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Tips and advice

Selling your car on eBay motors

Considering selling your car online? We share some hints and tips to make the most of your listing

Selling car on eBay motors using laptop

When it comes time to sell your vehicle there are a plethora of ways to go from part-exchange, auctions, private listings, guaranteed sale websites, and forums. Our guide to the most popular methods to sell your car details theses if you are still deciding which will suit you best.

eBay motors UK has become an increasingly popular way to sell thanks to their feedback scoring system allowing buyers and sellers to check a user’s reputation on the platform, as well as attractive eBay. eBay motors fees are also favourable when compared to some of the other platforms.

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Why might you choose to sell your car via eBay? When listing your vehicle as an auction you have a choice to set a reserve, this stops the car from selling way below your expectation. It should also achieve a sensible price as buyers compete for the top bid. Ebay also offers classified fixed price ads, or ‘buy it now’ with a ‘best offer’ option meaning you can choose the best method for you.

The big incentive for buying on an auction website is the hope of bagging a bargain. In fact, a price that starts off temptingly low will often swell dramatically as bidders compete for their spoils. In the end, an auction might even end at a higher price than you'd expect to pay in a normal private sale. This is great news for sellers.

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However, not everybody has a rewarding experience. While many people sell repeatedly on eBay without incident, others can tell stories of disappearing bidders and dishonest buyers. The decision to sell your car by an online auction isn't one to be made lightly, but exercising a little care and caution will make it a lot easier.

Read on for our tips on confidently, and effectively, marketing your car on eBay

When should I sell my car on eBay?

Although some seasonality and peaks in car registrations (notably the new registration months of March and September) see raised interest from buyers, eBay tends to have a strong user base all year.

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To get the most people looking at your listing, and create a higher rate of interest you will want to make sure that it goes live and ends when people are using the platform the most. Don’t have an auction end during weekday working hours as bidding is usually at its highest frequency just before an auction ends. You want as many people to be involved as possible.

How much will selling my car on eBay cost me?

eBay motors fees can differ from the standard listing fees on the platform and so if you are a regular user of the platform don’t assume the costs for listing your car will be the same as listing a pair of shoes.

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As of August 2022 a final auction fee of 1% of the transaction price, for a minimum of £25 and maximum of £45 is applicable to all listings except a classified ad.

Classified ads have the highest listing fee of £19.99, while both auction and fixed price listings have a listing fee of £14.99.

You pay additional fees for adding an upgraded gallery, which is £2.99, or subtitle costing £0.49. Setting up an auction with a ‘buy it now’ function is £5.99 and only available if you have listed your car in the auction style. There’s also a charge of £9.99 if you choose to set a reserve.

Choosing between classified and auction listings

There are many reasons that you might list your car on eBay as an auction item, but perhaps the greatest is the prospect of buyers getting caught up in a bidding frenzy and taking your car way beyond the figure you had in mind.

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Another might be that you actually don't have a figure in mind in the first place. While there are myriad used-car valuation services out there, older cars and those with less mainstream appeal can be very hard to accurately price. So, listing it at auction is a good way to ensure it sells for whatever the buying public thinks it's worth.

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If you are concerned your vehicle might not sell for as much as you want, you can always set a reserve price. The key is to keep your expectations while remembering that auctions that are in the closing stages and have met a reserve can be more active than those where the reserve has yet to be achieved.

Creating a classified ad can be best if you own a particularly rare vehicle as potential buyers may not be around when you first list your car. Classified ads will also be around for longer than a single week auction listing and so open it up to a wider audience over time. This can also cut out potential time wasters,if someone wins your auction and doesn’t show up you’ll have to make eBay aware and relist the item. Whereas you can leave your classified ad live until the buyer drives the car away.

Listing your car on eBay

eBay is quite generous in how much creativity it allows you when producing your listing. The company offers a free 'listing designer" that can create all manner of artistic looks for your advertisement, but in truth few things seem more effective than a few lines of accurate, well chosen text.

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The content of eBay car listings varies massively between adverts, and some vendors insist on writing War And Peace in their adverts. This sometimes puts potential buyers off, though – particularly if it means vital information is difficult to find amid hundreds of other words.

First off, remember that buyers may be searching through tens of adverts so it’s worth making yours stand out. We suggest getting as much detail in the first couple of lines as possible. Service history, mileage, length of MOT, number of owners, and any recorded accidents or finance are crucial to buyers. Also state any modifications on the vehicle and that you have the logbook in your name. If selling for a friend or family member, make it clear you have the right to sell the car.

Next it is best to state any optional extras and give a general description of the car, if there are scratches, stone chips, scuffs, and marks on the wheels, followed by any marks on the interior. Remember to be honest, most genuine used car buyers will understand the car is not going to be in showroom condition, but if you describe it as near-perfect and there are marks and scratches or chips on the bumper then a buyer may back out of the sale. The auction requires them to buy the vehicle, but it is on the condition that it is as described, so take time to make sure you are as accurate as possible.

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Finally, you should now go into greater detail about the vehicle's servicing, and any recent work that has been done. If it had new tyres or brakes at the last MOT then say so, and if you’ve just spent a large amount of money then explain what was done. This can make potential bidders more confident they are getting a car that won't need immediate remedial work and may get them to bid higher in those crucial last few minutes before an auction ends.

eBay buyers aren't looking for entertainment, they're looking for information. Lists and bullet points work better than long, rambling descriptions. If you're unsure of a spelling, look it up first. Listing your car as a Citron instead of a Citroen could mean it won't show in eBay users' search results. Keep the font a sensible size, and don't write in all capital letters. Black text is generally preferred to other colours, and there's no need to add a decorative frame or any other effects – let your words and photos do the talking.

Photographing your car for eBay

Although buyers aren’t expecting you to provide action shots or stunning scenery in your images they do want clear pictures that show as much of the car as possible. There are a few rules to follow here but a great trick is go online and find a reputable local car dealer and mimic the angles they take a picture from. 

Generally car dealers take at least two images from the front, from the sides and a few steps back so the whole car is in the image, the same for the rear, a side on image for both near and offside, a picture of each wheel, and then interior pictures. Finally closer shots of details of imperfection, rust, or scuffs and scratches, as tempting as it is to just show the car in its best light, being honest will avoid further negotiation or quibbling when the buyer arrives.

Make sure you always take pictures in landscape (on a phone this is holding it sideways) and in daylight. When you’re ready to take your pictures remember to make sure your car is clean, a dirty car not only doesn’t look as appealing but will make potential buyers think the car’s not been cared for.

Avoid night time images, rain, and if possible find a location that has a clear background so the vehicle is the focus point. The local park or even the far end of a supermarket car park with a plain wall or some bushes in the background will work just fine. It is also safer, the last thing you want to do is give your location away to a local thief that may recognise your street or area, especially if the car is particularly rare or sporty.

If you are still deciding between eBay motors and another way of selling then check out our guide on the best way to sell your car.

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