Your thoughts on Ebay. Good, bad, or otherwise.

[xtraoldestock]

I haven't used Ebay to buy sell or anything else in a while. I now use sites like FBBO for those things now. I remember a few years ago when Ebay was the way to go for this hobby.

I know Ebay has a lot of aftermarket stuff but except for that does any hobbyist do a lot of buying or selling there? One thing I've found if I Google a part name and number it sometimes sends me to Ebay. So for IDing parts it helps.

 

[fwi]

I have bought and occasionally sold stuff on Ebay, but not anything to do with automotive. For that I have had good luck with racingjunk.com and yes, even CL.

 

[plymouthman72]

I am a lot like you. I used to use to look at E Bay but the prices are astronomical for most things. For E Bay, it seems as if it has Mopar in it, its worth 426 hemi money even for the small stuff. I know people need to stay in business but dang they ask a lot for this stuff. I personally think this forum has been the best source of knowledge and parts. Everyone I have met on here has sold me great parts at very reasonable prices and I try to pass it on by doing the same. To me, we all share the addiction and the only way we can afford to do it is if we help each other out!

 

[plymouthman72]

Craigslist has been great too! I scored a 72 340 virgin block for 300! had to drive 10 hours to get it but it was well worth it.

 

[moparcrazy]

No Ebay for this Kid !! CL or Summit Racing for me !

 

[moparnation74]

I used to sell a fair amount on ebay but the fees and loon toon buyers ended my ebay selling days...

 

[khryslerkid]

Ebay can be good but you have to be smart.

"Buy it Now" or bidding on a part, you have to know what you are looking at, you have to know it's value. Look at the sellers ratings to know their good or bad standings. Also keep in mind what state or country the seller is from.

Always use PayPal so that you are protected from a bad deal or not receiving what you buy. Know PayPal's rules and policies. If the buyer wants you to pay any other way or go off site to complete the transaction, that's a Red Flag!

Other buyers are useing computer programs to outbid you at the last second. It's called useing a "sniper". You won't have the final bid if someone has this in place. Just place a bid for the highest amount that you would pay and hope for the best.

If the seller has a "Buy it Now" on his add and you think it is too high, you could try to send him an offer. Some adds have the option of offering a amount other than the listed price. "OBO"

One thing to keep in mind is that you are bidding against the whole world when you're on there. Bidding won't always go in your favor. I've made some really great deals on there but I've missed a lot more...

Selling on there can be another experience. You'll have to deal with people who might not follow through. The fee's have become worse over the years. I sell local now days...

 

[Moparsmitty]

I occasionally buy stuff on Ebay but it's not my first choice for many reasons, including some mentioned here. I have to admit though, I have bought a few parts on Ebay that I probably wouldn't have found any other way. Ebay still has it's place, it's just not the first place I look.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Ebay can be good but you have to be smart.

Exactly.

 

[moparnation74]

I occasionally buy stuff on Ebay but it's not my first choice for many reasons, including some mentioned here. I have to admit though, I have bought a few parts on Ebay that I probably wouldn't have found any other way. Ebay still has it's place, it's just not the first place I look.

Totally different situation for sellers.......I have had people say, "Ok, I am the winning bidder on your item, discount your shipping and I will pay" Which I refuse from my add designation of shipping/price. Then they wait the full duration for them to pay before it gets escalated. They receive the item and then try to leave negative feedback. Of course ebay steps in and takes care of that but just imagine the time I spent messing with that.

I was not one of those sellers that capitalized on shipping. I only used USPS priority mainly and that was due for convenience and getting the item in the buyers hands quick. Priority cost more than standard and if a buyer doesn't like that then don't bid. Once they bid they agreed to the terms of the seller...Period!

Now if the person asked instead of strong arming me as some have. Can you ship the item ground? No problem, so I would discount the priority to the ground price, still sent priority in their hands quick and instant positive feedback....That and the honesty of my ads since 1997 led for a high seller rating. And the buyers paid more for my parts versus the same from another due to my reviews and ratings.

Unfortunately, the trolls stopped my selling. It just took up to much time.

You are correct on the buying portion and I am mainly a buyer as well.....

 

[Habib]

I buy stuff from there but as far as selling, No way. Too many fees and stupid Rules.

 

[Bruzilla]

I buy and sell on ebay. Yeah, the fees are a pain, but let's not forget that they are providing a service that would make your efforts unprofitable if you tried to undertake them yourselves. They are a cost of doing business.

One "bad" thing I'm seeing more and more of recently is vendors over-pricing items in the hopes folks will assume they are getting the best price. I learned of Walmart doing this years ago. They would under-price a low-option item like a basic microwave oven, so it would sell well below what say Target had it at. Then they would over-price better units. They did this because people would look at the price of the basic unit and assume the prices on better units were also lower without bothering to verify if this was true. So I see parts listed on ebay that are two or even three times more expensive than what parts stores are selling them for. This is why I always check the parts vendors websites and ebay.

I'm also seeing more and more major vendors like Summit selling on ebay. I usually buy from them via ebay if the prices are the same as I don't have to fill out customer forms, I get tracking information, and I get Paypal protections.

 

[Bladecutter]

I don't buy used, sight unseen.....has to be in living color. Not unless it a legitimate street business.....no private sellers unless face to face. Possession is 9/10's of the law at the end of the day

 

[Moparsmitty]

Totally different situation for sellers.......I have had people say, "Ok, I am the winning bidder on your item, discount your shipping and I will pay" Which I refuse from my add designation of shipping/price. Then they wait the full duration for them to pay before it gets escalated. They receive the item and then try to leave negative feedback. Of course ebay steps in and takes care of that but just imagine the time I spent messing with that.

I was not one of those sellers that capitalized on shipping. I only used USPS priority mainly and that was due for convenience and getting the item in the buyers hands quick. Priority cost more than standard and if a buyer doesn't like that then don't bid. Once they bid they agreed to the terms of the seller...Period!

Now if the person asked instead of strong arming me as some have. Can you ship the item ground? No problem, so I would discount the priority to the ground price, still sent priority in their hands quick and instant positive feedback....That and the honesty of my ads since 1997 led for a high seller rating. And the buyers paid more for my parts versus the same from another due to my reviews and ratings.

Unfortunately, the trolls stopped my selling. It just took up to much time.

You are correct on the buying portion and I am mainly a buyer as well.....

I totally agree with everything you have said. I was looking at it from the point of view of a buyer. I quit selling on Ebay because of the reasons you mentioned and more. It's just not worth all of the BS. I personally think that Ebay could do more to protect the sellers from a lot of the trolls that seem to be screwing around with the sellers because they don't have anything better to do. I know that there are a few bad sellers too, but if you don't like the terms of the sale, don't bid. JMHFO.

 

[flypaper]

Good place to find hard to find parts.
After that,its worthless .

 

[mmissile]

Other than being the only game in town for some stuff..Ebay sucks ***.

 

[moparnation74]

I buy and sell on ebay. Yeah, the fees are a pain, but let's not forget that they are providing a service that would make your efforts unprofitable if you tried to undertake them yourselves. They are a cost of doing business.

To some degree, Yes Solely based on logistics buuuut.....However, I have sold just as many parts here, minus the fees, minus the aggravation. Of course I sold for slightly less than listing in the global audience but with certain factors removed in comparison. I made almost the same

btw there was a time when ebay and the fees were tolerable but hey thanks to inducting paypal that all changed......

They know exactly how many transactions occur per minute, hour, day, week, year.....tack on more for fees keep a fat number....Fat......That is why I no longer sell and just buy

 

[Greg Ducato]

I find the search pretty tedious when you go to the vintage parts section for a year model specific car and get 6000 results. There might be less than 10 percent of that number that are actual parts, the remainder are signs, rubber dashboard pole dancers, universal switches, fuzzy dice etc etc.

 

[Bart K]

Like others have said, I use ebay mostly for hard to find parts these days. I do occasionally sell some things, but mostly I donate or bring parts to FBBO and either give them away for shipping costs or sell low to help others. I have found Classic Industries to be a pretty good place to buy as well as Summit Racing.

 

[Fran Blacker]

I've had mostly good luck on ebay as many say buyer beware. Fee's are high, yes. Selling big money parts they add up. Buying got burned once, mainly my fault for not checking the part out when I got it. Bought a Dana 60 suregrip open the box yep that's the part. When I went to use 8 month's it oops $90 in the sh#tter. It was a Dana 70. The guts are the same I used them but bought another 60 with wrong guts.
As a seller only one transaction was a problem and not auto parts. Sold a rolling ladder at a give away price. $1200 ladder for $600 in excellent condition. Waited to get paid, the bidder went for knee replace surgery day after bidding, found out later. Tried to contact but no dice. They had the name of the business and I had a first name of account holder of the bidder. After searching for business on internet I phoned the business and got a hold of the bidder, well not quite. The bidder father also used the ebay account and didn't tell her. I told her I needed to be paid or I'd cancel transaction. This was 2 weeks after the buy it now bid and you pick it up. Paid next day, ok. When you going to pick it up? 3 weeks I have some guys there. Nope, emailed if the snow flies it will be a real pain to pick up. Finally 3 weeks later it was gone. After I get paid didn't care to much about it but it was a pain. Another sale was pick up only, a guy from Chicago emails through ebay and asks about shipping, Said I don't ship. I'll arrange shipping he said all you have to do is be there. That went pretty smooth and I used the shipper in another sale 6 months later. You take the good with the bad.