Hello! 1st time posting.. I plan to buy 350z on ebay and I'm not sure if it's a good idea to buy without test-driving. But I can save $1-2k if I buy online. Many Thx..

 

Hi and welcome.
To be honest, I wouldn't buy any car without test-driving it first,
especially if it's a used car.
You might end up losing that $1,000 you saved replacing the slipping clutch
that you never found out about.
I believe both visual and mechanical inspection in person is
a very crutial and important step when buying a used car.

 

Its a 350Z not a civic, go to the dealer and try it!

 

Welcome.

There are lots of 350Z good deals on eBay. Just be selective and don't expect something for nothing. Do I recommend buying a car sight unseen? No way!

Keep in mind that winning a auction does not always get you a car. Sellers often complete a auction. If they are disappointed with the high bid, they will simply state vehicle sold. eBay doesn't care as long as sellers pay fees.

 

buying a car from ebay is a suckers game....especially the one you pay a non-refundable deposit.

 

I found my Z on ebay, however, I did not buy it off ebay. I contacted the dealer and went to test drive the car before I put any money down on the car. I recommend it, and agree with davidv, do not buy any car sight unseen! A lot of times dealers will put their cars up on ebay to get more exposure. You can find good deals this way, but make sure you print out the page that has the price, because often times the don't want to offer the internet price once you get there. Good Luck!

 

ya, that's what I dont like. They want non-refundable $1k deposit. But I can buy 04 or 05 Z that got <25k mi on it for less than $22k. hm.. I checked new 06 base Z price and they want $26.7K +ttL.

 

www.recycler.com should have some used Zs in your local area

 

There are plenty of Ebay motor dealerships. In fact most larger dealerships are setting up ebay motor accounts so they can sell their cars online. I bought my car online and I set it up so that the letter of credit was enough of a down payment for the dealership to hold the car for me. I flew down to Texas test drove the car (and explained the the guy I was going to hammer down on the car and find out as much as I could) he was very cool.

Bottom line...look HARD don't take the first deal you see. Make sure feedback is 100%, also communitcate, let them know what you expect and what you want/need from them. Get pre approved for the loan amount and tell the bank you are going to buy a car from a dealership out of state so you'll need a letter of credit when you decide on the car. They should work with you.

Good luck...

 

For the most part...unless you actually research the sale. I've seen enough scams through private sale of cars, not just ebay but autotrader, cars.com etc. Bottom line i s you gotta make sure you communicate with the seller and if you can get a letter of credit stating that you have a line of credit pre approved for the sale, most dealerships will hold a car based on that alone.


I've bought 3 cars through ebay, and had one bad encounter. The bad encounter was covered by the bank because it was a mistake made on their part, again communicate and document everything you say and do.