BUY IT ON e-bay?

It was just an experiment. I had no intention of buying. But so many of my friends and relatives had preached the gospel according to e-bay, I thought that I would give it a try. Think of the possibilities: buy a car at a bargain basement price, no hassling with a salesman, just pay your money and leave with the car. Common sense says, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” But common sense rarely plays a role in the passion of an auction.

I had been passing the lot of a local dealer for months, where prominently displayed out front were two beautiful, late model Mustang GTs. Each had low mileage, both were in great shape. As summer lead to fall, then lead to early winter, they still sat there unclaimed. By total coincidence, I came across them both listed for sale on e-bay Motors. For a starting bid of $500, they could be mine (or at least the process could begin). Surely the dealer would be anxious to get them off of the lot before snow. Everything was in my court. Winter was coming, the wounds of high gas prices were still in everyone’s mind, and a new, redesigned Mustang was about to launch. No one would want either one of these cars, and the dealer would want to sell.

I registered on e-bay and began bidding. The adrenalin rush was exciting. Others joined the process. My self-imposed ceiling was $10,000. The bidding continued, but no one met the dealer imposed Reserve Price (the minimum they would accept). As my emotional involvement accelerated, so did that of the other participants. My ceiling came and went, and the bidding continued. I bid more than I wanted to pay. Finally, like a fatigued poker player, I was worn down, and I was out. The other bidders continued, but the cars were not sold, at least on e-bay.

There were no deals to be had, and my money was still safely in my pocket. Even so, I felt empty, with a feeling of failure. I wanted one of the cars, but I didn’t want to pay enough for them. It was an interesting experiment which taught me the value of working with a dealer. For such a substantial purchase as a car, I realized that the dealer’s sales associate does perform a valuable function for the buyer. With an auction, while there are all of the details from the car’s listing information, photos and CarFax reports, there is no sensory gratification; there is no touching, feeling, smelling, and test driving. While I enjoyed the freedom of no pressure from a salesman, there was also a feeling of loneliness and vulnerability. There was no ally representing me in the deal.

I was surprised to learn that I prefer working with a dealer; to work with the resources and talents the dealer can offer. I need the comfort and security of knowing the product by it being visually in front of me, along with meeting and greeting the people that will back the car after the sale. Before bidding in the auction, I had done the same research that I would have done if I was buying the car the traditional dealer way. But there was no feeling of comfort, and no deal to be made. Buy it on e-bay if you want, but it’s not for me.