Ebay

[Miller65]

Originally Posted by AloraDanin

Hi,

Not a lot of RVs to choose from up here in the frozen north, but it looks like there's lots to choose from down south.

Has anyone any experience purchasing a motor home through Ebay?

Thanks
Barbara and Jim

Barbara and Jim
We just purchased a 2004 Country Coach from Kenai Coach down on the Kenai this past August. Been looking for a Class A for months and months. A very positive experience for us and he's local. PM me if you want more info.

Walt

[Ken-55]

I used eBay and craigslist for leads when shopping. I drove all over the northeast and NY state before finding a deal.

Many years ago, I bid (and won) an eBay auction from a seller in upstate NY. While making arrangements on the phone he asked me to hang on for a minute and started talking to someone in the background . . . they were discussing placing "shill" bids on an auction that was ending soon! After getting off the phone, I did a little more research . . . looks like he had several eBay accounts . . . he would list everything "no reserve" so you felt that you had a chance at a deal BUT he would put bids in to up the price to his minimum. MANY of his sales fell through and RV's were relisted, sometimes under another ID. Back then (when eBay didn't scramble/block I.D.'s) you could see his different accounts bidding back and forth on each other's items.

Needless to say, I chose NOT to make the 6 hour drive with cash in hand. If he was sleazy enough to do that, what else would he hide to make a sale???

I think the key is to learn enough and look enough to be able to recognize a good deal AND then be ready to act on it. I'm still kicking myself because the first RV (private seller from craigslist) that I looked at when I was buying a couple of years ago (when gas first jumped past $4/gal) was worth about $20,000 and the seller would have taken $12,000. In the 2 days it took me to realize what a deal it was . . . it was gone!

[pumper9x9]

Check out oodle.com plug in what you're looking for and it checks all over the web except for craigslist then it will continue to email the results of your search parameters. I'd also plan on some big phone bills and a couple of airline tickets to get a good look at what you're buying. Also if it sounds to good to be true it's not. There are a lot of scammers out there. You also may want to check rv.org for more info on buying a rig.

[dajudge]

Bought my last mh on ebay. I contacted the seller, looked at the pictures and negotiated a trade before I drove it 850 miles. I had to pay a $1000 refundable deposit. The bank sent an inspector before I arrived to check it out. That was the best money I ever spent. I drove toFlorida from Louisiana, and left in the new mh after the bank wired the money. I wouldn't hesitate to buy again on ebay.

[UltraKen]

I bought my current coach from an ad on the Internet.

I had many emails back and forth with the owner and many long phone conversations. I negotiated a price and made it very clear that if the coach was not exactly as described I would just go home.

I flew from NW Ohio to Oregon to see the coach, with a cashier's check for the total amount.

The coach was actually better than described. I spent a full day going over it, drove it, and completed the deal. I then drove it home via L.A. and I-10 (it was November and I didn't want to face snow in the Rockies).

The previous owner and I are still friends. Great coach. I'm very happy with it.

For the size of the investment you have to be willing to eat several hundred dollars travel costs to walk away from a bad deal.