Listing Your Vehicle for Sale on eBay Motors

The articles in this series are designed to help the prospective eBay vehicle-seller to carry out a successful and low-risk/low-hassle sale. They include:

1. Preparing to List Your Vehicle for Sale
2. Listing Your Vehicle for Sale on eBay Motors
3. Attending to Your Active Vehicle Listing
4. Preparing to Conclude Your Vehicle Sale
5. Transferring Payment and Vehicle Ownership

They're designed to be read in order, but can also be read individually for tips related to specific stages in the eBay Motors vehicle selling process.

Listing a Vehicle for Sale on eBay Motors

The process of listing a vehicle for sale on eBay motors begins in familiar territory with the eBay selling form, but takes a few different twists and turns based on the category you'll chose ("eBay Motors") that require you to much more specific, careful, and complete as you fill out the form than you've been in other eBay listings.

Here's how to navigate the eBay Motors vehicle listing form and the things that you need to pay extra attention to as you complete the form and get your vehicle up for sale on eBay.

1. Sign in and begin creating a listing. Click "Sell" at the top of any eBay page, just as you would to start any eBay listing using the standard eBay selling form.
    
2. Select "eBay Motors" as your first category. On the listing form, click the "Browse Categories" link on the first page just below the box in which eBay requests an ISBN number or UPC number. On the following page, select the vehicle's make and model from the lists that you're presented.
    
3. Choose a motors listing format. After you choose the make and model of your vehicle you'll have to decide between a local listing (no fees, visible to people within 200 miles of your location) or a national listing (fees of $60.00-$125.00 upon a successful sale, free otherwise, either in auction or fixed price formats). Keep in mind that you'll have to make arrangements with the buyer for the conveyance of the vehicle in one way or another after any sale, so distance may or may not be important to you.
    
4. Get the title right. Just as is the case for a non-vehicle eBay auction, the listing title is often make-or-break. As a rule of thumb, for listing titles in eBay Motors auctions include the vehicle year, make, model, mileage, and at least one positive phrase followed by an exclamation mark ("Drives nice!" or "Very clean!") to drive interest. Also include unusual positives, if you have the space for them, like "One owner!" or "All original!" or "New engine and tranny!"
    
5. Fill out the selling form. Use the information that you gathered as you completed the Sell Your Vehicle Checklist to complete the information areas of the selling form. Don't guess about features; if you're not sure your vehicle has a feature, don't claim that it does as you fill out the form, or you could be held liable for any discrepancy later on.
    
6. Enter a description. This is important, even more so than a good item description for a non-vehicle listing. Put all of the following information into a series of separate paragraphs: What is the general operating condition of the vehicle? What is the cosmetic condition of the vehicle? What things have recently been done? What things will need to be done soon? Why are you selling? Are you the first owner and/or how many owners has it had? What is the status of the title? Direct potential buyers to look at the images you've supplied in the listing (you'll attach these in a moment) for a scan of the title, so that they know you're the actual owner and have title in had. If you have good maintenance records for the vehicle, also mention this to be the case. Finish with a good customer-service-oriented paragraph encouraging questions from buyers.
    
7. Include your photos. After you save the vehicle details and description, you'll upload the photos you've taken for your listing. The vanity photos go first, to best market your vehicle and to get people to click on your listing. Be sure, however, to include practical photos as well, including an under-the-hood shot, shots of any damage areas, and (importantly) your edited title photo or scan.
    
8. Set your terms. Once your photos have been included, you'll detail the way in which you expect to be paid and how you expect transit arrangements for the vehicle to occur. Always opt to require a deposit via PayPal for any vehicle sale unless you have a very high tolerance for risk (and trouble, and possibly loss). A good rule of thumb is to require 10 to 20 percent of the vehicle's value up-front as a deposit. In most cases, it is also a good idea to deselect all of the various "payment by check" options (cashier's check, personal check, loan check, and so on) since all are easy to fake but are not detected as such until weeks after a sale has been completed. Instead, select "Other" and specify (in the text box) that you require either a cash payment or a bank-to-bank wire transfer and that the purchaser must accompany you to your bank branch to complete one of these on the day of pickup or delivery, assuming you are able to be present at that time.

With your listing active, buyers in your region or buyers around the country (depending on how you've listed your vehicle) will be able to view your listing and either bid on or buy your vehicle. Don't think that your work is done, though—for an eBay Motors vehicle listing, you'll probably want to be a little more attentive than you otherwise would be.

Go on to the next step: Attending to Your Active Vehicle Listing