Buying on Ebay

[pony13ca]

How many of you have bought cars from Ebay? And is it generally safe? I was bidding on a car on the site. Complete with a vin that seemed to check out. I didn't win the auction, and today while searching Kijji in Toronto, I found the exact same add for the exact same car! Word for Word!!

[Deserion]

I sort of bought a car on eBay. Well, I found it on eBay and bought it in person.

[Joe B]

I found a beautiful 2003 S on eBay and was able to see it and test drive it before I purchased it with the Buy it Now option. For some reason people were making silly low-ball offers and it lasted for a week, long enough for me to get it. I was going to buy it after the auction ended, not on eBay, but when it went down to a ridiculously low price, I had to take it before someone else came to their senses and did. The guy had done a "mini-restoration" and it is a peach !

I used PayPal for the deposit, so I guess I was protected. He then mailed me the title, and I paid the balance with a cashier's check when I picked the car up.

Why can't the car be listed on both eBay and Kijiji?

[pony13ca]

Originally Posted by Joe B

I found a beautiful 2003 S on eBay and was able to see it and test drive it before I purchased it with the Buy it Now option. For some reason people were making silly low-ball offers and it lasted for a week, long enough for me to get it. I was going to buy it after the auction ended, not on eBay, but when it went down to a ridiculously low price, I had to take it before someone else came to their senses and did. The guy had done a "mini-restoration" and it is a peach !

I used PayPal for the deposit, so I guess I was protected. He then mailed me the title, and I paid the balance with a cashier's check when I picked the car up.

Why can't the car be listed on both eBay and Kijiji?

The listing showed up on Kijji after the car had sold on EBay. The EBay listing was for a car in Virginia, and the Kijji ad says the car is here in Toronto.

[dghii]

First off, I've purchase two BMW's and my 2000 Boxster S off of ebay and all transactions went through with little drama. Two of the car's, I purchased site unseen, while the Boxster ended up being a local car that I drove prior to placing a winning bid on a no reserve auction.

As for the car showing up in two places? My guess is the Kijji ad may be a fraud.

I have vacation rental condos that are listed on a legitimate site (VRBO). I have seen my exact ad show up on our local Craigslist site under vacation rentals. Pretty scary!

[Nine8Six]

Back in the days I wanted to get a convertible, just because my wife was dreaming of one. I wasn't a car guy at all during these years... in fact didn't know much about cars having been involved in motorcycle dirt & road racing since I'm seven years old (I'm 39 and nothing changed!).

No kipipi, ebay, adds, or whatever.... I remember asking my assistant to import a "convertible car" whatever it was, gave her a budget, told her surprise me, and 4 months later an eye-bleeding red color Porsche Boxster appeared.

Just get a Boxster, fix it up if it needs too and drive the damn thing. Yes, its just a car! You have been asking the world about your cars/adds finds since March 2014... under about ten different threads.

[Porsche9]

I've purchase two Porsche's on Ebay. Both I was able to see in person and have a PPI done. Before buying I strongly recommend you have a PPI done regardless of where you find it.

[OnFire]

A bit of a cautionary tale:

I was looking for a car that either had the IMS fix or needed a clutch I found a 2000 Boxster on eBay for $9500 that needed a clutch. I asked for a pre-purchase inspection. I got the IMS bearing, clutch done by the same shop as the PPI shop in Nor Cal. I flew in from Chicago to get the car and it's a decent quality repaint. Lots of orange peel and still had scratches and scuffs. I get 200 miles and the engine blows up. Turns out the maintenance records were fabricated by the shop and the pre-purchase inspection was poor at best. I got the engine replaced for $8,000. Plus another $2,000 to get me and the car back here. I'm in the process of trying to get it the money back from the shop. My recommendation is to buy local, get a good look at it in person before you buy it, and get a pre-purchase inspection at a factory Porsche dealership… I wish I had.

[Gforrest2]

Three cars, two motorcycles on Ebay, including my Boxster, all sight unseen. You're taking a chance buying something on Ebay, so make sure the price reflects this. And remember, if you're buying from a dealer and it's below book - there's got to be a reason, i.e., why can't they sell it on their lot. Bought an '07 Beetle convertible for my daughter for well under book from a dealer. The smell inside is almost unbearable with the top up. Three years later, the smell is still there. Turns out it's from the adhesive they used to glue down some of the interior parts. No kidding, google VW and "Crayon Smell".

[trimer]

First boxster on eBay sight unseen, second on autotrader but was local. 944 turbo, autotrader sight unseen and didnt do a PPI and wished I had. 996 autotrader and had PPI done.

[Giller]

Just get a Boxster, fix it up if it needs too and drive the damn thing. Yes, its just a car! You have been asking the world about your cars/adds finds since March 2014... under about ten different threads.[/QUOTE]

What he said. There are a ton of Boxsters in and around Toronto, lots of them reasonably priced and while some may not be in great shape, I would bet the majority of them are. If you really want one - make it happen.

[Alfieg23]

I found my 2000 Boxster advertised on ebay and then called and negotiated the deal with the dealer, sight unseen (only the numerous ad photos). Car was shipped from California to South Florida. I've had it 2+ years and it has been great. Having said that, although Boxster prices seem too good to be true, Porsche parts and repairs can be relatively expensive so you should have a discretionary budget set aside for possible issues. Good luck.

[recycledsixtie]

Originally Posted by Giller

Just get a Boxster, fix it up if it needs too and drive the damn thing. Yes, its just a car! You have been asking the world about your cars/adds finds since March 2014... under about ten different threads.

What he said. There are a ton of Boxsters in and around Toronto, lots of them reasonably priced and while some may not be in great shape, I would bet the majority of them are. If you really want one - make it happen.[/QUOTE]

'It's just a car' attitude can cost you a ton of money if you get the wrong one. Better to wait to get the right one that is decent and produces a decent PPI.
If you don't do your own repairs it is going to cost something like double to fix the problems. Patience is key.
Guy

[Xpit77]

I kept checking Autotrader and found one. As stated there are a lot of them in TO. Peninsula always have some as well as Motorway or they can get you one. Or ifyou know a dealer ask him to check the auctions. Check the PCA Upper Canada site too.

[Giller]

Something I found really useful when I was shopping. Find out who the seller is and google them. It's amazing what you can find out with a simple google and/or facebook search. I was choosing between two cars - ended up buying the one whose current owner was a solid Porsche enthusiast, member of the PCA and had a solid and positive online presence. Doing a 'PPI' on the owner can be almost as beneficial as doing it on the car. How else to know how well the car was cared for and driven.

[recycledsixtie]

Originally Posted by Giller

Something I found really useful when I was shopping. Find out who the seller is and google them. It's amazing what you can find out with a simple google and/or facebook search. I was choosing between two cars - ended up buying the one whose current owner was a solid Porsche enthusiast, member of the PCA and had a solid and positive online presence. Doing a 'PPI' on the owner can be almost as beneficial as doing it on the car. How else to know how well the car was cared for and driven.

Well said.
G

[Perfectlap]

Ebay would not be my first choice unless you find that the seller (not a dealer) lives in a town where Porsches are not common. Your first goal in shopping for a Porsche is to find one that is selling below the market rate because:

the owner doesn't need the cash and wants to get rid of it.
the owner needs to sell it quickly to buy something more expensive.
the owner doesn't want the hassle of people kicking tires and wants a quick sale

There are *ALWAYS* sellers like these. The best place to find all of the above are on the Porsche forums first or to check with an independent Porsche specialist in your area for any leads. The whole point is to first look in the community before you go witht the mainstream stuff.

When you go on Ebay, you're doing just the opposite. You're looking at cars that the whole world is looking at, it's wide open for highest bidder. It's good to check but a car that's priced to go sells quickly, a matter of days. The bulk of the cars sold on Ebay sit there. Usually becaue they're high mileage, have deffered maintenance ($$$$) that will be costly and the seller (usually a used car dealer) needs you to pay for his profit on the flip. Why is all this important? Because there are a crap ton of Boxsters, Caymans and Carreras for sale online. In fact in all of Porsche's history there have never been more used Porsches for sale (that are running). And why do you want to go after the good deal Porsche's first? Because repairs for these used cars are very, very expensive unless you're doing all your own work and even that's not as cheap as it sounds because the big expense is the parts and not really the labor. A full suspension overhaul and wheel bearings at an independent Porsche shop can easily cost $6,000. A dealer would charge more than the car cost you to buy in the first place. Getting the car below market gives you some cushion on these 'major maintenance' items that seem to come up sooner on cars driven where there is extreme heat or extreme cold weather and rough city roads. But the best is to find a car with low miles even if you have to pay a bit more for it up front. But be careful with cars that have the kind of the mileage that indicate the car just sat for months at a time. With these engines, the car owner needs to keep the habit of frequently runing the car on the road for at least 30 minutes to an hour to burn off all the build up.

[Jinx]

Bill purchased ours on eBay. It was from
A Porsche dealer. Easy transaction.
It required some minor repairs.
Battery, top drains stuffed. Turn signal socket.
Rear end clunk, torn CV joint boot.
Missing keys. Dealer wouldn't get us
A second key

To do list
Winter tires, winter floor mats,
umbrella (I have no idea way I need this
I just do). second key.
Have wheels reprinted in the
Spring. Car detailed in the spring.

Daily driver. And sooo much fun to drive.



58,513 mile. 3rd owner

[mikeman]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Ebay would not be my first choice unless you find that the seller (not a dealer) lives in a town where Porsches are not common. Your first goal in shopping for a Porsche is to find one that is selling below the market rate because:

the owner doesn't need the cash and wants to get rid of it.
the owner needs to sell it quickly to buy something more expensive.
the owner doesn't want the hassle of people kicking tires and wants a quick sale

There are *ALWAYS* sellers like these. The best place to find all of the above are on the Porsche forums first or to check with an independent Porsche specialist in your area for any leads. The whole point is to first look in the community before you go witht the mainstream stuff.

When you go on Ebay, you're doing just the opposite. You're looking at cars that the whole world is looking at, it's wide open for highest bidder. It's good to check but a car that's priced to go sells quickly, a matter of days. The bulk of the cars sold on Ebay sit there. Usually becaue they're high mileage, have deffered maintenance ($$$$) that will be costly and the seller (usually a used car dealer) needs you to pay for his profit on the flip. Why is all this important? Because there are a crap ton of Boxsters, Caymans and Carreras for sale online. In fact in all of Porsche's history there have never been more used Porsches for sale (that are running). And why do you want to go after the good deal Porsche's first? Because repairs for these used cars are very, very expensive unless you're doing all your own work and even that's not as cheap as it sounds because the big expense is the parts and not really the labor. A full suspension overhaul and wheel bearings at an independent Porsche shop can easily cost $6,000. A dealer would charge more than the car cost you to buy in the first place. Getting the car below market gives you some cushion on these 'major maintenance' items that seem to come up sooner on cars driven where there is extreme heat or extreme cold weather and rough city roads. But the best is to find a car with low miles even if you have to pay a bit more for it up front. But be careful with cars that have the kind of the mileage that indicate the car just sat for months at a time. With these engines, the car owner needs to keep the habit of frequently runing the car on the road for at least 30 minutes to an hour to burn off all the build up.

Solid advice in there .


I've bought 2 Toyotas on eBay, and sold an F350 and Honda motorcycle on there as well. The Toyotas were weird enough that they didn't get a lot of bids, so it was worth it... but when I sold the truck and bike they both went for more than market value in my area.. So, again worth it but from the other point of view

[husker boxster]

I've bought 4 cars off of ebay - 3 from dealers, 1 private. All have been good. 3 of them were purchased with the intention of reselling, which I was able to do. The 4th was for my sister.

But don't trust AutoCheck. Their report said the car was clean. Didn't bother with CarFax. Later after purchasing the car, did a CarFax and it said there was some paint work on the rear bumper. That wasn't good.