Question:
Info Ebay boats and cars?
Why would someone buy a big ticket item on Ebay? It appears that the
sellers want to sell their product at market pricing and it really isn't an
auction. It seems the Reserve Prices have not been meet on the boats listed
now.
Unless, I was able to buy a boat or car at substantial discount, I would
hesitate to buy any bit ticket item via eBay.
Does anyone have any personal knowledge of people who have purchased cars
and/or boats via Ebay or similar auction service?
Answer:
- Ebay has changed substantially in the last 2-3 years, so much so that I
rarely use it. Stuff that I bought for $10-20 ea 3-4 years ago now sells
for 50-60. I see people bit up stuff higher than what you can buy it
directly on line. And as you pointed out, people seem to think they can
get market pricing AND pad the shipping and handling costs.
- My brother bought a Jag on eBay and got a pretty good deal. It was
kept in south Florida for winter use and was in excellent shape with
low mileage and the price was right. Most of the time I agree with you
that they are overpriced and you seldom have the luxury of test
driving.
- In '03 I bought a '99 Mustang Convertible GT on Ebay. I got it at
trade-in value which I thought was an exceptional deal. The car has
been great. I am willing to buy big ticket items on Ebay but only at
a price I would consider a great deal.
I also bought a boat over the summer on Ebay that didn't turn out to
be such a good deal. The seller was honest about there being some
soft spots in the boat which kept educated buyers from bidding and
thus the price was low. I didn't know better at that time. I was
able to look at the boat and take a trial ride on it before the deal
was closed. Unfortunately, due to my lack of knowledge about boats, I
bought it. Later sold it at a loss. Even though I owned that boat
for a short time, I was able to get some enjoyment out of it and
learned quite a few things. In the end, not such a bad experience. I
would not buy a boat on Ebay again unless I was able to inspect the
boat before the deal closed and also take it for a sea trial.
