Our Easy Top 10 list of hints - Buy big $$ motorcycle & ATV items on eBay without regrets!  (Actually, the list works great for any eBay purchase)

10.  Don’t respond to emails with ‘2nd Chance Offers’.  These can be scams.  To make sure a Second Chance Offer is legitimate:

1.      Click My eBay at the top of the eBay Home page.
2.      Sign in and look for the Second Chance Offer in My Messages.
Note: eBay will never send a Second Chance Offer email with the subject line "Question from eBay Member." If you receive an email pretending to be a Second Chance Offer with that subject line, don't reply, just report it to eBay.

Always use the eBay email system in 'My eBay' to take care of ALL eBay correspondence.

9.  Before entering the eBay site – do your homework.  Find out what you want, and what the market is like locally before checking out eBay.  You may think you’re getting a deal, only to find that you could have done better buying local.  When you do check eBay and see something interesting, be sure this is exactly what you want – color, accessories, condition, mileage, etc.  Look at this just as if you were kicking tires at your local dealer.  It’s not a deal if it’s not what you want!

8.  Transportation Costs – be sure to read the fine print and find out how you’ll be transporting your new bike.  Sometimes transportation can cost more than $800 from city to city cross-country.  Be sure you know what it costs, and who’s responsible for making it happen before you bid.

7.  Read the feedback.  Not the percentage.  Click on the feedback number then read what others say about the seller (Even quicker, check out Toolhaus organization online for their neg/neutral feedback tool).  Be sure to click on the “From Buyers” tab.  Click on some of the actual items, see if they are similar in price to what you’re looking at.  If the seller has bought 200 widgets at $1, and sold 100 widgets at $1, but this is the first $25,000 item they’ve worked with, you may want to ask more questions. 

6.  Don’t look at a high-dollar item with only minutes left on the auction.  This will force you to make a snap decision, one you may regret later.

5.  Read the auction, from top to bottom.  Every line.  Be sure it makes sense, and doesn’t have any contradictions (like stating ‘free freight’ in the description, but a freight charge shows up in the Shipping Costs section).  If the bike is listed in the ‘Motorcycle’ section of eBay, your purchase can be protected by the Vehicle Purchase Protection Program.  If the bike you’re looking at doesn’t meet these conditions, and it’s a high dollar item, keep looking!

4.  Paypal or Money Order should be options for smaller ticket items.  Big $$ items should allow Cashier’s Check.  Absolutely do not use Western Union or similar options for big money purchases.  Do not purchase from anyone who has a strange payment request (send it to my brother, use this account, transfer the money, extra cash, etc.).

3.  You can buy what you want for a good price on eBay.  You will NOT get the deal of the century.  One auction priced way cheaper than the going price?  There’s something wrong.  No one can ship you a bike from Asia for $400.  No one is selling a new Harley for $4,000.  TANSTAAFL – There Ain’t No Such Thing As A Free Lunch.

2.  Communicate with the seller.  Some piece of information missing or maybe incorrect?  Email a question.  Fuzzy or crummy photos?  Ask for better, more detailed pics.  Don’t bother with these if you’re window shopping (sellers are normally regular folks with day jobs, they don’t have extra time to pamper those ‘just looking’), but if you’re serious, then ask.  If the seller can’t or won’t provide the additional information or good enough photos, then skip it.

1.  Don’t assume anything. 

Fuzzy pictures are the worst – The auction says ‘See picture for details’ we look at it and think ‘well, it looks perfect’, then get the item and it has multiple scratches and other damage.  The picture is your only way of making sure this is what you want.  If it’s a bad photo, ask for better, or walk away.

After The Sale

Feedback is the absolute, positive, completely FINAL thing to do.  If you have a problem, follow ALL  possible resolution options before you even think about leaving a negative.  Why?  Because it doesn’t really do anything!  It won’t get your money back or get the problem resolved.  Solve the problem THEN critique the transaction.