[alfa] ebay buying

["Watry, Andrew (LNG-SFR)" <Andrew.Watry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Other than one flaky bidder on something cheap I was selling, I've never had
a bad ebay experience in more than 200 transactions, though most of my
buying and selling has been for relatively inexpensive parts, manuals, and
tools.  I have sold two cars on ebay, but not bought any.  I probably
wouldn't buy one without looking at it, unless the price made it a steal and
I decided to take the risk.  The couple cars I did consider bidding on I
went and looked at in person, or already knew of firsthand.  But an
inspection by a trusted acquaintance or mechanic is the next best thing if
you can't go yourself.

All that said, my experience is that internet pictures almost always make a
car look better than it really is.  Rust, dents, poor paint, and tired
interiors often don't show up well in such photos. 

Also, shipping almost invariably turns out to be (1) more expensive, (2)
more hassle, and (3) slower than promised.  When I sold my Berlina to a guy
in Massachusetts, it took six weeks, rather than the promised five days, to
go cross country from California.

Andrew Watry
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