TIP: Buying a car from a dealer on Ebay

Well, the third times the charm...

My son lives in LA and drives a nice leased car but he wanted a 'roughing
it' vehicle to use when he visited development sites and for occasional
'hauling purposes'
He always liked the older Jeeps and set out to buy a late 60, early 70
Commando.
He bid on two.. one from a private seller the other from a dealer, who
supposedly was 'selling on consignment'.

He won them both, eventually.. the bid on the dealer jeep was one buck
below reserve but the 'high bidder' backed out for some reason, and
seller came back and offered it to my son.

Perhaps 'high bidder' backed out because the thing was listed as having
aftermarket air but the only evidence was a fascia bolted to the dash...
no compressor or hoses under the hood.

Perhaps it was the body condition listed as 'good'.. despite photos
showing an obvious crease where the hood had flown up over the windshield
frame.. or maybe because it had a 2.9 liter V6 in it.. where I couldnt
find evidence of Jeep offering that.

Anyway that was the THIRD case of my sons buying or attempting to buy
from a dealer on EBAY... first two we took and they turned out OKAY, but
nothing we couldnt have found in a local lot as cheap or cheaper for the
condition and price.

OTOH, I've bought three cars off Ebay from private sellers and they all
turned out to be good value...
... as was the Jeep the kid just bought from the private seller.

And the bids to dealers... THREE STRIKES, IMO!

The hook is if you win, then you go to all the trouble to travel and pick
up the car, you're likely to just go ahead and take it, despite being
disappointed.
And there's always the excitement of the auction, itself...

My advice: Never buy a car from dealer on Ebay... unless you have a
local agent who can look at the car and knows what he's looking at.
--
Yeh, I'm a Krusty old Geezer, putting up with my 'smartass' is the price
you pay..DEAL with it!

> .......
> My advice: Never buy a car from dealer on Ebay... unless you have a
> local agent who can look at the car and knows what he's looking at.
> --
Agreed. Prices often exceed what you can pay new at store. The whole
"Reserve not met" with unlisted reserve is sucky. In a regular store, the
reserve price is listed, but you can offer more.

On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 13:21:57 GMT, Backyard Mechanic
> wrote:

>Well, the third times the charm...
>
>My son lives in LA and drives a nice leased car but he wanted a 'roughing
>it' vehicle to use when he visited development sites and for occasional
>'hauling purposes'
>He always liked the older Jeeps and set out to buy a late 60, early 70
>Commando.
>He bid on two.. one from a private seller the other from a dealer, who
>supposedly was 'selling on consignment'.
>
>He won them both, eventually.. the bid on the dealer jeep was one buck
>below reserve but the 'high bidder' backed out for some reason, and
>seller came back and offered it to my son.
>
>Perhaps 'high bidder' backed out because the thing was listed as having
>aftermarket air but the only evidence was a fascia bolted to the dash...
>no compressor or hoses under the hood.
>
>Perhaps it was the body condition listed as 'good'.. despite photos
>showing an obvious crease where the hood had flown up over the windshield
>frame.. or maybe because it had a 2.9 liter V6 in it.. where I couldnt
>find evidence of Jeep offering that.
>
>Anyway that was the THIRD case of my sons buying or attempting to buy
>from a dealer on EBAY... first two we took and they turned out OKAY, but
>nothing we couldnt have found in a local lot as cheap or cheaper for the
>condition and price.
>
>OTOH, I've bought three cars off Ebay from private sellers and they all
>turned out to be good value...
>.. as was the Jeep the kid just bought from the private seller.
>
>And the bids to dealers... THREE STRIKES, IMO!
>
>The hook is if you win, then you go to all the trouble to travel and pick
>up the car, you're likely to just go ahead and take it, despite being
>disappointed.
>And there's always the excitement of the auction, itself...
>
>My advice: Never buy a car from dealer on Ebay... unless you have a
>local agent who can look at the car and knows what he's looking at.
>
I just looked in my "duh file" and realized this tidbit was already
there.
--

"Everything in excess! To enjoy the flavor of life, take big bites.
Moderation is for monks."

ZombyWoof
(take the dogs when replying via e-mail)

In article >, wrote:
>On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 13:21:57 GMT, Backyard Mechanic
> wrote:
>
>>Well, the third times the charm...
>>
>>My son lives in LA and drives a nice leased car but he wanted a 'roughing
>>it' vehicle to use when he visited development sites and for occasional
>>'hauling purposes'
>>He always liked the older Jeeps and set out to buy a late 60, early 70
>>Commando.
>>He bid on two.. one from a private seller the other from a dealer, who
>>supposedly was 'selling on consignment'.
>>
>>He won them both, eventually.. the bid on the dealer jeep was one buck
>>below reserve but the 'high bidder' backed out for some reason, and
>>seller came back and offered it to my son.
>>
>>Perhaps 'high bidder' backed out because the thing was listed as having
>>aftermarket air but the only evidence was a fascia bolted to the dash...
>>no compressor or hoses under the hood.
>>
>>Perhaps it was the body condition listed as 'good'.. despite photos
>>showing an obvious crease where the hood had flown up over the windshield
>>frame.. or maybe because it had a 2.9 liter V6 in it.. where I couldnt
>>find evidence of Jeep offering that.
>>
>>Anyway that was the THIRD case of my sons buying or attempting to buy
>>from a dealer on EBAY... first two we took and they turned out OKAY, but
>>nothing we couldnt have found in a local lot as cheap or cheaper for the
>>condition and price.
>>
>>OTOH, I've bought three cars off Ebay from private sellers and they all
>>turned out to be good value...
>>.. as was the Jeep the kid just bought from the private seller.
>>
>>And the bids to dealers... THREE STRIKES, IMO!
>>
>>The hook is if you win, then you go to all the trouble to travel and pick
>>up the car, you're likely to just go ahead and take it, despite being
>>disappointed.
>>And there's always the excitement of the auction, itself...
>>
>>My advice: Never buy a car from dealer on Ebay... unless you have a
>>local agent who can look at the car and knows what he's looking at.
>>
>I just looked in my "duh file" and realized this tidbit was already
>there.

*shrug*
I bought a 92 Mustang LX Convertible on Ebay.
Turned out to be exactly what it was represented as.
A new top and about a grand and the "Shetland Pony" was running fine.

Zomby, you post here too, huh?

On Thu, 30 Mar 2006 06:37:46 GMT, (Brian Bunin)
wrote:

>In article >, wrote:
>>On Fri, 24 Mar 2006 13:21:57 GMT, Backyard Mechanic
> wrote:
>>
>>>Well, the third times the charm...
>>>
>>>My son lives in LA and drives a nice leased car but he wanted a 'roughing
>>>it' vehicle to use when he visited development sites and for occasional
>>>'hauling purposes'
>>>He always liked the older Jeeps and set out to buy a late 60, early 70
>>>Commando.
>>>He bid on two.. one from a private seller the other from a dealer, who
>>>supposedly was 'selling on consignment'.
>>>
>>>He won them both, eventually.. the bid on the dealer jeep was one buck
>>>below reserve but the 'high bidder' backed out for some reason, and
>>>seller came back and offered it to my son.
>>>
>>>Perhaps 'high bidder' backed out because the thing was listed as having
>>>aftermarket air but the only evidence was a fascia bolted to the dash...
>>>no compressor or hoses under the hood.
>>>
>>>Perhaps it was the body condition listed as 'good'.. despite photos
>>>showing an obvious crease where the hood had flown up over the windshield
>>>frame.. or maybe because it had a 2.9 liter V6 in it.. where I couldnt
>>>find evidence of Jeep offering that.
>>>
>>>Anyway that was the THIRD case of my sons buying or attempting to buy
>>>from a dealer on EBAY... first two we took and they turned out OKAY, but
>>>nothing we couldnt have found in a local lot as cheap or cheaper for the
>>>condition and price.
>>>
>>>OTOH, I've bought three cars off Ebay from private sellers and they all
>>>turned out to be good value...
>>>.. as was the Jeep the kid just bought from the private seller.
>>>
>>>And the bids to dealers... THREE STRIKES, IMO!
>>>
>>>The hook is if you win, then you go to all the trouble to travel and pick
>>>up the car, you're likely to just go ahead and take it, despite being
>>>disappointed.
>>>And there's always the excitement of the auction, itself...
>>>
>>>My advice: Never buy a car from dealer on Ebay... unless you have a
>>>local agent who can look at the car and knows what he's looking at.
>>>
>>I just looked in my "duh file" and realized this tidbit was already
>>there.
>
>*shrug*
>I bought a 92 Mustang LX Convertible on Ebay.
>Turned out to be exactly what it was represented as.
>A new top and about a grand and the "Shetland Pony" was running fine.
>
>Zomby, you post here too, huh?
>
I'm like horse****, all over the place.
--
This is not The Land of Do-As-You Please
Remember, remember, the 5th of November!