is ebay reliable

[Zdreamer]

hey im still looking for a 90-96 300zx TT or NA but ive been on craigslist for awhile now. ive looked at ebay and i was wondering if ebay is reliable on buying a car. is there any chance that i could be scammed at all? could i buy a Z and they say it drives but once i have it delivered, it dont even run? is there any chance i can be ripped off? THANKS!!!

[300ZXttZMAN]

There is always a chance you can be ripped off. Stick to buying local unless your willing to fly to location to check out the car. Where are you located?

Also Note: Just because someone says a Z drives doesn't mean it drives well.

[BigTDogg (MA)]

Buying a car sight unseen is difficult from any source. eBay, autotrader, classifieds. Best bet is to get one locally.

[Fearspect]

I have seen people post on here or tt.net to see if someone local can check out the car for them. Still some risk as you probably don't know/trust the individual's skill at finding problems.

[DCaff300ZX]

I would never buy a car sight unseen from a source where you could not verify a LOT of important information, stuff like 60K/120K service receipts and any/all other proof of the car's value and past owner repair habits.
I myself DID buy my TT out of state and from a cl ad, but it took about 2 weeks to get all of the documents and pictures and calls sent back and forth for proof of past ownership and maintenance done, and lots of discussions about small details that helped prove the car's reliability before the deal was struck, and I flew to get the car to drive it home myself after a test drive, and satisfactory personal inspection at the dealership.
I was nervous enough even with what I knew and had verified, I can't imagine doing it without those assurances.

[Zdreamer]

alright cool ima just keep looking around my area. ebay i really dont trust that much. thanks guys

[Rager]

where do you live. we might be abler help point you in the right direction

[Ziggy1621]

I bought my truck on eBay. I put $500 down then flew to Houston to inspect it in person before giving the rest. Grant it, if you back out after the visual, you lose the $500. So it has to be a car that is worth the gamble. You could message the seller and ask for their phone number to chat with him/her about details.

As far as ripped off, make sure the listing has good details. If you question something, have the seller add the answer to the description. That description is your contract. PayPal is your insurance.

[Phideaux]

Bought my Z32 on eBay actually after looking locally and finding nothing worth my time. Got on here asked someone to check it out for me and make sure everything was legit. Bought a 1990 Azure Blue Pearl Z with 68000 original miles and it was a one owner car. eBay has a lot of things in place to make it hard to get ripped off. Including a complete required history report and the ability to not buy if the car checks out to not match the description. So all in all i would say i had and amazing experience buying a car on eBay, even though at first i was a little skeptical about it.

[Ace2cool]

Oh snap, Phideaux! Someone catch him before he gets away!