Would you buy a truck on ebay?

My first choice would be to use Craigslist to find vehicles in my area and even out of state. I would not buy a vehicle unless I was buying it from the original owner and that individual had all the repair and maintenance records for it. It is why I would not buy from a dealer as they do not provide these records so I would have to trust them which is hardly warranted.

I have purchased 3 vehicles on ebay .
One good experience .
Two marginal .
In each case I paid considerably less than was available in Oregon .
One ebay purchase was a 36 foot Beaver MH .
I flew to Austin TX to pick it up .
It turns out that the original owner had used this in dusty rough road conditions and I spent a fair amount over a couple of years repairing the coach .
Rear engine Pushers with the radiator in back clog the radiator .
The only remedy is to remove the radiator completely from the coach .
He had replaced the 4 visible tires but not the inside on the duals .
I blew an inside tire shortly after .
The good news is that we determined a 36 DP MH was not the proper RV for us and I lost less than if I had bought one new .
I would consider buying a simpler vehicle , like a truck on ebay .
Each of my purchases were not my primary vehicle .

My next door neighbor just bought a vehicle off e-bat before Christmas.
It was a Lotus 7 replica. It was transported from Colorado to Ga. without
any problems.

Vehicle was as advertised, in excellent condition with full documentation.
It comes down to the honesty of the seller.

My neighbor has a very good experience.
I know of no one else that has bought this way.

I've bought three vehicles on Ebay since 2002 and have had good luck on each. My shopping guidelines are: (1) to do your research and know what the vehicle is worth, especially in your local market, e.g. I bought a low mileage Jeep in Des Moines for $2,000 less than I could have bought it in the Denver area. (2) Focus on recent vintage vehicles. (3) Buy low mileage vehicles. The Jeep was less than a year old, and had less than 5,000 miles on it. Like amy other used equipment purchase you have to review the offer carefully.

Buyer beware??? I find it interesting that the nay sayers don't offer up anything other than "I think..." Dear Lord, of course bad things can happen. So can bad things happen from buying from the dealer down the street, the want ads in the paper (they still exist???) or your neighbor down the street.

Bought our last F550 off an ad on ebay; ended up finding it listed locally, worked the phones for about 5 minutes and solidified the deal for less money. Flew down, looked, paid, and came home.

Chances of finding what I wanted....at home: nada to zero. (search 550, auto, 4x and air suspension and let me know how you do).

Purchased a Peterbilt off ebay a couple years ago too.. The net works (you all tend to trust this forum...so what's the difference?).

Trust but verify...in everything. It's a great medium (ebay, etc) for locating what you want.

I bought my Class A on ebay sight unseen. Never had a problem on Ebay. Could it happen...sure.

I have bought and sold many cars/trucks/tractors/motorcycles on e-bay, worst thing that can happen is loose your deposit and the cost of the trip to get it.

don't pay for it until you get there and inspect, ask plenty of questions, and to see lots of photos, if the seller is unwilling to do as you wish back away.

check the sellers feedback.


and remember, if it is a used truck....it has been used, don't be unrealistic, it could have a scuff or ding the seller forgot/didn't mention.

RoyB wrote:
I look at that the same way I would look at a Mail Order BRIDE...

Roy Ken

So your saying ,go for it.

I have both bought and sold expensive items for at least ten years and it worked fine each time.

After we searched two years for the right RV, we heard a rumor that a certain one might be coming up for sale in our area. We googled the brand, model & year - there it was, listed on ebay, just a few miles from our house.

We researched a little more, called the number on the ebay listing for a test drive, inspected, put a deposit immediately, closed the deal a few days later. Two other buyers who had driven it called that afternoon ready to buy from him, but snoozed and lost. We've been 1000% satisfied.

The eBay points - research heavily...yes, inspect in person. Our RV had numerous bids about $20,000 less than it's value from people hoping for a steal, but the seller had a reserve price they did not meet.

Worked out very much like any other used vehicle purchase. Not sure, though, if I would travel a long distance for one. But I know others who have.

I bought a slightly used truck on eBay subject to my test drive, great truck at a fair price. The loan officer at the credit union found it for me. I would do it again.

I later bought a horse trailer, then a new truck camper, that I traded for a new 5th wheel, all on eBay.

I have spent over $75,000 on eBay and am very satisfied.

I don't buy cheap junk there, I think that is where you get burned.

They offer an assurance plan to protect you. But people know better to cheat on major purchases, they go to jail.

Good luck.