Is ebay good for getting a quick sale? | Motoring discussion | Back Room Forum

Wed 14 Jul 2010 17:29

Is ebay good for getting a quick sale? - stokie

We're emigrating to Australia next Tuesday and was wondering whether ebay is a good way to sell our two cars?

What time would you set the advert to end at? I was thinking 5 pm on Saturday night.

Would you set an opening price, buy it now price or just start low with no reserve?

Both are getting on a bit and have some issues but have long MOTs, so we're aiming to achieve something better than sc*** value.

If they don't sell the fallback is to dump them on my dad to sell for me, but hoping not to use that option.

Thanks for any advice...Stewart and Vicki

Edited by stokie on 14/07/2010 at 17:29

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Wed 14 Jul 2010 17:45

Is ebay good for getting a quick sale? - Collos25

Your leaving it a bit late don't forget the buyer on ebay has I think 28 days to pay and to collect ,your father will not thank you if there are any problems to sort out.But yes its a good way to get rid of rubbish but the local car auction is better.

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Wed 14 Jul 2010 22:56

Is ebay good for getting a quick sale? - gordonbennet

Would Dad enjoy the task, i would under the circumstances and it might be the best bet if you want a reasonable figure, quick panic sale spells giveaway which i don't mind if the buyers are deserving of a break.

The very best fortune for your new lives, me jealous?...perish the thought..;)

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Thu 15 Jul 2010 12:10

Is ebay good for getting a quick sale? - woodster

Ebay works but you've got to be raelistic about value - so many people aren't when it comes to their own goods. The market place will pay what it's worth, so a very obvious link to the desirability of your cars. There are some idiots out there. I've had the scenario where a punter comes to look at the car, tries to get it on the cheap and then posts nasty remarks about it to put others off. In teh case of that car it went to the first viewer, at the asking price, following a local paper ad. I pitched it a good £300 below value to move it. You can check sold items on ebay and get a rough idea what things are making using the 'completed listings'. I always list on a Sunday 6-7p.m. ish whatever I'm selling. I may well be wrong but perhaps a good chance of folk being in and off work thus able to view that which they fancy. What cars/age /milegae are they??

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Thu 15 Jul 2010 12:55

Is ebay good for getting a quick sale? - stokie

I've now managed to sell the A4 via Loot, which leaves our J-Reg Toyota Starlet 1.0, with 125k miles, 12 months MOT and some bashes on the side panels (which haven't prevented it passing successive MOTs). It's definitely in the cheap transport category. I actually think it'd be a great buy for someone wanting cheap basic reliable motoring, we've owned it 16 years! you could say we have faith in it. We're in Warrington. Thanks for your ebay tips.

Yes I have left it late, I've been so focused on getting my house rented that this area has suffered!

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Thu 15 Jul 2010 13:41

Is ebay good for getting a quick sale? - woodster

Funnily enough an A4 was the car I was referring to. Easy sale in diesel and substantial profit after a fix and a clean. Word of mouth for the Starlet I'd have thought. As you say, just the ticket for a 17yr old to learn in and bash about. It does seem that rather too many people want something better to learn in and get their first couple of years in. I couldn't give a 1.9D Polo to my neighbour for his daughter - perfectly good if tatty. I was amazed. I digress. Happy selling of the Starlet, but I'm sure you'd agree, it's pocket money now.

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Thu 15 Jul 2010 17:17

Is ebay good for getting a quick sale? - TheOilBurner

I've sold a car via eBay in less than 3 days.

Tips:

Be realistic about price. Take into account condition, milage and history.
Take lots of good photos so people can see what the car is like inside and out
Describe the car truthfully - including all faults, even the minor cosmetic ones
Be restrained. Nobody likes huge swathes of red text in comic fonts.
Take a look at a few other adverts, especially the ones from the trade. See how they present their ads
Set a "Buy it now" price - and don't be greedy
Insist on cash to make a quick sale
Let people bid if they want to, but don't give them too long - hope to sell it via Buy it now if you can
Don't have anything to do with idiots who ask really stupid questions or sound indecisive, however - stay respectful
But do answer good questions as best as you can
Make sure there is a picture of the car in the listings, costs more but it's worth it

You might not get the very best price, but you should sell them without too much fuss.

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