Ebay Motors rules are nothing like regular eBay rules. They're watered down specifically to make them more attractive to large dealers who otherwise wouldn't bother with such niceties as keeping listings accurate or honoring transactions.
My father bought an XK8 'vert on eBay a few years back, communicated with the out-of state dealer multiple times before the 'auction' ended, made a large deposit on a credit card, even got recommendations for a nearby hotel where he'd stay before picking up the car with a promise of a courtesy shuttle to bring him to the dealership the next AM. He caught a $$$ last-minute flight that same afternoon, arriving at the hotel well after the dealer had closed (as expected and arranged).
When the courtesy car failed to show in the AM, he made multiple calls to the dealership and received multiple promises of the imminent arrival of the courtesy car. After two hours he got nervous and caught a cab to the dealer and was surprised to see 'his' XK8 parked in front of the showroom. When he introduced himself the salesman turned very pale and went for a manager, who explained that the car had just been sold to a couple in a nearby booth who were in the process of signing the papers that very moment. When my father found out he (obviously) hit the room and stormed into the booth. The other buyer explained that when he first saw the car that same morning that the salesman had told him there was a deal working on it, so the other buyer sweetened the deal by a couple hundred dollars and was told the car was his. The dealer had deliberately stalled sending a courtesy car so the deal would be done by the time my father arrived.
My father (who rarely does so) raised his voice more than a bit in the crowded dealership, sharing his take on the ethics of the dealer while the other salesman tried to herd their customers out onto the lot. Eventually the manager relented to just get him to shut up, and my father did end up with the car.
The dealer was willing to cross that line for a sales price less than 1% over their previous commitment- probably a difference in profit of under $100. eBay's take? No problem, as the dealer violated no rules. Don't kid yourself, when you buy cars this ain't the eBay you're accustomed to.
The seller has an agreement, essentially a contract. Don't like the price? Too bad.
A dealer doing what's right just because it's right? This former car salesman says
Unless there's a signed contract (and sometimes even then) the dealer will do whatever they think will make them the most $$$.
eBay isn't run to provide you the opportunity to buy stuff, it's run to collect fees from sellers. Car dealers don't like to be held to the same sorts of rules that the sellers of clock radios and collectible Barbies willingly put up with, so they stayed away until eBay cooked up a special flavor just for them. eBay cashes their checks, and everyone's happy except you, and you weren't writing eBay a check anyway.
Hmm... I'm actually supposed to be going to the dealership in question today. Glenn Thomas Dodge in Long Beach did some repair work on a vehicle and now the same issues are popping up again.
Hmm... I'm actually supposed to be going to the dealership in question today. Glenn Thomas Dodge in Long Beach did some repair work on a vehicle and now the same issues are popping up again.
Stir away! I think it is BS as it is supposed to be a contract. But then, I can tell many stories of buyers who never paid on auctions I ran. Ebay is royally screwed up!
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Dave
1996 Mustang Cobra Convertible (Procharged/423 RWHP)
1969 Fastback, 351C, TKO 600, T-lock, Shaker, slats, fold down, yadda yadda, etc.
1972 Mach 1, 351C, FMX
1965 Convertible, 289, C4, PS, Factory disk brakes
Here are my cars: http://members.dslextreme.com/users/...gEmporium.html
In an auction the buyer does not set the price. The dealer does not set the price. The market sets the price.
I think the dealer screwed up by lowering the price of the auction to attract bids but failed to put a reserve price on the auction. Even the dealer stated that the auction was a legally binding contract on the auction page. You can bet that if the roles were reversed the dealership would be all over this guy like flies on a turd.
I read the 37 (as of now) page message thread over on the Challenger forums. It sounds like the winning bidder has to get a lawyer to go any further to get his car.
Imagine if every seller sued a buyer who backed out of an eBay auction. It's not an air-tight contract, more like a gentleman's agreement. Deals not done till $ exchanges hands.
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66 Conv 289 4v 4 speed --- Born in San Jose
The thread on the Challenger forum is up to 81 pages, 804 posts! And lots of others are following this it seems.
Yeah, they should have placed a reserve on the auction, but at this point, they need to come to a resolution on this. Lots of bad publicity for the dealer.
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Kenny B.
1970 Mustang Sportsroof, Metallic Gold, Ginger interior
"Try not to become a man of success, but rather try to become a man of value" Albert Einstein
He should call the local paper and TV station,most have a "on your side" reporter (at least around here they do) and the dealer doesn't need or want any bad publicity these days.
Yeah, I did... but I chickened out. I brought the subject up with my service advisor, but he hadn't heard about it yet. I didn't want to push the issue too far.
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2009 Challenger SRT8 sells for $29,100 on Ebay. Dealer wont honor price
