On Tue, 20 Dec 2005 09:00:29 -0500, "Smithers" Yes, Smithers is not
my real name. wrote:



Does anyone have any personal knowledge of people who have purchased cars
and/or boats via Ebay or similar auction service?



In '03 I bought a '99 Mustang Convertible GT on Ebay. I got it at
trade-in value which I thought was an exceptional deal. The car has
been great. I am willing to buy big ticket items on Ebay but only at
a price I would consider a great deal.

I also bought a boat over the summer on Ebay that didn't turn out to
be such a good deal. The seller was honest about there being some
soft spots in the boat which kept educated buyers from bidding and
thus the price was low. I didn't know better at that time. I was
able to look at the boat and take a trial ride on it before the deal
was closed. Unfortunately, due to my lack of knowledge about boats, I
bought it. Later sold it at a loss. Even though I owned that boat
for a short time, I was able to get some enjoyment out of it and
learned quite a few things. In the end, not such a bad experience. I
would not buy a boat on Ebay again unless I was able to inspect the
boat before the deal closed and also take it for a sea trial.