Selling on eBay

[Screwdriver]

So I "sold" my van on eBay. Great, didn't get as much as I wanted, but I get the space back. Buyer turns up, I get his name and confirm who he is, fill out the V5 with his address. Easy.

But no. That hasn't happened. Buyer is sending a bloke with a trailer. OK "what address shall I put on the V5 New Keeper" I ask, "he will fill out the permanent export section". Wait, wtf, I am not permanently exporting anything. No response. "I assume he is bringing cash" I say now getting a bit suspicious, "yes" he replies without answering the new keeper question.

Right off to eBay, see if I can get his details, like you used to be able to because actually no, you can't just look up the buyers details. Right then, what protection are eBay offering here, "we can't give you the buyers details until the transaction is complete" they say. What can I do then because you (eBay) are suggesting I hand over my precious documentation to a random individual. "get them to give you positive feedback on the spot" is their response. apparently then I am "protected", they might even let me know who I just sold my van to.

"Well that doesn't sound very secure to me" I suggest, "well cancel the order" they tell me.

What a pita. He didn't want the portaramp (now removed) nor the gigantic stereo system (4KW subwoofer(!) and all the rest of it, now removed).

Guess I just wait and see if anyone actually does turn up. The buyer already has my full name/address/contacts and was interested in any other stuff I might have...

 

[Welderpaul]

I've given up with ebay for buying and selling. I suffer Marketplace or chuck it in the container at the tip where it gets sold on for charity.

 

[Dozzer]

I would ask for payment upfront. or no deal.
Ebay can be a bit challenging, and now they want to control every step of the sale, just in case they miss their commission, it does make situations like this a real PITA

had a guy buy my old Volvo EC20 with all the attachments, he paid upfront, but then sent some Eastern European to collect it, that turned up at 10pm in the dark with a car trailer!! could barely speak English and got quite grumpy with me when i told him i wasn't letting him drive down the road with all the buckets just resting on the trailer.
It made it all the way to Yorkshire fine, but never again!!

 

[Jackimus]

Wayyyy too much hassle for even the smallest things... I dealt with so much nonsense and time wasting trying to sell some like-new, no longer used photography equipment at an absolutely knockdown price - a quarter of original cost, as I wanted it to move. Of course it didn't.

Only recently did an angel from Birmingham swoop down, paid asking without haggling, paid on his end to get DPD to come and collect it from me. Phew!

 

[Porkypine]

I certainly couldn't be ars'd to flog stuff on ebay anymore, though when I did It was only smallish £ stuff anyway
I still buy from there tho, as it's so buyer biased you can't go too far wrong.

 

[Screwdriver]

It's not going anywhere without payment.
or a signed new keeper
or a positive feedback

The rest of it, meh, I just need the space really. MUCH better off breaking it, good engine (2.5 petrol 5cyl), good gearbox, four new tyres, new battery, LPG system, good set of seats and of course a V5 (sadly, valuable in its own right). That would add up plus the Portaramp (which goes for £250 s/h) and decent ICE.

What a parlava though, probably end up resisting it I guess. Buyer pushed back to Monday. Right in the middle of (yet another) hospital appointment.

 

[hotponyshoes]

It's not going anywhere without payment.
or a signed new keeper
or a positive feedback

The rest of it, meh, I just need the space really. MUCH better off breaking it, good engine (2.5 petrol 5cyl), good gearbox, four new tyres, new battery, LPG system, good set of seats and of course a V5 (sadly, valuable in its own right). That would add up plus the Portaramp (which goes for £250 s/h) and decent ICE.

What a parlava though, probably end up resisting it I guess. Buyer pushed back to Monday. Right in the middle of (yet another) hospital appointment.

Don't mess around too much.
Firstly, you have to get the buyer to actually turn up.
Odds are it's a foreign buyer purchasing remotely and using a 3rd party service to collect so expect to be messed about over a collection slot.

Print out the ebay sales page.
The collection driver will probably try and round-down the amount of cash they give you (and pretend they can't speak English) just point at the amount on the ebay printout over and over again...

As soon as the car is loaded go inside, get onto the dvla website and notify a change of keeper. That stops any issues after that point being your problem.

Don't expect any sort of protection from ebay at all.
But as long as you have all the cash in hand (and it's genuine!) there is not much protection you need

 

[BrokenBiker]

if ever i sell on ebay i always advertise as a classified ad, so ebay has no real intervention in the sale and it also means the sale is done by my terms, not the buyers. that said, i rarely sell anyhting on there now, if i have tools to sell, i will put them here, anything else gets listed on free ad sites or sold via word of mouth

 

[Screwdriver]

Don't mess around too much.
Firstly, you have to get the buyer to actually turn up.
Odds are it's a foreign buyer purchasing remotely and using a 3rd party service to collect so expect to be messed about over a collection slot.

Print out the ebay sales page.
The collection driver will probably try and round-down the amount of cash they give you (and pretend they can't speak English) just point at the amount on the ebay printout over and over again...

As soon as the car is loaded go inside, get onto the dvla website and notify a change of keeper. That stops any issues after that point being your problem.

Don't expect any sort of protection from ebay at all.
But as long as you have all the cash in hand (and it's genuine!) there is not much protection you need

Haha. You read my mind.

I won't be saying any of that prior to the meeting (if ever)
I have the printed eBay ad ready with "sold as seen and tried" (not as useful as it used to be...)
Someone is signing the V5 change of keeper and I don't really care who so long as I get a signature and real name/address (should I?)
UV torch at the ready (Bank of England Banknotes app has been removed from app store)

But I don't hold out much hope anyway. There is a slim chance he will send a driver with the cash. I said "no pressure on time just let me know" and "the only thing I have is an appointment mid Monday" (another MRI )

...and having blown out collection today guess what date and time he tells me he will arrange collection? Go on, guess...

 

[BrokenBiker]

Haha. You read my mind.

I won't be saying any of that prior to the meeting (if ever)
I have the printed eBay ad ready with "sold as seen and tried" (not as useful as it used to be...)
Someone is signing the V5 change of keeper and I don't really care who so long as I get a signature and real name/address (should I?)
UV torch at the ready (Bank of England Banknotes app has been removed from app store)

But I don't hold out much hope anyway. There is a slim chance he will send a driver with the cash. I said "no pressure on time just let me know" and "the only thing I have is an appointment mid Monday" (another MRI )

...and having blown out collection today guess what date and time he tells me he will arrange collection? Go on, guess...

mid monday by any chance?

 

[Screwdriver]

Damn, you're good...

How could you guess?

 

[BrokenBiker]

Damn, you're good...

How could you guess?

i think there is some unwritten rule of ebay collections that say you have to try and collect at the most inconvenient time possible...

i had one guy ask if he could come view a mazda 6 i was selling...this was a friday and i told him twice i was leaving at 4am on monday for a fortnight stint tramping in an artic, and i dont do sundays, so it was saturday or nothing...about 3 hours later he gets back to me asking if wednesday was ok...i just blocked him

 

[hotponyshoes]

Someone is signing the V5 change of keeper and I don't really care who so long as I get a signature and real name/address (should I?)

No.
It is your legal responsibility to notify a change of keeper.
It's in your best interests to do that ASAP.
If the van is on the back of a trailer and goes through a speed camera after it leaves you or is involved in a hit-&-run the morning after..
Do it online and you will get instant email confirmation.

It IS NOT your legal responsibility to do anything about checking the new keeper has proved you with the correct name or address etc.

Edit: You will need the reference number from the V5.
A lot of backstreet traders/dealers will want to take the whole V5 so they can pretend they are private sellers when they sell the car on and not add another keeper.
It's up to your morality if you are happy to give them the whole document but if you do just make sure you have a photo of the reference number and then click the 'transfered to a motor trader' box when you submit the change of keeper

 

[harveyp6]

Years back when I sold my Plymouth volare wagon I gave the bloke the V5 so he could fill in his part, never looked at what he wrote on it and let him the take the car.
When I looked later I saw the address he wrote: " 8, Nonsuch close"
Oh f***, this is going to come back and haunt me thinks I, but for some reason I got the A-Z out, and found it actually existed...

 

[Screwdriver]

No.
It is your legal responsibility to notify a change of keeper.
It's in your best interests to do that ASAP.
If the van is on the back of a trailer and goes through a speed camera after it leaves you or is involved in a hit-&-run the morning after..
Do it online and you will get instant email confirmation.

It IS NOT your legal responsibility to do anything about checking the new keeper has proved you with the correct name or address etc.

Edit: You will need the reference number from the V5.
A lot of backstreet traders/dealers will want to take the whole V5 so they can pretend they are private sellers when they sell the car on and not add another keeper.
It's up to your morality if you are happy to give them the whole document but if you do just make sure you have a photo of the reference number and then click the 'transfered to a motor trader' box when you submit the change of keeper

Yes that is my understanding which is why I was surprised the buyer tried to suggest permanent export when I asked him who would sign for the new keeper. There's also a good chance he might try to drive it after telling me he has trade plates. I was wondering what my responsibilities might to be confirm the identity of the buyer. Which is why I called the useless eBay helpline.

The upshot being, eBay are making it impossible to establish the identity of the buyer even after the sale is agreed. Puts me on the spot regarding paperwork but there's no way that van leaves here with my name on it! Interesting tip regarding also doing it online.

Appreciate the idea of a trader wanting to keep the number of previous opwners down. Thing is, this thirty year old bus only has ONE previous owner anyway....

 

[Dapph2]

So I "sold" my van on eBay. Great, didn't get as much as I wanted, but I get the space back. Buyer turns up, I get his name and confirm who he is, fill out the V5 with his address. Easy.

But no. That hasn't happened. Buyer is sending a bloke with a trailer. OK "what address shall I put on the V5 New Keeper" I ask, "he will fill out the permanent export section". Wait, wtf, I am not permanently exporting anything. No response. "I assume he is bringing cash" I say now getting a bit suspicious, "yes" he replies without answering the new keeper question.

Right off to eBay, see if I can get his details, like you used to be able to because actually no, you can't just look up the buyers details. Right then, what protection are eBay offering here, "we can't give you the buyers details until the transaction is complete" they say. What can I do then because you (eBay) are suggesting I hand over my precious documentation to a random individual. "get them to give you positive feedback on the spot" is their response. apparently then I am "protected", they might even let me know who I just sold my van to.

"Well that doesn't sound very secure to me" I suggest, "well cancel the order" they tell me.

What a pita. He didn't want the portaramp (now removed) nor the gigantic stereo system (4KW subwoofer(!) and all the rest of it, now removed).

Guess I just wait and see if anyone actually does turn up. The buyer already has my full name/address/contacts and was interested in any other stuff I might have...

Get the funds instant bank transferred to you and confirm it 5 min afterwards .....before you let it go . also phot copy the documents and bill of sale

 

[Screwdriver]

Get the funds instant bank transferred to you and confirm it 5 min afterwards .....before you let it go . also phot copy the documents and bill of sale

Interestingly, the only option I could add to the eBay advert was cash on collection. I put "any other sensible payment option" in the text of the ad but even so, it is yet another indictment for what eBay has become. An overbearing authoritarian control freak.

I imagine eBay will fade over time and be replaced by a less oppressive regime. Then we start the circle all over again.

Bit like those "free" photo hosting websites.

Tempting to suggest ALL of these web based interfaces will be replaced by AI driven services. Probably sooner rather than later....

 

[Dapph2]

When I sold a six berth caravan I stated in the sales wording " I will only accept a bank transfer as payment & will only release it once it clears the bank .

 

[Robotstar5]

When I sold a six berth caravan I stated in the sales wording " I will only accept a bank transfer as payment & will only release it once it clears the bank .

That's assuming they actually read it, I listed a quad as "collection in person" and at the end of the description put "collect only", then I get a message from the winning bidder asking me when I could deliver it 140 miles to somewhere in Wales.

 

[gaz1]

Don't mess around too much.
Firstly, you have to get the buyer to actually turn up.
Odds are it's a foreign buyer purchasing remotely and using a 3rd party service to collect so expect to be messed about over a collection slot.

Print out the ebay sales page.
The collection driver will probably try and round-down the amount of cash they give you (and pretend they can't speak English) just point at the amount on the ebay printout over and over again...

As soon as the car is loaded go inside, get onto the dvla website and notify a change of keeper. That stops any issues after that point being your problem.

Don't expect any sort of protection from ebay at all.
But as long as you have all the cash in hand (and it's genuine!) there is not much protection you need

if its been loaded up onto a trailer take photos of the transporter

if they pull up in a car also take photos of there vehicle though it does help with cctv

if they ask why your taking photos of there vehicle say its down to security since you are selling a vehicle and that photos are there to confirm collection of said vehicle and also there reg as proof they have removed said vehicle

dodgy ones soon scarper or they use dodgy number plates you cant be sure nowadays