Dealers - Frequently Asked Questions

• Q1. What are the requirements for selling on eBay Motors?

  To sell on eBay Motors all you need is a free seller's account. No credit card is required. We also suggest you have a digital camera handy to take photos of your vehicle.

• Q2. What are the fees for selling?

  There are low fixed fees for selling vehicles and featuring items on eBay Motors.

  1. The insertion (listing) fee for all vehicles is $5 for auctions or Buy It Now listings, and $19.95 for Classified Ads. Twelve photos are included free of charge for all vehicles, as well as several Upgrade Features: Gallery, Supersize, Picture Show, and Picture Pack. Final value fees apply only when the vehicle is sold. Learn more about fees
  2. Fees for items listed in the Car Parts and Accessories categories are the same as all other categories on eBay. Learn more about fees
  3. Listing upgrades that help drive sales (eg Featured Listings, Bold, Subtitle and additional photos) are available for a fee. Learn more about listing upgrades
• Q3. What sort of vehicles should I sell on eBay?

  The following types of cars sell well on eBay:

  • Wholesale and trade-in vehicles that do not suit your local market may suit the national market on eBay Motors
  • Aged inventory that you'd normally sell to a wholesaler
  • Vehicles that have a strong following like performance cars or discontinued models
  • Specialty, exotic, niche and collector cars are well known for being good choices for the national exposure provided by eBay Motors.
• Q4. What's the best pricing strategy?

  Successful vehicle sellers typically use one of three pricing strategies on eBay Motors:

  1. Auction with low start price and a reserve: The low start price (at say $1) helps entice buyers to bid on your vehicle. The reserve price ensures it's not undersold. Set the reserve at the minimum price you would accept.
  2. Fixed price with Best Offer: This format is exclusive to eBay Motors. It allows you to sell your vehicle just as you would face-to-face, with the added convenience of an online transaction. Set the price at your desired amount and buyers can make offers. You can accept or reject any offer. Learn more about Best Offer
  3. Auction with higher start price and no reserve: Reserves put some bidders off as they don't know how much you would accept. If you set the start price at the minimum price you would accept, buyers know if they decide to bid they could win.
• Q5. What should I write in my listing?

  Unlike newspaper ads, there are no word limits for eBay listings. So you can provide comprehensive information without incurring extra fees. Put yourself in the buyer's and consider what information you would need to be comfortable with buying a vehicle online.

  A good description includes a general description of the vehicle, a list of features, information on the car's history, why you are selling the car, and terms of sale. Be honest to a fault as this builds bidder trust and helps you get a higher price. Be thorough and clear. Check out an ideal listing.

• Q6. How many photos should I include in my listing?

  The more photos you include the better! Remember, many potential buyers won't inspect your vehicle in person before taking action on your listing. So let them “kick the tyres” by including plenty of photos.

  The first 12 photos are free. So ideally you should include at least 12 photos, including: exterior – left side, right side, front, rear, engine, close up of wheel, and interior – front seats, back seats, dashboard, odometer close up and photos of any damage. You can also select additional free picture upgrades such as Gallery, Supersize, Picture Show and Picture Pack.

  Check out the photos in an ideal listing.

• Q7. What length of time should I list my vehicle for?

  Because vehicles are higher priced items you need to give buyers enough time to consider their purchase. You have the option of 3, 5, 7, or 10 day auctions. But 7 or 10 day auctions tend to be better for vehicles. If you're using the fixed price format (with the Best Offer option) you can extend your listing to 14 days.

• Q8. What eBay features can help me sell my car at a good price?

  eBay's features can help give you a better chance of selling your car at a good price by making your listing stand out more. At a minimum, we highly recommend you use Picture Pack with 12 photos to let buyers see as much of your car as possible. Subtitles highlighting key selling points (eg sunroof, mag wheels, etc.) are also a great way of getting more attention. Learn more about listing upgrades.

• Q9. What price can I expect to get for my vehicle on eBay Motors?

  As a dealer, one of the advantages of selling on eBay Motors is the great price you'll get for your vehicle. Typically dealers get a price between wholesale and retail. You can see what prices other sellers have achieved by doing a completed items search.

• Q10. What if someone offers to buy my vehicle outside eBay?

  eBay prohibits email offers to buy or sell listed items outside of the eBay website. Offers of this nature are a potential fraud risk for both buyers and sellers, and should be avoided. If you sell your vehicle outside of eBay, eBay can't assist if there's a dispute or take any action against the buyer. If you want to report a user who is attempting to buy an item outside of eBay, please refer to the Sales Outside of eBay page.

• Q11. Do I have to let the buyer test drive the car before they pay?

  There's no obligation to give the buyer a test drive. However, if one has been requested, and the buyer appears to be seriously considering purchasing your vehicle, a test drive may help close the sale.

• Q12. What if the buyer doesn't pay for the item they've won?

  eBay reserves the right to take action against buyers who don't pay for items they've won. But sellers should contact the buyer first, and try to resolve any issues. If this is unsuccessful sellers can file an Unpaid Item dispute with eBay.

  eBay will attempt to get the buyer to complete the transaction and, failing that, may issue a strike on the buyer's account. Sellers with Unpaid Items under the Unpaid Item Dispute process are eligible for Final Value Fee credits.

  Also, if the item is relisted and sells the second time, eBay will refund the Insertion Fee for the relisting. Learn more about how the free relist policy works.

  Sellers may also have additional legal recourse available against the buyer in certain circumstances.

  eBay will refund the Insertion Fee for the relisting. Learn more about how the free relist policy works.

• Q13: What happens if my car doesn't sell?

  If the auction closes unsuccessfully, you can relist your car and the listing fee will be refunded if it sells. When you relist your car, consider lowering the price and improving the listing to include sufficient photos and details.

Dealers – legal and regulatory frequently asked questions*

• Q1. Do I need an auctioneer's license to advertise a vehicle for sale?

  No, you don't need an auctioneer's license to advertise a vehicle on eBay.

• Q2. Do I need to include a vehicle safety inspection report in my listing?

  Some states and territories may require a vehicle safety inspection report (known as a "pink slip" in NSW) to sell a vehicle. You should contact the relevant road transport authority in your state to discuss these requirements.

  In any case, offering or displaying a valid vehicle safety inspection report for an unregistered vehicle can give more confidence to potential buyers because it indicates the roadworthiness of the vehicle.

• Q3. Can I advertise a vehicle at two different prices?

  Fair trading legislation in some states makes it an offence to sell goods, including vehicles, to which more than one price is attached unless the price charged is the lower or lowest price.

  Please consult the relevant fair trading legislation in your state or territory or contact your department of fair trading and consumer affairs to find out what your obligations are.

  Using eBay Motors' Best Offer feature may assist you in complying with these requirements.

• Q5. Do I need a dealer's license to sell vehicles on eBay Motors?

  A dealer's license is generally not required to sell a vehicle as a private or one-off sale. However, if you sell more than a specified number of vehicles in a year, you may be required to hold a dealer's license.

  Please contact the relevant road transport authority or department of fair trading in your state for further information about your legal obligations.

• Q6. As a dealer, what requirements do I have for listing vehicles on eBay Motors?

  Because requirements vary from state to state, eBay Motors recommends you include the following information in all your vehicle listings:

  1. Business name
  2. Business address
  3. License number
  4. Telephone number
  5. Specified price
  6. Kilometres on odometer
  7. Engine number
  8. Chassis number
  9. Vehicle Registration Number
  10. Vehicle Identification Number
  11. Year of Manufacture