Ebay?

Hi everyone, I used to post here a few years ago under a different ScreenName ( can't remember it anymore) in any case the Ferrari bug has bitten me again so I decided to join Fchat again.
My question to you guys is: I looked at Ebay just for reference and a couple of things strike me as very surprising, 1) as of yesterday there were tons of 360 Modenas on Ebay!!!! also a lot more of all the other models... 2 ) the prices in general seemed very low 3) many of them were by seemingly reputable dealers so my questions are:
Is Ebay now considered a reliable source for buying used cars? I haven't bought a used car in over a decade and honestly don't know.
How reliable are the prices one sees on Ebay as a gauge for the market in general?
How are the prices one finds on ebay going to compare with my local Fcar dealer?

Thanks in advance and keep up the great work?

 

I have used ebay for the last couple of years, but only by contacting the seller directly and buying from them. I know there have been a number of listings that were fraudulent so if the deal seems "too good to be true" it probably is. I just picked up some tubi cf stuff with a 3k retail for 1k though and it was very exciting going down to the last minutes. Maybe thats one of big ebay kicks, the adrenaline. Anyway, its a great resource to see good pics, compare options and find the cars, but i would reccommend direct contact and direct sales for the big ticket items.

 

Thank You for your response Riverflyer. I know what you mean about the rush caused by the bidding process. Did you catch the Barrett Jackson auction on TV? People sometimes pay a lot more than they should at those auctions .

 

No, I didn't see it, but I read that they sold 870 cars for $69 million. That is amazing, especially in this economy. A nation of car nuts.

 

:::cough Ferrari Market Letter cough:::Asking Price Index:::cough:::

 

NNO, I forgot to mention that I used to get FML and I'm aware of it on my original post but thanks for bringing it up.
I guess my whole thing about Ebay was that there were so many cars listed on and that they had some 360s and 550s on there for barely over 100K!! Those prices seem like bargains! especially when you look at what people are asking for a 430.

 

Most of the Ferrari listed on eBay don't seem to sell. You can go to eBay search for Ferrari, then check "completed items" (I think it is) at this point you will have to sign in with your eBay account, then sort by highest price and you will find that the "bargins" never met the reserve.

Some of the older cars seem to reach the reserve, but most of the newer models are on the listing over and over again.

Best wishes,

 

If you are going to spend that much money then contact the seller before you bid and get a few things straightened out. Like service records, tire wear, exhaust, stereo equipment, ownership history, accident history, and have your bid contigent on an inspection after the bell.

 

Basically, what I did, though when I called the gentleman I was only looking for information. Within 10 minutes he had agreed to sell me the car for his reserve price! Of course, I did arrange to fly out to his place and examine the car before paying him the balance due. Never buy an F-car from anyone without seeing the car first and (preferably) doing a full P.P.I.

 

Thanks guys for all of the responses! I'll re-order my FML and start checking out whats happening to prices. After this week (income tax week) and the bad news the accountant gave me ( paying enough to the IRS to buy a nice used F-car!) I am p.o.d enough to go buy the F-car I always lusted after, You only live once! Come to think of it that's how I bought my P-car, Tech stocks took a dump and I thought to myself: If I'm going to lose money on something I might as well do it having some fun! Got my 911 that same week.

Cheers!