Nov 21st, 2009 | Written by Original Writer | Posted in Automotive |

Ebay is great because you can buy or sell just about anything – including cars and trucks. If you’re buying or selling a car on eBay, there are some things you should think about and watch for. This article will review those tips to help make your buying or selling experience better.

Know What You’re Looking For

Before you just start browsing for cars, it’s best to have at least a few, different models that you’re looking for. Do your research on the best cars in your price range. Know which model years you’re looking for. Even knowing which features you want is a good thing. Check websites like Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com) to see what the going rates are. You’re doing this because once you start bidding, it can sometimes be hard to stop. Some people bid and go over their limit just to feel like they won the auction.

One thing I’ve done is just watch certain auctions for a few weeks to see what cars are being sold for. I’m even looking for a certain collector car and I’ve been watching eBay auctions for over a year. This has given me a really good feel on the ones that sell and why they do.

Pictures Really Matter

Since with an online auto auction, you’re usually not able to physically see the car, the pictures that are put in the auction are really going to matter. Some things to watch for are:

• Are there a lot of pictures or very few? If there are not many, then that’s like only taking less than a minute to look at a car and you wouldn’t do that if you were really looking at the car.
• Do they show any flaws? Most used cars are not in perfect condition. Actually, very few are. The pictures you see should be showing some flaws if the person selling the car is being honest. It’s really in their best interest to do this since in a lot of auctions, you’re able to get out of the contract if the car wasn’t as advertised.
• Do the pictures show everything? Are they showing the engine? A clean looking engine says a lot.

If you’re taking pictures for your eBay auction, here are some things to remember:

• Have good lighting. Good lighting makes or breaks a picture. Have the sun at your back if you’re outside. Cloudy days actually give the best lighting since it’s more consistent.
• Make sure the pictures are good. Blurry pictures will not help you sell something.
• Take lots of pictures. And as I mentioned above, take pictures of the flaws. Be honest.
• Get pictures of the wheel wells, since rust can sometimes be there.
• Get pictures of the tires, showing how much trade is left.
• Make sure to show the odometer and VIN number plate.
• Get the car professionally cleaned. Buffing it will help even more. Spending $50 on a good wash and wax will get you hundreds more for the car and it will look great, getting you a lot of interest. The more interest you get in an auction, the more likely a bidding war could break out, driving the price up.
• Don’t put yourself or someone else in the picture. Most people are not models and you’re selling the car.

I’ve seen a lot of auctions and I can’t believe that people don’t clean and vacuum out their cars. Dirty cars look so bad in pictures. Use a good camera and if you know of someone that’s a photographer, ask for their help. Taking pictures from a lower angle can really make the car look better.

Car Information

I like auctions where there is a lot of information given. When I see that, the seller looks more honest and I feel like I’ll want to do business with someone like that. If you have all the service records, mention it and even take a picture of the stack of paperwork and receipts. Write about the history of the car. Are you the first or second owner? Write all the you know.

For goodness sake, use good English, good grammar and good punctuation. I’m totally turned off by people just slapping text up there and not even putting spaces after a comma. It’s ridiculous. If they’re not taking time to write a description well, they probably don’t care much about the car either. Why would I buy from them?

When someone asks you a question about the car, put the question and the answer to it in your auction. Edit it and add that info in. If one person is asking a question, others very well might have the same question.

Buyer Beware

Last of all, do a gut check. If an auction doesn’t look right or feel right, then get out. Don’t bid. Another car will be along shortly. Just be patient.

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