Anyone with experience of selling cars on Ebay, please

[Norman Verona]

I've just received an email saying:

 

 

Thank you. Your item just sold. The buyer has been sent an email reminder about paying the deposit through PayPal. You should also follow up with the buyer to confirm your arrangements for the remaining payment.

 

 

 

 

The ad asked for payment by bank transfer but I have no real objection to getting paid by PayPal as long as it doesn't cost me anything.

 

However, it just doesn't smell right to me. The buyer lives in Ilford which is 230 miles from where the car is. 

 

Am I concerned for no reason or are bidders who don't buy commonplace.

[Mark (smokey mow)]

I've just received an email saying:

 

 

The ad asked for payment by bank transfer but I have no real objection to getting paid by PayPal as long as it doesn't cost me anything.

 

However, it just doesn't smell right to me. The buyer lives in Ilford which is 230 miles from where the car is. 

 

Am I concerned for no reason or are bidders who don't buy commonplace.

If it's a genuine email from ebay, then log into ebay and see if also appers in your ebay messages, if it doesn't then its almost certainly dodgy.

Sadly non payers are common place I've got a dispute open myself at the moment after selling my narrow last week as the buyer has failed to call me to arrange payment or collection

[Wile E. Coyote]

PayPal will cost you - and usually quite a bit.

More importantly they (PayPal and eBay) always seem to side with the buyer if there's a dispute - often refunding in full.  If selling a car, there's no way I'd take PayPal for the full value for that reason alone.

And yes, non-payers are surprisingly common.  I had my first (not for a car) last week - they bid on an item less than 5 mins before the close and then fell of the face of the planet...

As a buyer, I wouldn't do a bank transfer until I had the car in my possession.  Which a seller won't want to do.

Buying/selling cars, cash is the only way as far as I'm concerned.

 

ETA: to add some balance - we sold a wagon via eBay and it was one of the smoothest transactions possible.  Buyer "won" the item, turned up, wad of cash, done.  Less than 10 mins with us and never heard from them again.

[blue ass fly]

Ive had a few run ins with paypal and as said,they usually side with the buyer - even when though ive been in the right

I would ask for a deposit via paypal - that would indicate how sincere the buyer is - and the balance in cash

Your both protected then,if its not as advertised he can walk - if it is youve got your cash

Ive even heard of bank transfers being reversed by dodgy buyers after driving off in expensive cars

[WINGNUT]

Sold two vehicles on ebay

 

First was my Pilgrim Sumo asked for Uk bidders only ended up with Germans and Dutch bidding! One Dutch chap kept asking questions and bidding, i messaged him regarding Uk bidders only, to which he replied "Why? I have bought over 500 vehicles off Ebay from UK with 100% poss feed back, check"

 

So i did sure enough he did have! As you know you cant stop people bidding so i acknowledged him and he won it! Paid £100 deposit via paypal within 10mins of auction end (Monday night). Following morning he carried out an international trandfer and emailed me to tell me that monies would be ther 24 hours from now and to email him when they were and he would collect! By Wednesday morning funds had cleared, i emailed him and when i got home at 3.30pm from work a chap was there ready with a transporter. I couldnt believe how professional and how fantastic communication was with this guy, excellent!

 

Then two months later i sold my Honda CBR on there had every halfwit under the sun ringing/mithering to end auction early (mainly the squeky lot from Yorkshire) Two came to view her and i knew they had every intention of chipping me and riding her away, needless to say how disappointed they were driving off in the same car!  The bike sold through auction to a chap from yep well guessed from Yorkshire, he never paid never showed! Gave him his two week period required as ebay wish then went through the ebay complaints centre, ater there two week efforts the ad was relisted with no charge to myself and the buyer marked badly via ebay!

 

Its a massive inconvenience but ebay do side with the seller from my experience!

 

Can the guy whos bought it not pay on collection via an online bank transfer like i did when buying my Westie? was really easy just required a card reader which the banks supply with all the online accounts there is these days!

[Norman Verona]

It's a genuine ebay email.

 

I'll give him a few days and if I don't hear anything report him as a non-payer. I have his full name and address.

 

I'm happy to take a bank transfer, he can come up to our offices in Sheffield, inspect the car and transfer the money there and then (we do have a few computers he can use) or as you say, he can bring cash. To be honest I'd prefer a bank transfer as we have no means of checking for forgeries.

 

Thanks all.

[Norman Verona]

Wingnut, you nposted as I was posting. 

 

I'm not waiting 4 weeks, 2 for him to not pay and then another 2 for Ebay to relist.

 

It's also on Autotrader, I've had an offer of £300 less than he's bid so I'll not be waiting around.

[WINGNUT]

Wingnut, you nposted as I was posting. 

 

I'm not waiting 4 weeks, 2 for him to not pay and then another 2 for Ebay to relist.

 

It's also on Autotrader, I've had an offer of £300 less than he's bid so I'll not be waiting around.

 

Thats fair enough mate dont blame you, only going off my experience. I know it does tell you if you go into the claims centre that you are required to give the buyer so long to pay (sure it was 14 days) then you can do whatever you wish pull off ebay or relist! Just check first last thing you want is to sell on ebay and you end up with bad feed back for selling on before the time given for payment!

 

Sounds like a genuine guy if hes giving you details (assuming they are correct) If hes given contact numbers and they work im sure it will all go nice and smooth, let us know how you get on!

 

Scott

[Norman Verona]

Scott, he hasn't communicated at all. Ebay sent me his details. He bid at 07:00 this morning. I really don't care if they stop me using Ebay forever. I'd consider it a favour.

Many thanks for the advice, but at that price I'm not being messed about, would you?

[SootySport]

Ask him for his phone number and speak to him, ask him how he is paying and his arrangement to collect the Audi.

Paying by bank transfer is the best way for him and you, you can always ring your bank to check if it's cleared funds on Monday.

He is the one at risk more than you for loosing money, not you. The distance the buyer is from you is insignificant although I wouldn't bid or buy a car without seeing it, so it seems he trusts you more than you trust him. As I say speak to him first, you can then get a good idea if he genuine or not.

[WINGNUT]

Scott, he hasn't communicated at all. Ebay sent me his details. He bid at 07:00 this morning. I really don't care if they stop me using Ebay forever. I'd consider it a favour.

Many thanks for the advice, but at that price I'm not being messed about, would you?

 

LOL very true it can be a nightmare!

 

 

Ask him for his phone number and speak to him, ask him how he is paying and his arrangement to collect the Audi.

Paying by bank transfer is the best way for him and you, you can always ring your bank to check if it's cleared funds on Monday.

He is the one at risk more than you for loosing money, not you. The distance the buyer is from you is insignificant although I wouldn't bid or buy a car without seeing it, so it seems he trusts you more than you trust him. As I say speak to him first, you can then get a good idea if he genuine or not.

 

Do agree with sootysport too try chase it up first before moving on, although if it were me buying id have been intouch already to sort things out but thats just me i like to be organised and everybody know where they stand! Something thats died a death today nobody gives a S##T these days thats the trouble!

[Norman Verona]

If money is transferred via internet banking then if it shows in your account it cannot be "reversed" or taken back.

 

I'll send him an email asking him to send me his phone number but as Scott says he "won" it 8 hours ago and I've not heard from him. 

[Buzz Billsberry]

I've had a a lot of transactions on eBay and unfortunately non payers are the norm more than not .the worst was a complete ****** from Hyde in Lancashire he arranged to collect and pay at that point: he got the engine in the back of the van then tried to drive off ! to cut a long story short he suffered the wroth of Mr Billsberry and ended up with a couple of trophies to prove it ... Anyway managed to get the engine off the back of his van and sent him on his way ...fortunately I got in contact with the second bidder the transaction went with no issue..... I've never dealt with selling cars but a deposit then cash on collection making sure the buyer knows he's having a trip to the bank to deposit the cash or bankers draft then you know it's all genuine.

Buzz

[Norman Verona]

I really suspect this is a non-payer. I have no idea what pleasure they get out of it but nought so queer as folk. I've emailed him and still no answer. Of course he may be out for the day, we'll see.

 

So, we have a Lancastrian having problems with Yorkshiremen and and Yorkshireman having problems with Lancastrians. Nothing changes.

[Wile E. Coyote]

If money is transferred via internet banking then if it shows in your account it cannot be "reversed" or taken back.

 

That depends, Norman.  The funds can be requested back but the bank should ask the recipient to authorise their return - I know as a client's AP department did this to me earlier this year.

 

With BACS you can cancel a transaction on the same day it is sent - so watching someone initiate the transfer doesn't give you full protection.

 

AIUI, there are also procedures in place that allow reversals in the event of genuinely erroneous and fraudulent transactions.  Would take some cheek to pay for a car and then allege that a fraudulent transaction had taken place, but these days it seems anything goes...

 

Faster payments, IIRC, can't be recalled once sent (but are value limited).

 

CHAPs - I think they're as per FPS.

 

As for the 14 days on eBay - it is now much shorter: 2 or 4 days rings a bell with eBay (having been through this myself last week with a non-payer!).  There's then 2/3 days for the buyer to pay before you can close it off.  No meaningful sanctions against the non-payer.