Over
the past three years, eBay Motors has become a lively community where buyers and
sellers can rate each others' reliability and reputation — to the benefit of new
users. Equally key to making buyers and sellers more comfortable with the process
has been the implementation of formal, built-in buyer and seller protections that
can help take the anxiety out of purchasing a big-ticket item like a car online.
"Naturally,
people want to be sure the car they buy will be as advertised," said Tilenius."And because eBay Motors is a national marketplace, they often
won't be able to go and see for themselves. The best safeguard is our buyer and
seller feedback — this is a community that really polices itself and demands integrity
of its members. Plus we offer a Mobile Inspection Service that goes and checks
the car out for you. You can do VIN checks on the site. And payment can take place
through our escrow service, so that your money doesn't actually change hands until
both parties to the transaction are satisfied."
eBay
Motors has developed an impressive set of buyer and seller protections that make
buying a car online as much like (if not better than) buying off line. Safeguards
include:
- The
Feedback Forum — This feature provides an instant, national reputation or scorecard
for each individual that transacts business on eBay. Buyers can check a seller's
Feedback Profile before placing a bid to learn about the other person's reputation
with previous buyers. Sellers can do the same with bidders.
- Limited
Warranty — To protect eBay Motors buyers from the burden of costly repairs immediately
after purchase, a Limited Warranty is provided free on most used cars under ten
years old with less than 125,000 miles. Administered by 1SourceAutoWarranty.com,
the warranty offers sight-unseen coverage on vehicle failure for one month or
1,000 miles, whichever comes first.
- Purchase
Insurance is provided free of charge by eBay Motors to all passenger vehicle buyers
to protect against cases of outright fraud or gross misrepresentation which results
in devaluation of the vehicle of at least 50 percent of the vehicle's purchase price,
with a maximum coverage of $20,000 (additional coverage restrictions, conditions,
and limits apply).
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