Clients of mine are currently trying to build their credit and positioning themselves to buy a home in the future. With this said, they have questions about the best way to search, finance, and purchase a car so I’ve done some research for them that I thought would be helpful.
In a previous post, we looked at the ways that you can use the internet to help you buy a car. Now, a big part of that is eBay’s car sales division, appropriately named eBay Motors. You can find many great deals on here from legit dealers, but beware — there are a lot of swindlers lingering around the internet, and eBay isn’t totally free of those.
However, it’s important to note that eBay is a very reputable company. Its auctions are technically considered contracts, and eBay has a strong history of protecting buyers from fraud. Still, there are practical things do to protect yourself up front.
First, look at the seller’s rating. If it’s very high (98-99%), that’s an extremely good sign. Everyone makes mistakes, so that one horrible rating shouldn’t outweigh the 99 good ratings; take extremes with a grain of salt and look at the average experience. You can look at previous auctions from the sellers and contact the buyers to see if they are happy with their purchase. You can also get the VIN of the car to run a history report. And if you’re local, see if you can check out the car in person.
You’ll want to arrange for a 3rd-party inspection and have the report sent to you for verification, as it’s very important to cover all your bases. Also, consider getting an extended warranty — not just for eBay cars, but for any used car in general. 3rd-party warranty programs are available by a number of quality vendors, and they’ll help make your purchase feel more secure.
The views published here are the opinions of the writer and are not a substitute for legal counsel.
Israel Gonzalez
Real Estate Broker-Hollister CA
831-636-8858
Click here to contact me by email
