Just curious....
Has anyone purchased car on E-bay.
Anxious to hear from you.

I bought a 850 Turbo on ebay about 18 months ago and have been very happy with it. I have put about 24k on it without any significant problems. I still check ebay occasionally and would not hesitate to purchase another Volvo there.

The first thing I look for are lots of photos. Especially photos that point out any defects on the car. A good seller will not want negative feedback from a buyer and will go out of their way to make potential buyers aware of problems before the purchase.

The second thing to look for is positive feedback over a period of time. Read what previous buyers have written about their experience. Don't fall into the trap of lumping all feedback together. You don't care if the seller has been a good buyer. You are only concerned about feedback as a seller.

I bought a '85 240 DL last November off of Ebay. The car looked great in the pictures and the owner said that everything worked and there was no rust out underneath. Well, when I picked the car up everything seemed OK except for the electric o/d ( M46). It wouldn't disengauge out of o/d. This problem didn't show up until on the way home. About a month after buying the car, I found significant rust in the floors and rear tire wells that had been hidden with bondo and undercoating ( making it look sound from the outside). I ended up selling the car and loosing quite a bit of $$. On the other hand, I bought a beautiful '93 960 off of Ebay last August and it's a really nice car. Just be careful, not everyone is honest when they list cars on Ebay.

Good luck,
Dave

Last Dec purchases an '87 745 with 123,400 miles. No records but clean CarFax. Car had been garaged forever (tires were from 1996) and finally traded in for a Cadillac. I flew to Dallas with my two sons right after Christmas, looked it over real quick and drove back to El Paso the next morning. Car now has 133k miles, drives like a charm (made me wished I'd purchased a 745 in '89 instead of my 245). I did have to replace some trans seals and just replaced the tailshaft bushing and resealed the oil pan. I could have lived with the seepage but don't like a dirty driveway.

I purchased a 92 - 740 on Ebay last month. After watching ebay for about a month and doing all the checks you can do, this one the owner offered to drive it to me, 680 miles from me. Turned out to be one sweet deal, great car, great seller. Do your homework very important.

with 340k miles on it. Think about it how do you sell a car with that mileage. I was as honest as I could be (some rust on back hatch and rockers-"that's patina, honey") but everything worked and the paint and interior was original. It was driveable anywhere in US "Bring a plate and drive me home". Included about a dozen pictures. Started the bidding at what I would accept with no reserve. Got $600+ more than my opening price from a fella 300 miles away. He came and got it and his girl friend drove it home. He was pleased with the purchase. If you are honest I guess it can work but it is a crapshoot. I would rather find a car on eBay that is close enough to inspect.

flew out there from new york and drove it home (a 30 year old car with 177,000 mi sight unseen).
that was pretty stupid. i guess a wiser and more conservative individual would have had it shipped home.
...
well i may be pretty stupid,and not too wise either.
...
but i'm also pretty luckey.
...
the car was fine the whole 3000 mi across the country and has been fine ever since (sept '03).

I bought my mercedes 300sd on ebay. Emailed back and forth dozens of questions , guy lied through his teeth.When I got there to pick it up, I almost walked on it ( after driving about 7 hours ) , but the final bid was low enough where the repairs didn't put the price too out of line. By the picture s and description I was prepared to go much higher. No mention of fender rust, MAJOR suspension issues, lied about tranny work that had supposed to have been done ( and this guy would have known )etc etc. The pictures were obviously taken years before that clown ever bought the thing..Then the jerk has the nerve to leave a nasty on my feedback later.

I've seen one a friend bought without checking out at all on ebay ( they should have at least paid for a local inspection ), that arrived with a ton of problems.

Now I bought my 940t from a fellow brickboarder here in the classifieds section, it cost a bit more, but the only thing I've had to do to it in the last year and a half aside from oil changes, is change 1 hose, and resolder my AC relay ( oh gee, it's almost due for a timing belt :-)
.

I did have good luck with the boat I bought on ebay, I got a good deal on it.
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-------Robert, '93 940t, '90 240 wagon, '84 240 diesel (she's sick) , '80 245 diesel, '82 Mercedes 300SD

I bought a 780 from the brick's classified, and the owner just lied about everything. My V70 from Ebay is still bug free and making me happy!

It's all about the seller, isn't it?

Klaus
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98 V70Rawd(101Kmi), 95 854T(85K mi), 88 245(165K mi)

I bought a 92 940 on EBay, a donation to a charity. The original donor was very open about the car and provided most of the maintenance records. I was pleased. But a dishonest seller could waste a lot of your time and cash.

Be VERY careful...here's my experience - won the auction on a 1988 745GLE M47 after e-mailing back and forth with the seller and getting additional pictures. Went to pick up the car (7 hours away from home, but conveniently close to my parents whom I was visiting) - the seller admitted some rust was found which he didn't previously know about (the ad described it as "rust free") and said I didn't have to buy it if I objected. Then I drove it - despite his claim it was checked over by a Volvo dealer (they found the rust), it had a broken exhaust, broken right front parking light lens (which was NOT broken in the picture), and other problems. I declined to buy it - not sure if the seller was dishonest or just ignorant - either way, it was a BAD experience despite all my pre-bidding questions.

Zack
1980 245DL M46 274k
1985 744TD M46 250k
1988 745T+ M46 200k

I bought my 780 on eBay a year and a half ago. Blue Book value for the car was listed $5,000 to $10,000 at the time, and I won the auction for $1,200. The car was in nearly mint condition except for the following issues:
1. Driver side 1/3 of Air Dam was missing.
2. Car was repainted recently, but poor prep work was done and it was starting to peal at a few spots on the roof. (not noticeable unless standing right next to it).
3. Two small dings in sheet metal. No significant rust except for a couple spots in the undercarriage (only visible with car off the ground).
4. Transmission shifted late. (leaking front tranny seal, bringing ATF up to proper level fixed shifting issue).
5. Front end shimmy above 50 mph due to worn front stabilizer bushings.
6. AC non-functional and the AC belt tensioner pulley was seized.
7. Misc interior stuff like dead dash bulbs and a few small cracks in the varnish on the wood trim, but nothing serious. Seat leather good!
8. Needed a few basic tuneup items like spark plug wires, valve adjustment, etc, but she still ran great when I picked her up.

Overall, I had an excellent experience with my purchase on eBay. However, I credit a lot of this to the honesty of the seller. He didn't hide anything, gave an extensive description in the eBay listing, took lots of digital pictures (including a few extras for me), and talked to me via his cell phone several times before I began bidding. He operates a non-profit used car lot where people donate their vehicles for a tax write-off and then he resells them and the money goes to pay the lawyers who fight cruelty to animals. To prevent any possible chance of vandalism to the car, he took the car home with him and kept it safe in his own garage. Thanks Dan (of ACS_Charity).

After winning the auction, and before my trip to Chicago to pick it up, another 780 came into his yard. It was an '89 Turbo, also black with identical interior, but it had been hit hard from the rear in an accident with a truck. He offered me both vehicles for a price that was too good to pass up. I ended up driving the '88 home and towing the '89 home (using a friend's pickup truck and a rented trailer).

God bless,
Fitz Fitzgerald.
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'87 Blue 240 Wagon, 251k miles.
'88 Black 780 PRV-6, 146k miles.
'89 Black 780 Turbo4, 94k miles. (accident vehicle being restored)

I recall reading about your 780s on this very site. Jake and Elwood? What happened to the accident damaged one?
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Volvo For Life. And then some- 1990 745 SE, Aka 'The Volvo'

"Didn't you buy another similar car in the same way?"

Yes, that was the 2nd 780 (the '89 Turbo). When I initially posted the previous message, I didn't mention the '89. Then I thought I should probably include it so I edited the message. You and Evan must have read and replied to the post while I was still typing! Jake and Elwood are both still residing at my house. My blue wagon is still my daily driver, the '88 780 is driven in fair weather and for fun, and the '89 Turbo is still being worked on. I'm not rushing anything, just doing a bit here and there as time allows.

Evan has got quite a nice '73, not to mention his vintage '75 245 Wagon is probably the envy of a lot of people on the 200 forum. If I recall, Smokey also picked up his Amazon wagon on eBay and had it shipped from California. He was thrilled with it when I last talked to him, but that's also a vehicle that's getting some restoration work before hitting the roads.

Also, I by chance ran into someone in a salvage yard who was hunting for Volvo parts, and then months later I saw a 740 Wagon that he was selling on eBay. The auction ended without a bidder, but I called him and went to see the vehicle in question (about a 2 hour drive away). Of the 3 Volvos he had for sale in his driveway, I managed to place two of them to close friends of mine within the next few months. While I was helping him sell the two wagons, he asked me to keep an eye out for a Blue mid/late 80s 240 wagon with a manual trans (similar to my car). He had seen one on eBay that was in good shape (except for an electrical fire), but the car was in North Carolina. I happened to be driving to Florida on buisness the next month and on the way home I stopped by to visit the blue wagon on the way back. After a bit of work, the car was driveable and my friend drove down to purchase the car.

I think a lot of the satisfaction level of the transactions on eBay are probably based more on the character and honesty of the people who are buying and selling. I can think of a few bad experiences that some people have had, but most of them are usually positive. -and from working with positive people.

God bless,
Fitz.

I must have edited my message at the same time that you were editing yours! My laws!

Glad to hear about your various positive eBay experiences. Mine have been largely positive too, although most of my transactions have been for CDs and books. I totally agree that transactions are based the character and honesty of the buyers and sellers; I could trust the seller of The Volvo completely as I not only had I met him some years back and thought that he was a jolly nice chap, his hard-won reputation in the UK old car world spoke volumes about him- He was the editor of the UK's biggest 'classic car' magazine for some years and now edits the only practical magazine for modern car owners in the UK. Also, if the car turned out to be a nail (No chance- The seller has a real eye for a good 700 or 900) or I just didn't want it on the day, I could have walked away with no hard feelings, which is something that the seller always states in his write ups and holds true. He could trust as he sort of knew me and at the time I had 80 or so positives in my eBay feedback profile, with no negatives or neutrals. I'm up to 99 now...

The guy I bought the 244 from, on the other hand, was a shyster and the type of person I would normally cross the street to avoid. I have to like the seller of a car that I am interested in buying. Otherwise, no deal!
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Volvo For Life. And then some- 1990 745 SE, Aka 'The Volvo'

My '73 142 was won on eBay for $1222.22.

It was everything the seller said it was, and nothing he said it wasn't.

Paid $600 to ship it from Florida to Michigan, put another maybe $500 into it, and I now have a car that makes me very happy.
--
'73 142, '75 242, '75 245, '80 245, '86 244, '87 745T

I just bought a 1997 960 yesterday from a wholesaler in Texas. They are shipping it out on Monday. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6458&item=4516318961&rd=1

I have run into a few people on other boards that have bought cars on Ebay and have had good results. You just have to be very careful of who and what is their positive feedback rating. Someone with 50 or more sales with 98 to 100% positive feedback is pretty safe to deal with. If they have little or no feedback don't even think about buying it with out physically seeing the car.

NICE 960! Congrats! :)
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Chris. Halifax N.S. '91 745Ti, 291K km and '91 745 NA, 387K km.

I have bought two Volvos on eBay; One was a £200 1988 244GL which was a badly-described piece of junk with a terminally corroded windscreen surround and 'A' pillars, but it kept me mobile whilst my Rover was having its engine replaced. The second one was a really nice 1990 745SE automatic (Known as The Volvo), the one pictured in my profile and in numerous Gallery entries.

It needed some very minor work (To interior trim mainly) and still does i.e.the tachometer sometimes doesn't work and the headlamp wash/wipe system needs looking at, but it was properly described by the seller, a well-known British motoring journalist who's as mad about Volvos as we are. Addtionally, it had lots of dealer fitted accessories (Floor mats, loadcover/parcel shelf, working Nivomats) and a decent, sag-free headlining. That is, until I tried to clean it up in June- now it sags like the best of them, although it's still intact...

I was happy to pay £800 for it in December 2003, when the retail price for a car in similar conditon with the same mileage (130,000 at the time) was £2500! I'm really happy with the car. It has converted me 100% to the Volvo cause and is well-liked by my friends and family, especially when big heavy things need to be moved around and when long journeys by road need to be made. I would buy a car from the seller again, which is what counts at the end of the day.

Unless you are really lucky, you will probably not be able to see the car in real life before bidding for it, so you have to trust the seller. The Volvo was located in Peterborough which is a good two hour drive from London (A great opportunity for a good post purchase shakedown!), so I paid the 'buy it now' price on the strength of the write up, the pictures and the reputation in the British old car world that the seller has.

ALWAYS go for cars sold by people with 100% positive feedback, in double figures if possible. Even if you are unhappy with the car, you have to pay for it as you have entered into a binding contract with the seller. I would have not bought the 244 had this not been the case, as it was so appallingly badly described; one person's idea of 'Very Good Condition' can be very different one's own!

Rest assured that there are thousands of great cars on eBay, Volvos included. Just take your time when looking for one to bid on :)
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Volvo For Life. And then some- 1990 745 SE, Aka 'The Volvo'

The original picture of The Volvo from the actual eBay write up. Note the licence plate change from the original to my personalised one, which I carried out when I knew that I was keeping the car. 'GSD' equals German Shepherd Dogs, my other passion :)
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Volvo For Life. And then some- 1990 745 SE, Aka 'The Volvo'

Let me add to James post I spent over 3 months trying to find a nice S90. Back in Dec I found a nice one in Kentucky and before I could make a run down to see it (5 hours) it had been sold. Set the standard on what your looking at, stand your ground and wait for the right car. In my purchase I wasn't really interested in a Black car but after seeing the pictures of the one offered on Ebay I couldn't let it go the car is beautiful. Especially since they have the service records for the car since new. I looked at cars at Dealers that were priced in the $11K to $13K that were not worth $8K.

That's a hell of a nice car! Well done! A V90 in a similar condtion would be even more fantastic.

Here is a Volvo (A 900, as all the 700s on offer at the moment are rubbishy old ones) picked out at random from eBay.co.uk, which is typical of the type of car on offer to the British punter, should they wish to go down the online auction route:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=9872&item=4516386500&rd=1

I'd quite like it myself if I didn't have The Volvo :)

Fact: eBay is also a great source of Volvo parts. You never know what you will find; I recently got hold of a genuine Volvo snow cap (Scuttle vent cover) for only £15.00...

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Volvo For Life. And then some- 1990 745 SE, Aka 'The Volvo'