaking so I dumped $700 to fix it. I did a little research and found that it's a pretty common problem with Legends and 1st gen TL's so I let it slide.

I had soooo much fun with that car when I had it but I had to sell it because I needed something that gets better gas mileage so I sold it with 99k miles on it. That car was the best car I've ever had. My current Accord is what I replaced my beloved TL with. I put a lot of TLC into that thing and it looked just like it rolled off the showroom floor when I watched the new owner drove it away. :bawling:

So this is the car I bought on eBay:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v490/bchung4457/Acura/102_1383.jpg

[Accordlover]

Does the Accord really get that much better of gas mileage?

Beautiful car! I'd drive it in a heartbeat. :-).

[accordbemine]

How would the accord get any better gas milage that it was so noticeable for you to sell the car, It may get 1-2 mpg better, The engine is a 3.2L V6 with prolly about 200 horses, How does that not get good gas milage I dont see it either :dunno: But what a beautiful car it would be hard for me to sell it, I always liked that gen TL and legend

[accordbemine]

What do you think?

If a dealer told you the exact price, has a ton of pictures, and even guaranteed that they'll refund your purchase price, would you buy the car sight unseen? And then have it delivered to your doorstep?

I know there are good and bad eBayers :naughty: :nuts: :yes: out there, but that aside, what do you think? :wave:


Oh yeah, Are you looking for a car on ebay, If so what kind? Good luck :thmsup:

[BenjiBoy650]

The 3.2TL gets 19/24, the new Accord V6 gets 20/29 and the I4's get 24/34 (all auto) so if you want to put it simply, for $2.50/gallon and $1000/year, you can go 9600 miles in the 3.2TL or 13,600 in the Accord. That's not including the fact that the 3.2TL runs premium, which accounts for 20+ cents per gallon more.

For a more real world example we take $2.70/gallon in the TL and $2.50/gallon in the Accord, and I need to drive industry average 15K/year, and I achieve the EPA highway estimates in both cars. $1687.50 in the TL and $1102.94 in the Accord. I'm sure if you were willing to send Bill $600 every year he would have kept driving the TL :lmao:

[WolfpackBill]

Ben is right. My Acura actually got the advertised mileage. If I really hammer down the pedal, which I did for a tank with mostly city driving, I got only 14mpg. The best tank I got was 26mpg which included 97% highway driving. But I did mostly city driving, which gave me a consistent 18mpg. Now, with my Accord, which is a 4-banger, I can get up to 38mpg on a tank of gas and still get around 25mpg mixed driving. If I really hammer down the pedal, The worst I got was 19mpg, which is not bad at all.

Plus on top of all things, the TL required 91octane or higher so I must get premium gas. At the time, the price for premium gas was hovering $3.50 a gallon so that is the reason why I had to sell it.

[Accordlover]

Oh yeah, Are you looking for a car on ebay, If so what kind? Good luck :thmsup:

My mom is, not me.

Its either lease a new car (Mazda, Honda, Toyota, or Nissan), or finance a used Honda. She could finance a new Accord, but it doesn't float her boat. If anything we'd find a pre-MMC Accord, the new ones look ugly to her. (I feel the same).

The new CR-V she loves, but we haven't found one used that wasn't previously wrecked, and the dealers won't move on the price. :dunno:

[Accordlover]

Plus on top of all things, the TL required 91octane or higher so I must get premium gas. At the time, the price for premium gas was hovering $3.50 a gallon so that is the reason why I had to sell it.

We run Reg. octane in our Volvo (and in the TSX when we had it). The dealers don't even fill their own loaners, or the cars upon delivery with Premium. We spoke with 3 techs at 2 different Volvo dealerships and they said no noticeable performance decrease would be apparent, and it wouldn't hurt the engine either. I've used all three grades, and I never feel enough difference to pay the premium for premium.

Just my opinion, I'm not sure how it effects the TL.

[James.uk]

I bought my Accord via eBay. I didn't bid on it though.. I rang the owner up and made an appointment to view the car.. Then I went to see it, test drove it, checked out all the paperwork, made the man an offer that he accepted, paid him in cash, and drove it home.. :) The owner took it off the eBay site later.. But buy a car sight unseen? erm.. :paranoid: noooo wayyyy lol... :D
.

[JMillerCG5]

I was selling my G/F's 98 stratus on Ebay for $750 and they buyer bought the car then backed out of the deal. :furious:

[accordbemine]

We run Reg. octane in our Volvo (and in the TSX when we had it). The dealers don't even fill their own loaners, or the cars upon delivery with Premium. We spoke with 3 techs at 2 different Volvo dealerships and they said no noticeable performance decrease would be apparent, and it wouldn't hurt the engine either. I've used all three grades, and I never feel enough difference to pay the premium for premium.

Just my opinion, I'm not sure how it effects the TL.


Why don't you guys lease a TL, those are nice, or "Totally different car" the s40 those are nice too. IMO i would buy a vw jetta 2.0T or passat or maybe an A4 2.0T but if you don't like turbo you don't have to worry about it, Its a lease

[mwmcginn]

So far I have bought 3 cars on Ebay. My new accord, my 94 impreza, and an 89 RX-7 Convertible. I bought the convertible sight unseen and it was probably the worst of them all. The pictures looked good, but it had some damage that I knew would require the replacement of a front fender. I had a front fender from another car which was factory white. When I got there to pick up the car, it was painted a pearl white, which was not going to be easy to match. I went ahead and finished the transaction, but it was just another unexpected cost I didnt need on this project.

I bought another car sight unseen once, it was more of a mess than it should have been too, but not though ebay that time.

Overall, I have never been disappointed when I did look at the car, because I knew what to expect. If you do buy this car, and there is some flaw, you will probably just kick youself. There are too many cars out there, especially hondas, that you should be able to find one somewhat close by.

[07GraphiteSE]

There are too many cars out there, especially hondas, that you should be able to find one somewhat close by.

:stupid: With the amount of used cars on the market, there is really no need to buy one without seeing it in person. There are just too many things involved with buying a car, and so many things can be hidden by taking the pictures in a flattering manner.

If you plan on buying a car to last more than a week, you owe it to yourself to take the time to find one locally. :)

[accordbemine]

:stupid: With the amount of used cars on the market, there is really no need to buy one without seeing it in person. There are just too many things involved with buying a car, and so many things can be hidden by taking the pictures in a flattering manner.

If you plan on buying a car to last more than a week, you owe it to yourself to take the time to find one locally. :)



Or for that matter just find one new! :yes:

[Accordlover]

Why don't you guys lease a TL, those are nice, or "Totally different car" the s40 those are nice too. IMO i would buy a vw jetta 2.0T or passat or maybe an A4 2.0T but if you don't like turbo you don't have to worry about it, Its a lease

If we wanted another Acura we would've bought our TSX out of the lease. Case and point, my mom doesn't want to spend near 300+ a month (the TSX was wy higher than that...) for a car she'll drive MAYBE 9k a year. My Accord when handed down to me was 10 yrs old, and had 90k on it. My mom drove the Accord for 7 years, and my dad for 3. He gave it to her with 40k miles, so she drove it for 7yrs and racked up a minimal 50k. So the reason I didn't include an Acura, Audi etc. is due to the fact that one can't be ahd for the pricerange we're looking for, and I'm not stupid enough to let my mom buy a used german car. :lmao: So its either finance a used Honda maybe Acura, or lease a new car that has a sticker of under 23k OTD, and gets good city fuel mileage (10 miles round trip to work and back each day during rush hour.)

:stupid: With the amount of used cars on the market, there is really no need to buy one without seeing it in person. There are just too many things involved with buying a car, and so many things can be hidden by taking the pictures in a flattering manner.

If you plan on buying a car to last more than a week, you owe it to yourself to take the time to find one locally. :)

I should've specified, if we bought her car on eBay it'd be through a Honda dealership or a reputable dealer selling the car. I've checked many local listings, and we've yet to find a car that's actually been well maintained, or has reccords of it. We're going to CarMax together on friday, and we're going to look at some cars and see what might work for her (Mazda 6, Accord, Camry SE, and Sonata LX in mind). We bought the Sable at CarMax, and it was a good buying experience, they also sell warranties which cover everything on the car. We used it twice on the sable; once for the power steering rack, and once for the radio. The steering rack is failing again, but the warranty was great when we had it! :thmsup:

Well if anyone has bought a Honda/Acura on eBay, (Mike?) did you buy from a dealer? If so, who? (eBay seller ID)

Thanks!

[accordbemine]

If we wanted another Acura we would've bought our TSX out of the lease. So its either finance a used Honda maybe Acura, or lease a new car that has a sticker of under 23k OTD, and gets good city fuel mileage (10 miles round trip to work and back each day during rush hour.)


You just said that if you wanted another acura you would of bought the tsx out of your lease, well why did you say that you might finance a used honda or acura :dunno: You just should have just bought the tsx, and any acura your payments will be more than 375 a month unless you put like 5-10k down and have OUTSTANDING credit. Before i got my accord i tried to finance a used Acura TL with 0 down and awesome credit my payments were going to be 403 a mouth and the car was 23k with 70k miles so i didn't do it, and for 23k your mom is going to do a major down grade in a car, Like i said it would of been smarter to just turn around and finance the TSX.

[Accordlover]

You just said that if you wanted another acura you would of bought the tsx out of your lease, well why did you say that you might finance a used honda or acura :dunno: You just should have just bought the tsx, and any acura your payments will be more than 375 a month unless you put like 5-10k down and have OUTSTANDING credit. Before i got my accord i tried to finance a used Acura TL with 0 down and awesome credit my payments were going to be 403 a mouth and the car was 23k with 70k miles so i didn't do it, and for 23k your mom is going to do a major down grade in a car, Like i said it would of been smarter to just turn around and finance the TSX.

TSX = Not what my mom wants.

Its too firm (esp. on those pot hole'ed' city streets), has marginal city MPG, and its much less refined as far as power delivery goes than the Accord. Its raw power, and high revving engine are two things my mom didn't appreciate, whereas a serious enthusasts feels is music to their ears. If we financed a used acura (which I said maybe ) It would not be a TSX, or a current gen TL, it would be an older model, and it wouldn't be more than $20grand. Credit isn't the issue, and we have the money to put down. It's just finding the right car with the right price.

[accordbemine]

2004 Acura RL!!! the softest ride yet the best smooth quiet navigation hids.. Get it or the previous gen TL

[Accordlover]

2004 Acura RL!!! the softest ride yet the best smooth quiet navigation hids.. Get it or the previous gen TL

Def. req premium fuel, and in no way would this car get good gas mileage in the city. My mom doesn't want a big car, just not one that is tuned as a sport car.

[accordbemine]

Def. req premium fuel, and in no way would this car get good gas mileage in the city. My mom doesn't want a big car, just not one that is tuned as a sport car.



Aye Yi Yi :dunno: Ok well then I don't think she can get a car thats 23k under thats nice thats anything in the range of what the TSX was, Unless she wants a sentra those are nice, Intelligent Key push button start bluetooth rocksford fostage stereo sunroof, Everything all under 22k of course you can get one for about 18k with tax and license. :dude: I LOVE E'M

[accordbemine]

But I'm guessing thats too small, Truth is that there no smaller than the TSX in looks maybe but not in interior space.. If not that maybe a used 2003-04 Infiniti I30, those are nice!

otherwise I donno, Just dont go ford! :D

[Accordlover]

I never mentioned the ford here?

We did try a Fusion, but in the end, it was the dealer that broke the deal. She doesn't really want/need a luxury car, in fact she's fine with the Accord, but that's MY car now. So she has to find a new whip of her own (Or buy me one? :naughty: ) And yes, a last gen TL can be had for less than 23k, but then I'd be inheriting the wonderful transmission issues, and we don't need that problem. CR-V or Accord is more up her ally if we go used. She was talking to me about a 6th gen coupe, but we're weary of the tranmission issues, and sadly that's pretty much keeping us away from most late model used honda/acuras. :(

Anyways, we'll see what happens, but we need to buy her a car this weekend, so I will know by then what we end up going with. :)

[mwmcginn]

Well if anyone has bought a Honda/Acura on eBay, (Mike?) did you buy from a dealer? If so, who? (eBay seller ID)

Thanks!

I bought mine through Vincel honda. Their id is hondapartsforcheap although I dont think they sell honda parts online!?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Honda-Accord-2-4L-NEW-2007-ACCORD-OVERSTOCK-SALE-EX-ST-LOUIS-MO_W0QQitemZ270080429172QQihZ017QQcategoryZ6254QQr dZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[Accordlover]

Thankyou!!!

[nick.l]

from my friends experience buying his car from ebay..it should be no problem, but then you should check the seller's history and feedback, read the descriptions carefully *common ebay transaction steps* ..he never looked at the car in person as soon as he won the bid he went to pick up at the dealer and drove back to nyc.hes still drivin it till now...gut luck to you!!

[stiller fan]

She was talking to me about a 6th gen coupe, but we're weary of the tranmission issues, and sadly that's pretty much keeping us away from most late model used honda/acuras. :(

Anyways, we'll see what happens, but we need to buy her a car this weekend, so I will know by then what we end up going with. :)

can she drive (or want to drive) a stick???? :dunno:

[Accordlover]

I suggested it, traffic is her main concern. Her wrist gets tired after awhile, but the last 5spd car she actually had as a daily driver was a 1984 Accord HB, so I KNOW the newer ones are much easier to drive. I've been trying to look at this car a guy is selling on CL, but he's never avalible for it to be shown when we have the time.

We did go over to Honda yesterday evening, she loves the 'cuteness' of the Civic, but it's not very comfortable to her, I know what she means though, our Accord is much more comfortable. Now the situation is getting more complicated because my dad is saying he wants a new car, so I may end up a permeant Volvo driver :/ it's not the same :(. It IS a nice car though. (See sig)

[bagbklyn]

I've also brought 2 cars on ebay. One was my 2000 v6 accord and then other 2003 v6 accord. Both sellers had low feedback numbers. For both sellers I had to pay off Honda finance to get the title. One word of advice if you do do find a car you like, is to get the phone number and speak to the person directly. You can ask the person questions that if they hesitate you know they're lying. Certain things such as had the tranny ever been changed. Has it been in an accident? Did you stick to the maintenance schedule? When was the last time the car had a tune up? If you found a car on ebay im pretty sure if you came back here and asked for questions to ask the seller we can help you. Don't let ebay scare you but one thing that helps is to make sure the car is within driving distance so you can go and pick it up and see it before paying the final balance.

[CaptainVideo]

For both sellers I had to pay off Honda finance to get the title.

Is there a way to research whether the title has a lean on it? Can the bank through which you'll get financing do that using the VIN?

It seems to me if you buy from a dealer with good feedback and you have the car inspected (and, even better, you check it out yourself) it seems like you should be ok.

What confuses me is when a dealer says "pre delivery inspections are welcome". That's fine, but what does "welcome" mean in a legal sense? The agreement should be if unstated problems are found the deal is void. But the closest I see to this is the rare dealership that offers a walk away.

[HondaPOD]

You can do a CarFax history report. Sometimes the sellers on eBay will give you the "FREE" CarFax report.

[Accordlover]

You can do a CarFax history report. Sometimes the sellers on eBay will give you the "FREE" CarFax report.

Carfax is a pos. No offense.

[HondaPOD]

Oh. I didn't know. Never used them seriously. I did look my car up once on carfax.. It said i had nothing done to my car... When i DID have my oil changed twice.. So i guess it is a POS. :thumbsup:

[08exl]

Oh. I didn't know. Never used them seriously. I did look my car up once on carfax.. It said i had nothing done to my car... When i DID have my oil changed twice.. So i guess it is a POS. :thumbsup:

Is it supposed to monitor oil changes?

[Accordlover]

sometimes. Some dealers report them.

[HondaPOD]

Is it supposed to monitor oil changes?
sometimes. Some dealers report them.



They are SUPPOSED TO. Yet some of the dealers are dumb. :lmao:

[BenzAccord]

I had a bad experience trying to buy a 2002 Accord VP on ebay. Carfax showed no previous accident. Owner admitted to accident after I bid, but before I took delivery. He assured me, that it was properly fixed and it wasn't noticeable in any way. We agreed that he'd drive 75 miles to my home to arrange delivery. When I drove it, it pulled to one side so bad, that there was no way I was taking it. I paid the guy $120 for his trouble and sent him home. Luckily he was agreeable to this. Never again will I buy a car sight unseen, without a test drive.

[Anzial]

CarCheck is better than Carfax imo.

[Bouncnb]

Never again will I buy a car sight unseen, without a test drive.

I agree with you. If you buy it from a private party, it also gives you a chance to meet the person and possibly an impression on how he or she is and possibly drives.

[Accordlover]

If you're buying a car that the seller admitted was previously wrecked and then you decided never to buy a car sight unseen again, I'd have to say that's a pretty silly reason.

I'm not sure why the seller waited until after you bid to tell you the whole story, but a good seller (and I think I would only buy from an online dealership with good feedback) would list those things. Normally, you go get the car after the auction, and if the car isn't as described than you don't buy it.

eBay has pricing and availability advantages in many situations, which is really the only reason I'd consider buying a car on eBay.

[HondaPOD]

eBay also knows that they want to clean out all the SPAMMERS too. So just report it to them and i'm PRETTY SURE they'll help you. :thmsup: to eBay.

[nadracer]

A friend of mine owns a used car dealership and sells on ebay. He told me that the biggest problem he has withe people who buy cars from him on ebay is that they dont get the cars inspected. I've never bought a car from ebay but from what I've heard is that if your really interested in a car and you can't physically see it yourself. Ebay offers a service that you can pay a fee to ebay and ebay will send a an inspector(a neutral party) to review the car for you. Either way its a win since they dont gain anything if you buy it or not. You just pay a fee for them to go out and report back to you about the car. Other than that its kind of a crap shoot and 'let the buyer beware'. If your spending 10k for a car and you have to give somebody $100 to make sure its the car you want then its really not a big loss if your going to be driving this thing for the next 5 years.

[LoveLee]

i wouldnt do it, or if you can go see the car pleeease. my bf went down that road when he totalled his car and actually drove from florida to virginia to see the car. when he got there is was scratched and the carpet was torn on the interior. all those thing were hidden in the pictures. and its not really worth to buy the car with out seeing it because if the pictures are deceiving u dont want to go through the ordeal of getting a refund.

[RTexasF]

What do you think?

If a dealer told you the exact price, has a ton of pictures, and even guaranteed that they'll refund your purchase price, would you buy the car sight unseen? And then have it delivered to your doorstep?

I know there are good and bad eBayers :naughty: :nuts: :yes: out there, but that aside, what do you think? :wave:

No I would not. No see, no drive, no negotiation = no sale. Experience on an E-Bay car purchase= ZERO.

[thesteve151]

http://www.autotrader.com/

so much better, i bought my vw, and my accord on there, my bro bought his vw on it, and we both sold our trucks on it, great site, first place i look for a car:thmsup: