Buying a Vehicle on eBay and Shipping it Overseas

At first glance, buying a car online may seem like a scary and even dangerous idea, but taking a closer look, there are actually several advantages to buying a car from sites like eBay Motors. For our readers wanting to know more about buying cars from eBay, and shipping them overseas, we have put together the following informative article.

Read our top tips for shipping cars overseas

The Growing Popularity of Buying Cars On Ebay and International Car Shipping

You may have heard of, or even purchased items from the popular auction site eBay in the past, but have you ever looked at cars on eBay? Although it sounds risky, an estimated 450,000 people buy cars through eBay motors every year, with surprisingly few complaints. In fact, International car buyers are the largest growing class of car buyers, and many choose to only sell and buy vehicles through eBay Motors for both the great selection, and phenomenal deals. It makes sense when you think about it, no car sharks trying to get you to upgrade, only one person trying to sell their car, and another person looking for one.

Conscious Buying

While there are thousands of great deals and cars on eBay Motor, one should still use caution when making large purchases online. Buying cars on ebay can be intimidating the first time you do it, but as long as you are a conscious buyer you should not run in to any trouble. Below are a few tips to improve the odds of making a fraud-free purchase:

• Ask about the cars history, some sellers may even provide a carafe report, which contains accident and damage history.
• Use a fax machine to send agreements back and forth, with signatures and clear agreements. Oral agreements simply do not hold up in court.
• Check the sellers’ ratings, all eBay sellers should have an average rating score, and a number for how many sales they have made during their time as an eBay seller. Never buy a car from someone with low ratings, or no sale history to speak of unless you have genuine evidence to back up the sellers’ statements.
• Read, and re-read any and all agreements during the sale to insure there is no fine print that could leave you regretting your sale later on.

Make a List

Be sure to write a list of questions you have about the vehicle before calling, and use your own discretion to decide whether they are a trustable seller.  Remember, if the car is far away, you will not be able to look under the hood, and if it is overseas, you won’t even be able to drive it home yourself.

Overseas Car Shipping

It is important to note that although you can buy a car on bay from anywhere in the world, there is no standard shipping charge for shipping a vehicle, and in most cases this is an arrangement you will need to set up on your own. Luckily, there are trained professionals who handle this sort of shipping, and know just what steps to take to get your new car to you safe and sound.

For more on shipping cars internationally to different regions, visit our international car shipping resource

Choosing a Transporter

Any qualified auto transporter should have experience shipping cars purchased from eBay, and shipping those vehicles to anywhere in the world. Just as you need to choose a seller carefully, you should take the time to find an experienced auto transport company as well.

Keeping the Seller in the Loop

As arrangements are made to ship your vehicle, make sure to keep the eBay seller you are purchasing the car from in the loop. The auto transportation company may have some preparation standards and paperwork from the seller along with your vehicle, and they will need to be on the same page with you as far as dropping off or having the car picked up goes.

View our classic car section for info on shipping classic cars overseas