anybody pleased with their ebay purchase?

[Rosie]

Has anyone here bought a vehicle on ebay, and been happy with it?
Got what they thought they were getting?
Has anyone here been ripped off?

[JimC]

But every seller on ebay is different - references about ebay mean nothing! That being said, I've bought a car on ebay - I did my due dillegence and was not dissappointed by any surprises.

In my opionion, buying on ebay is like buying an old car from any other source, except with added disadvantage that the auction deadline frustrates your ability to get the car inspected and verify it to your satisfaction. Don't fall into this trap!

[redmondrover]

We bought our 109 on ebay and were (still are) pleased with how it turned out. We exchanged lots of email and a few phone calls with the seller to learn about the 109. On the most important part, exchanging money for the vehicle, we were fortunate to have a family member near the seller who actually handled the transaction in person. so, in the end, you could say we only went window shopping on ebay and then did a traditional, face to face, purchase.

[Daurie]

I bought my '73 88" on Ebay and am extremely pleased. Fortunately the seller was extremely honest and the truck surpassed my expectations. Of course there were minot things I felt needed attention and they were addressed but overall it was a great experience. Lots of big clear pictures and talking was involved. My seller took pictures of anything and everything I asked about. If the seller gives you any negative vibes think twice.

I've never had a bad experience on ebay but I know they happen.

[BackInA88]

I got mine off Ebay as well.
PO was every helpful and took any pictures I asked for as well.
I have been every happy.

I did get shafted on a Series III trans from "dustycowboy" from Mountain Trading Co on Ebay.

Steve

[petru]

Bought a 1997 Landcruiser off ebay. Didn't ask the right questions. Got taken for the price of the vehicle ($11k) and $4800 for a new transmission. He was a dealer so I got what I should have known was coming. ASK QUESTIONS and develolp a relationship so you both know where you are each coming from!

I learned a big lesson from that one!

[Jim-ME]

I bought my son's Jeep thru an Ebay deal. I flew to Charlotte NC and drove it back to Maine with no problems. I'd do Ebay again.
Jim

[zayante]

It was an educational experience. Bought my 109 from a restorer who was getting out of the business. In re-reading the emails we exchanged and phone call notes, some answers to questions weren't detailed or direct. And I made assumptions, like that if it were a 2.5 L engine, it was a 2.5 Land Rover engine. I should have figured something was up when I told him that since it was in good condition I wanted to fly east and drive it back to California. He told me that wasn't a good idea, as he had a customer from Texas whose LR was rear-ended by semi a few miles from his house. In fact, the brakes were totally shot, and it could barely be stopped rolling off the transporter. Getting a third party assessment is REALLY worthwhile if you can't drive it in person.

Chris

[SafeAirOne]

I almost bought a Rover through e-bay. I communicated a lot with the seller, then drove to Washington DC from New Hampshire to look at the truck. I ended up not liking the compression readings on the V8 and passed, although now I regret it.

In the end, I'd rather pay a few hundred dollars to drive the 650 miles round trip than to get stuck with a $10000 turd.

On e-bay and LRX.com (or whatever the address is now), you can limit your searches to vehicles for sale within a distance that you are willing to drive (or by state).

[Hawaii_SIII]

My wife thought i was crazy when i bid on the '73 SIII from a lady in Savannah, GA. I talked to the seller on the phone and got a good vibe from her. She was straight forward with the condition, took the pictures i wanted, and when she said her business was selling cars on ebay and a negative feedback would seriously hurt her business i knew she wasn't pulling any punches. After the auction closed, she got a phone call from a guy in Jacksonville offering her $3k more than my bid. She gave me the number to call in case i was interested. Nope, i had it shipped a quarter of the way around the globe to Hawaii and have been enjoying Rex ever since. One side note though, don't go with Dependable Auto Shippers. They were horrible on the pick up (completely "forgot" to pick it up and couldn't arrange another pick up for over a week) and thier customer service was a joke.

[Tim Smith]

I bought a rover from a failed eBay add and the experience was lovely. But you really have to do your due diligence no matter where you are purchasing from.

I also bought a different car from eBay and found out that:
1) It wasn't diesel as suggested but not explicitly stated
2) The radiator had the return line from the fill box broken off and filled with PUTTY!
3) Has a fuel management problem and will likely require a few more temperature sensors to get it running right.

The latter car was bought in a willy-nilly lunch break session on eBay. I'll never do that again.

Do your home work and if the auction is pressuring you to "Buy now" before you are ready, then don't.

Good luck!

[junkyddog11]

I'd suppose that nobody will admit to getting hosed, but I see way too many junk trucks and sad owners when they get the estimate for making the thing work. Naturally this has to be a good part due to the buyer not being aware.....which is the key. Not limited to e-bay. If you are serious and do not know what you are looking at enlist the help of someone who does :thumb-up: which I would suggest no matter what/where you are purchasing.

[msggunny]

I was happy with the Heep i bought a few years ago, but it was from a dealer so it most likely had something to do with the experience.

Havent bought anything from a private party, and dont think i will unless it local enough for me to actually see the vehicle.

[Eric W S]

Havent bought anything from a private party, and dont think i will unless it local enough for me to actually see the vehicle.

x2. Every time I go to look at something, it wasn't worth the effort to begin with.

EwS