Ebay Motor, How to buy a used car from the state?

[thenwhat]

I really would like to hear some comments and advises on how to buy a used from ebay motor.
I had some bad experiences with the used cars which I owned before because I ended up spending too much money to fix them when they were out of warranties after I purchased them.
But for a used car like this one with factory warranty, should it be a worry-free car to purchase?
http://cgi.ebay.ca/Volkswagen-Touareg-3-6L-V-6-AWD-2008-VOLKSWAGEN-TOUAREG-2K-MILES-LOADED-PERFECT_W0QQitemZ320250020596QQihZ011QQcategoryZ84 167QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

And I do online shoppings, but I have never spent over $200 on a single internet order. So I really appreciate any input on buying on ebay when you are about to spend over 30K for a single item, like a automobile.

How could you protect yourself when buying from ebay motor? What are those things I must know before act on an order? Should I hire a independent inspector to inspect the vehicle because the dealership is about 500 miles away from my home, then after a proper inspection, I can take a trip to there and pick up the vehicle?

Please share your experiences if you have one.

Thanks alot in advance for your kindly input.

[AGR-1]

Have you verified if you can import this Toureg to Canada?

That is the first step.

[Whitedart]

I really would like to hear some comments and advises on how to buy a used from ebay motor.
I had some bad experiences with the used cars which I owned before because I ended up spending too much money to fix them when they were out of warranties after I purchased them.
But for a used car like this one with factory warranty, should it be a worry-free car to purchase?

First thing is check RIV (www.riv.ca) to ensure the vehicle can be imported with out major modifications.

Second is read through the threads on RFD about the importing porcess, getting the required papaerwork in order, the 72 hours wait for US customs to clear, clearing Canada Customs, paying CDN taxes, getting the vehicle registered in your province, etc.

If you are serious about this one on Ebay, you may want to check the vehicle out, ensure there are no liens, check Carrfax for a flood type vehicle or major accident repair, check with VW on warranty in Canada, etc.

That's a fairly significant purchase, and I don't know if I would make such a large purchase through Ebay without using an escrow service.

[thenwhat]

Have you verified if you can import this Toureg to Canada?

That is the first step.

yes, 2008 one is fine. but 2009 need some extra work.

[thenwhat]

First thing is check RIV (www.riv.ca) to ensure the vehicle can be imported with out major modifications.

Second is read through the threads on RFD about the importing porcess, getting the required papaerwork in order, the 72 hours wait for US customs to clear, clearing Canada Customs, paying CDN taxes, getting the vehicle registered in your province, etc.

If you are serious about this one on Ebay, you may want to check the vehicle out, ensure there are no liens, check Carrfax for a flood type vehicle or major accident repair, check with VW on warranty in Canada, etc.

That's a fairly significant purchase, and I don't know if I would make such a large purchase through Ebay without using an escrow service.

Thanks for your reply. What is a "flood type"?
is carfax enough for checking for liens? if not, are there others?

[AGR-1]

If you can deal with the importation of the vehicle going through RIV etc.

The fellow selling the Toureg on ebay is a dealer he is listing others besides the Toureg, he has his name and phone number call him, ask questions, he probably has a Carfax.

How will you bring the vehicle to Canada? If its by transport you will need to get a quote, you will need a custom broker to deal with the vehicle crossing from the US to Canada.

Have the dealer fax you a sales contract, and a copy of the title (front and back) if there are any liens they are shown on the title. Send him a deposit, and you can send the rest of the money a few days later.

It can take some time to have the vehicle picked up, if you elect to deal with a broker you will have to pay the GST to the broker.

[thenwhat]

If you can deal with the importation of the vehicle going through RIV etc.

The fellow selling the Toureg on ebay is a dealer he is listing others besides the Toureg, he has his name and phone number call him, ask questions, he probably has a Carfax.

How will you bring the vehicle to Canada? If its by transport you will need to get a quote, you will need a custom broker to deal with the vehicle crossing from the US to Canada.

Have the dealer fax you a sales contract, and a copy of the title (front and back) if there are any liens they are shown on the title. Send him a deposit, and you can send the rest of the money a few days later.

It can take some time to have the vehicle picked up, if you elect to deal with a broker you will have to pay the GST to the broker.

Thanks for your advice.

In case of VW canada can honor the reminder warranty and carfax checkup shows no negative feedback, does it mean this vehcile is OKAY to buy generally speaking?

And I think I will pick it up buy myself because I feel more safer by only sending them the deposit rather than the whole amount before I actually look at the car in front of me.

[at1212b]

#1 thing to do is call and talk to the seller. If he's honest, he will outline to you the procedure of selling to past clients from Canada.

Make sure do your own research in advance, as the above stated, look at admission requirements, and make sure to calculate yourself the additional costs, and taxes so you have the funds to cover the additional charge as well as the shipping (do you want to try to do this yourself or pay somebody?)

Ebay also has a general insurance policy for vehicle purchases, so look into that for sure.

[thenwhat]

#1 thing to do is call and talk to the seller. If he's honest, he will outline to you the procedure of selling to past clients from Canada.

Make sure do your own research in advance, as the above stated, look at admission requirements, and make sure to calculate yourself the additional costs, and taxes so you have the funds to cover the additional charge as well as the shipping (do you want to try to do this yourself or pay somebody?)

Ebay also has a general insurance policy for vehicle purchases, so look into that for sure.

thanks for your advice.
I will try to import it by myself and drive it back to my home because it is just 500 miles away.
I think the extra cost would be PSG+GST=13% and import tax about %6.1 and some travel cost and some government fees about few hundreds dollars but no more than 1K.

I will initiate the contact with the seller soon after investigate couple more things and get confirmations.

I will certainly look into the Ebay insurance and try to take advantage of that.

[at1212b]

thanks for your advice.
I will try to import it by myself and drive it back to my home because it is just 500 miles away.
I think the extra cost would be PSG+GST=13% and import tax about %6.1 and some travel cost and some government fees about few hundreds dollars but no more than 1K.

I will initiate the contact with the seller soon after investigate couple more things and get confirmations.

I will certainly look into the Ebay insurance and try to take advantage of that.

You're welcome. I actually bought one before from the US on ebay and had it shipped. Though it was a older car, I was just taking more of a risk so didn't do any sort of pre-inspection but the experience was good as the dealer was very professional.

If the seller has good feedback, chances are he will be fast, efficient, and guide you through the process. The important thing is to sound serious, and assure that the money will be sent promptly then they will give you better service, time and attention knowing you are actually serious.

Another tip is you can contact previous buyers (just check comments from buyers) and just ask them about their experience, quality of cars purchased, any post-dealings with problems etc. as you interested in buying a car from them. All the better if you find a Canadian buyer that imported their car as well.

Make sure to get something like Carfax an run the VIN, just so no red flags show up (its far from perfect, but if it shows up there, you know it'll be big).

Also, another consideration might be there are services online, where you can pay $100 I believe, and a mechanic will go to the car, do a inspection on the car, and provide a detailed report on their opinion. If you are that serious and thinking of spending that much money, I think it might be worth it too.

[thenwhat]

You're welcome. I actually bought one before from the US on ebay and had it shipped. Though it was a older car, I was just taking more of a risk so didn't do any sort of pre-inspection but the experience was good as the dealer was very professional.

If the seller has good feedback, chances are he will be fast, efficient, and guide you through the process. The important thing is to sound serious, and assure that the money will be sent promptly then they will give you better service, time and attention knowing you are actually serious.

Another tip is you can contact previous buyers (just check comments from buyers) and just ask them about their experience, quality of cars purchased, any post-dealings with problems etc. as you interested in buying a car from them. All the better if you find a Canadian buyer that imported their car as well.

Make sure to get something like Carfax an run the VIN, just so no red flags show up (its far from perfect, but if it shows up there, you know it'll be big).

Also, another consideration might be there are services online, where you can pay $100 I believe, and a mechanic will go to the car, do a inspection on the car, and provide a detailed report on their opinion. If you are that serious and thinking of spending that much money, I think it might be worth it too.

It is greatly appreciated for all your comments. Great tips.

but how do you check about liens or something like that about a vehicle? Is Carfax enough for that case?

I would not mind paying these extra $100 or so to hire someone to inspect the vehicle worths over 30K if the service of inspection is really helpful.

[AGR-1]

As I mentioned in my previous post, in the US vehicles have "titles" if there is a lien its mentioned on the title, if the lien had been paid out its also mentioned on the title....all on the front of the title.

On the back of the title it mentions all the owners changes.

If you are buying from a dealer he would have a title in the name of the owner that traded or he bought the car from, in the back the title is reassigned to the dealer, and the dealer then reassigns the title to you the new owner.

Its the reason you want to see a copy of the front and back of the title.

[at1212b]

It is greatly appreciated for all your comments. Great tips.

but how do you check about liens or something like that about a vehicle? Is Carfax enough for that case?

I would not mind paying these extra $100 or so to hire someone to inspect the vehicle worths over 30K if the service of inspection is really helpful.


Carfax does report liens on the vehicle. They have some kind of guarantee as well that if it didn't show up on their report, and it turned out that there was something, such as a lien, then they will buy your car for the purchase price. That's on their website so I'm not sure if anybody has ever used this guarantee and how much of a hassle it is, but at least its something, and that Ebay insurance (which is a automatic feature on Ebay) I believe would cover a situation like that as well.

The good thing about working with a dealer on Ebay is its not a private transaction so there is more transparency that way its as if just like buying from a dealer in the U.S through the yellow pages or something but the added record that Ebay provides.

But I think that is a good idea if you are planning to spend 30gs or more to get it checked. The report may find body work, or remnants of a minor collision that was not reported, and at least it gives you eyes on your behalf and a test drive as well.

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment, hopefully things work out, and keep us posted on the developments.

[thenwhat]

Carfax does report liens on the vehicle. They have some kind of guarantee as well that if it didn't show up on their report, and it turned out that there was something, such as a lien, then they will buy your car for the purchase price. That's on their website so I'm not sure if anybody has ever used this guarantee and how much of a hassle it is, but at least its something, and that Ebay insurance (which is a automatic feature on Ebay) I believe would cover a situation like that as well.

The good thing about working with a dealer on Ebay is its not a private transaction so there is more transparency that way its as if just like buying from a dealer in the U.S through the yellow pages or something but the added record that Ebay provides.

But I think that is a good idea if you are planning to spend 30gs or more to get it checked. The report may find body work, or remnants of a minor collision that was not reported, and at least it gives you eyes on your behalf and a test drive as well.

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment, hopefully things work out, and keep us posted on the developments.
Thanks again for the comments. I will keep your suggestions in mind. And keep you guys posted for any progress.

[AGR-1]

To the OP did you do a deal?