Off-topic Ebay question....Chime in when you know the answer!

PROMETHIUS88

I've been on ebay for 8 years and never had this come up with any item and this is the only place I get any good information in life anyway, so figured I'd ask you all.
The scenario----Car dealer has a vehicle listed on Ebay and auctions ends tomorrow. They have a buy it now for $19995. I'm sure reserve isn't much lower than that as I'm the high bidder at over $15k right now. The vehicle is a deal even at the buy it now price. Now, I've called the internet salesman and also e-mailed a couple of questions with no response. Finally, tonight I just call the dealership direct and get a regular sales guy and he says this vehicle has been sold.
Question---If I decide to bid up and get to the reserve price, what is their obligation to me to sell me the vehicle? When I place a bid, it states that I am entering into a binding contract, so wouldn't it be the same on the seller's behalf?
***Ha---funny thing, as I'm typing this I just got another e-mail ---auto-notification....get one about every day since I've bid on it and it states-----
Thank you for bidding on our eBay auction# xxxxxxx We appreciate your interest and look forward to speaking with you. We will contact you soon if you have provided contact information. In the meantime, please feel free to contact us if we can be of assistance.
What a load!
Anyway, any advice or opionions would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks! Tim

earlycalguy

if it solds they should remove the listing from ebay. i don't know how final value fees work on a car listing but if you win the car or use buy it now they'd be stuck with them...if there are final value fees for car listings. but yes, it is a contract on both ends - seller and buyer

basestealer

Legally, they are obligated to sell you the vehicle. However, you won't want to spend the sort of money it would take to enforce this contract. There is no remedy. Besides, it looks like a bait and switch deal. All bidders will be contacted with a "similar car".

Guru

Coming from a former car salesman, don't buy it! Their lawyers would win anyway. Unless you've got a huge load of money set aside for such an occasion. They are trying to get you to bid only to get you in there and tell you it's no longer around. Then they'll try to either pull a switch a roo on you by upselling you a different car or giving you a piece of junk. There's gonna be something in their listing that will get them out of some sort of solid obligation. It's fancy footwork on their part. Get out of it now before you become obligated. They'll try to get you in there and they'll say, "Well, you were planning on spending this much. Is that as high as you can go? Because I mean, what's another $1,000 to have what you really want?" "If you're gonna go this far, why not go a little bit more and get your money's worth."
Believe me, their trained to do this.
GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN!!!!

storm888

"There's gonna be something in their listing that will get them out of some sort of solid obligation. "

//////////////////////////////////////////

I am not an EBAY Motors person, but the EBAY TOS likely has
some "subject to prior sale" lingo in it. The listing may have
some weasel-words, too.

Specific performance claims against sophisticated car dealers
are not worthwhile.

PROMETHIUS88

Guru---I also sold cars for a short while, and I know those tricks. I just wasn't sure on the internet what they could get away with.
"Hey, if you just "take" your lunch to work once a week instead of eating out, that would make up for the $32/month difference. That way you can get the car you really want! (Not to mention that we are going to finance you for 72 months and stick you with an overpriced warranty that you really don't need) Of course we'll throw in 12 free oil changes! That's like getting an extra $250!"

Thanks to all who responded!

5STAT

Similar situation here in MA...a dealer advertised used running cars for $19.95.

The 1st guy in line stood there for 18 hours waiting for the doors to open. When they did open...he was told that the cars were sold out.....it was a misprint...blah blah blah.....

But they were nice enough to try to get him to buy another used car of the lot for a few thousand $$$.

He went to the papers...he went on the radio...he made the dealers life a living h*ll.....

After about a month..out of publicity....they sold him a car for $19.95....it was some old clunker with 200k-300k miles in it....but it still ran and passed the MA state inspection..therefore was road worthy.

You gotta love slimeball dealers!!

RipublicaninMass

"it's only a few extra bucks a week"

basestealer

Best Buy and other bix box stores were in the spotlight a few years ago with a similar bait and switch routine. They would advertise dirt cheap electronics, but they'd be "sold out" the minute the doors opened (or they would actually stock only 1, but put out a full page ad in a popular newspaper), but they would have several of the "next one up" models for significantly more money. I don't personally have a problem with this tactic, because I don't fall for it. I've never financed a car in my life, and only bought from a dealer once (cash). I don't think I'd buy a car on eBay, especially from a dealer. In the end, you're probably lucky the car is no longer available for $19,995.

BobaFett72

car dealers are rat bastiges, hang em all and lot god sort them out