Selling Your Car on eBay: Dos and Don?ts

Do you have a car to sell? Would you like to turn to eBay.com to sell that car? If this is your first time using eBay to sell anything, let alone a vehicle, you need to take the time to familiarize yourself with the dos and don?ts of selling on eBay.

DO register for a free account. To sell your car on eBay, you must have an account. To get started, visit eBay.com. From there, you select ?Register,? from the top of the main page. Follow the instructions to create an account. Although it is free to have an eBay account, you are charged seller fees. Not only that, if your email address is from a free account, as opposed to one from your internet service provider, you may be required to provide a valid credit card number.

DON?T list your car for sale right away. If you have never used eBay before, you want to take the time to look around. Ebay is a popular online auction website. Unfortunately, that means more competition for you. You need to browse the entire website and the eBay Motors section. Look for auctions that standout in both bad and good ways. What are those sellers doing right or wrong? Use their listing as examples.

DO checkout the competition. As previously stated, eBay often results in a lot of competition. This is most common with movies, toys, and books. At any given time, there can be hundreds of the same item for sale. Perform an eBay search with your car year, make, and model. How much competition is there? Where are those other cars located? You may want to wait on listing your car for sale if there is a similar car less than 30 minutes from your house and if the selling price is lower than yours. The less competition you have, the better your chances of selling your car and for a decent amount.

DON?T forget to take pictures. Many new eBay sellers do not fully understand the importance of pictures. Ask yourself this. Would you buy a car without seeing what it looks like first? No. Do not expect others to do the same. When taking pictures, use a digital camera. Take your pictures in the day, when there is plenty of sunlight. Take pictures of the car exterior, interior, engine, and any highlights or special features.

DO write detailed descriptions. The more information you provide about your car, the better its chances are of selling. As with pictures, consumers don?t want to buy a car they know nothing about. To get started, include the year, make, model, transmission, cylinder count, and mileage. Then, describe the car features. What safety features or optional upgrades does the vehicle have? Finally, describe the condition of the vehicle. Has it been in an automobile accident? Are there scratches on the door? Not only provided detailed descriptions, but also accurate ones.

DON?T fall victim to common eBay scams. After creating your eBay auction listing by following their step-by-step guide, your for sale car will appear on the website. You should get bids and questions from interested buyers. Since you are new to selling on eBay, watch out for scams. Unfortunately, many scammers target eBay. When selling a car, it is best to opt for local pickup. You can give that person the opportunity to pay in cash. If they opt for check or money order, do not handover the car or the title right away. Wait until payment clears. Honest and legitimate buyers will understand this.

DO monitor your ?My eBay,? section for questions. As previously stated, some interested buyers will contact you with questions. You can access these questions through the ?My eBay,? section on the eBay.com website. Some scammers send look alike emails from eBay. The goal is to get you to sign into a fake account. Once you do, they now have your login information. If you get one of these emails, close out the page. Open a new internet window and type in eBay.com. If an interested buyer really did ask a question, answer it.

PPPPP

Word Count 685

5 Signs You Shouldn?t Sell Your Car On eBay

If you have a car to sell, you may hear that you should turn to eBay.com. Ebay is a popular online auction website. Millions of internet users use the website to buy and sell goods, including cars. For most individuals, eBay is a great way to sell a car. For others, it is not.

If you are unsure if you should use eBay to sell your vehicle, continue reading on for a list of five signs you should not. These signs do not necessarily mean you should avoid eBay.com. They mean you should consider the pros and cons first. So, when is eBay not a good way to sell a car?

1 ? If You Have Bad eBay Feedback

In the past year, eBay changed their feedback ratings. Now, not everyone is rated. Still, old ratings show up. If you regularly agreed to buy items and did not pay, you may have received negative ratings. If you sold items but misrepresented or waited to long to ship the merchandise, you may have poor eBay feedback.

When buying a product online, especially an expensive car, all interested buyers will look closely at your eBay feedback. If they see you are known for lying or misrepresenting yourself, they may run and fast. People want to do business with someone they trust, not someone who has a bad history of using the eBay.com website.

If you have a poor eBay feedback rating, try selling your car once or twice. If it does not work, focus on your local options.

2 ? If You Live in a Very Small Town

It isn?t a bad thing if you live in a small town, as all small towns are different. Your town may have a population of just 5,000 people but ten minutes away, there can be a large city. What you want to consider is the distance to the nearest populated area. If your average car buyer must travel two or three hours to buy your car, you may have few takers. With that said, some buyers are willing to travel far or pay to have the car shipped if it is a good deal, if the car is rare, or something they really want to have.

If you live in a small town, you can try selling your car on eBay first. The first four times, you are only charged when the car sells. As of January 2009, this was a flat %125 fee. On the fifth time, you are now charged an insertion fee too.

3 ? If You Want to Get the Most Money

Ebay is nice in that you can set your own price. That doesn?t however mean that people will buy your car. With that said, if they do, you still get less money. As previously stated, as of January 2009, eBay charged a %125 fee for the successful sale of a car, truck, van, and other similar vehicles. This is expensive. On average, it costs less than %10 to put an advertisement in a local newspaper and for sale signs that go in car windows are cheap at the dollar store.

4 ? If You Aren?t a Savvy Internet User

Luckily, eBay.com makes it easy for people to buy and sell. After creating a free eBay account, you follow their step-by-step guide to create a listing. You must know how to take digital photographs and upload them to your computer. You must familiarize yourself with common eBay scams. For example, scammers will send you an email that looks like it is from eBay, but it is a fake duplicate website. You click on the link and log into the account and you gave away your personal information. For those unfamiliar with the internet, selling a car on eBay can be too risky.

5 ? If You Must Pay Someone to Help You

When people want to sell products on eBay, but don?t know how, they turn to a consignment shop. These are experienced internet and eBay users. They list an eBay auction under their name. They help you sell the item, but take a percentage of the sale. With a large item, such as a car or truck, the commission is high. Your helper may get %2,000 or more! That is too much money out of your own pocket.

PPPPP

Word Count 715

When to Sell Your Car on eBay

If you have a car to sell, you may have heard that eBay is the place to go. Ebay is a popular online auction website. Over the past few years, their eBay Motors section has rapidly increased in popularity. Thousands of internet users are buying and selling cars each month. Before deciding you want to sell your car on eBay, you need to consider the market. Is eBay your best method of selling? Will your car sell regardless of the method?

When examining the market, if the car will sell, and if you should sell on eBay, there are a number of factors you should consider. What are they?

The economy. Why is the economy important? It is important because people know they can get good deals on eBay. That is the website?s appeal. There is a lot of competition among sellers. Due to this competition, buyers can usually find good deals and low prices. There is less competition for cars, but buyers still expect to find great deals. If you have a good quality used car that you are selling for a fair price, your chances of making a sale are decent. You have what moneysaving consumers are looking for now.

As previously stated, right now your best chances are selling a cheap, yet quality used car on eBay Motors. Now, if you have a new car that you are trying to sell for market value, don?t give up hope. There is still a chance your car will sell. Luckily, it is free the first four times to list a car for sale on eBay Motors. You are only charged %125 if the car sells. You have nothing to lose, but remember that most eBay buyers are looking for a good deal.

They type of car you have for sale. Why is your car type important? It is important because some cars do not sell good all year round. For example, are you selling a convertible, soft-top jeep, or a truck with a snow plow? These are seasonal vehicles. You should sell them in season to increase your sale chances and the selling price. Other vehicles, such as sedans, mini-vans, station wagons, and delivery vehicles are always in demand. The month and the weather will not influence your selling chances.

Although seasonal vehicles should be sold in season, you may be unable to wait. If you need to clear the vehicle from your property or need extra cash now, spin it. Give buyers a reason for making the purchase now. For example, a New York resident won?t benefit from buying a truck with a plow in July. What you can do in your auction listing is mention the plow can come off or that your buyer can take the time to build a profitable snowplowing business. This approach doesn?t always work, but you have nothing to lose by trying.

The current competition on eBay Motors. As previously stated, eBay.com is a popular online auction website. At any given time, you can find 50 or more copies of the same book. This increased competition can hurt your chances of making a sale and lower the selling price. There is less competition with cars, but still look. Is there a similar car for sale with a very cheap price located less than two hours from your home? If so, you may want to wait on posting your for sale car. You shouldn?t have to wait long. If that nearby car has bids, it should be gone from the website in less than seven days.

In short, selling your car on eBay Motors should be a positive experience. Most car sellers do get a successful sale. With that said, you can increase your chances by choosing to sell your car at the right time.

PPPPP

Word Count 632

Selling a Car on eBay: Tips to Get You Started

If you want to sell your car on eBay, but have never used the popular online auction website before, you may need guidance. Continue reading on for tips on how to get started with selling your car on eBay.com.

First, you must have a free eBay account. If you have never bought and sold on the website before, you must create a new account. This is easy. All you do is visit eBay.com. There, you will see a link towards the top of the page to ?register.? Click on that link and follow the directions. Within minutes, you will have an account that enables you to sell your vehicle.

Although it is free to register an account with eBay, it is not free to sell. There is no listing fee for the first four times you list your vehicle for sale in 12 months. There is however a successful listing fee. This is if your car sells. As of January 2009, it was %125 for cars, trucks, and other similar vehicles. If you list your car more than four times and it does not sell, you are charged a %20 insertion fee from there on out. What does this mean? It is better to do a good listing and get your car sold the first time.

Most importantly, you need to have realistic expectations. Too many people think of eBay and see huge dollar signs. Unless you have a rare or antique car that is in pristine shape, don?t expect to strike it rich. You will not. The car should sell for about the same it would locally. Do not believe all the hype that some infomercials sell you about getting rich on eBay. It can happen, but it is rare and unlikely with a vehicle.

Your car may not sell the first time around. It needs to get noticed. Unfortunately, this can be hard. Ebay is a popular online auction website; there are millions of auctions going at any given time. There are thousands of cars listed for sale. Do not get discouraged if you car doesn?t sell the first time you list it. Sometimes, it takes at least two or three times. With that said, remember you are charged more for the fifth listing.

Before you start creating your eBay auction listing, gather information about your vehicle. A well-written and detailed description helps your chances. You need the make, model, year, transmission style, mileage, and cylinder count. Then, get into the features, such as optional add-ons, safety features, and so forth. Most importantly, state any damage the car has. Be honest. If you have Microsoft Word or Works on your computer, write your description with one of these programs. They have spell check. Just copy and paste into eBay?s description box.

When making your eBay auction listing, you need to create a headline. This is what buyers see first. It should describe your car. For example, ?used 2004 Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback White 4 Door Wagon.?

Next, take pictures of your vehicle. In fact, take many. Choose the best pictures to post on the website. You should have pictures of the odometer, dashboard, front and back seats, all sides of the exterior, and the engine.

Finally, you will have to set your price and outline shipping or pickup. Most buyers pick up their vehicles. You can allow the person to pay in cash or send you a check beforehand. When setting your price, be fair. Do not start your auction out low incase it does not receive any bids. The last thing you want to do is end up selling a %5,000 car for %500.

After following the step-by-step guide given by eBay, preview your auction before listing it. Look at it from the standpoint of a buyer. Would you buy the car? Is the description detailed? It is easy to read? Did the car pictures turn out well or are they blurry? If you notice any errors, now is the time to go back and fix them. Once you publish the listing, it appears on the eBay.com website.

PPPPP

Word Count 680

When It Is a Good Idea to Sell Your Car on eBay

If you have a car to sell, you may have heard that eBay.com is a great place to sell. Yes, it is. With that said, selling a car on eBay is not right for everyone. How do you know if it is your best option? By meeting some of the factors outlined below.

You live in a small town. If you live in a small town, selling a car on eBay is a double edge sword. Some buyers don?t want to travel far to pickup a car. If the next closest well-known city is over an hour away, you may run into some complications. On the other hand, if you live in a small town your local selling options are limited. Not many people read the newspaper classified sections and people may not see your for sale sign in the car window while driving around town. In this case, your best option is to turn to eBay. You automatically gain exposure. Millions of people visit the website.

You can?t display the car for sale. Say you live in a big city. In fact, you live in an apartment where you park in a parking garage. You can put a for sale sign on your car, but if you don?t drive it around, people will not see it. In this aspect, your local options are somewhat limited. It may be best to list the car for sale on eBay. Remember, it gets exposure, as millions of internet users visit the website daily.

You live in the Southern United States. If you live in the south, you have a better chance of selling your car on eBay.com with success. Why? This is because southern cars are usually in better condition. In the Northern United States, salt is used to treat snowy and icy roads. This increases the wear and tear of a car. Cars tend to rust easier and quicker in north. For that reason, many people seek used cars that come from the south. They know the cars will be in better condition, in terms of outward appearances. If you live in the north, you can still list your car for sale on eBay.

You have a quality used car. In today?s economy, the auto industry has hit a roadblock. Consumers are no longer buying new vehicles like they use to. People cannot afford it and banks have tightened their lending belt. For that reason, when consumers need a new car, most opt for used. If you have a used car that is in good shape and that you are selling for a reasonable price, you are likely to get some takers. Post an ad in your local newspaper and you will get multiple responses. Instead, turn to eBay. Opt for an auction style listing where interested buyers bid and the highest bidder wins. You may sell your car for more than you had hoped.

You already have good eBay feedback. Ebay feedback is not required to sell a car, but it can help. There are scammers who target eBay buyers. They claim to have an item for sale that does not exist. They take the buyer?s money and run. Most often, these scammers open and close eBay accounts in record time. They are new and have no feedback. Some buyers think twice about buying, especially an expensive car, from someone with no eBay feedback. If you do not have feedback, take steps to convince interested buyers you are legitimate.

In short, anyone can sell a car on eBay Motors. With that said, if any of the above mentioned factors apply towards you or your vehicle, your chances of making a successful sale are high.

PPPPP

Word Count 614