mini from ebay

[davemk4]

Hi has anyone on here brought (imported) a mini from ebay uk

how was the car when you saw it , was the seller honest

how much was it to import

cherrs

[DAVEY_C]

not a mini but i bought a car in scotland 2 years ago on ebay and the seller wasn't very honest, i honoured the commitment all the same and drove it home the next day, rad blew on the M1 and if it wasn't for a dozen eggs i would have left it there
thats not to say all sellers are like that though.

[davemk4]

So do you have some sort of come back if you paid through paypal?

[DAVEY_C]

if you paid through invoice then you can open a dispute with paypal saying the car wasn't as described and put you case to them, no guarantee though. if you can, bring a camera or similar incase you'll need photo's to back up a claim.

[clement]

I have bought about a dozen cars from the uk, all from ebay. seven of these were minis. I have to say i found all sellers to be honest and true to their word, a few important tips

Make sure the paper work is in order before travelling over.
talk to the seller on the phone before the auction ends and make sure they sound ok.
ask for all the bad points of the car so you know what your getting.
try and arrange to meet at the airport or ferry so you can just turn around if its a heap.

Never Never pay for the car before seeing it and dont bother paying a deposit as your stuck with it or the loss of the deposit if you dont buy, the seller will believe your genuine if your going so far to collect it.

And finally if you do buy make sure your have breakdown recovery to get you and your car home (you will need it)

[The Marcos Graveyard]

Buying on Ebay is the same as buying anywhere else, "Caveat Emptor" buyer beware.

If he sell you a car and when you get it home you find it's full of filler that's your problem. Most cars are sold "As Is".

Ask for as many details of the car before you bid, service history etc., then follow up on it, ring the garage that did the service and see if it's ok.
Get loads of photos of the car, ask for pics of all the known rust spots, thread on tyres, specific bumps, dents or scratches.

If the seller is genuine there will be no problem providing these.

For further peace of mind you can get the AA to look at the car for you, for a fee, they will have a technician go and inspect the car, drive it and report to you the findings, 13 page report followed by a phone call from the technician who will give an honest independent opinion on the car. If some issue arises later you may have some comeback through their (the AA's ) insurance.

As with all things on Ebay you have to trust the seller, check their ratings and feedback, in general expect a listing to flatter the item more so than to describe it.

[The Marcos Graveyard]

You can figure out the VRT by using the online calculator

https://www.ros.ie/evrt-enquiry/vrtenqu ... ution=e1s2

The exact model on the V5 is important as this is what will make the biggest difference in price. Depending on year/model you could be looking at anything from €350-€1000.

[keith]

difficulty with an auction is unless you can see the car before the bidding ends its difficult to commit to it. other than that, its the same as buying from anyplace. tbh i find some of the best cars (not just minis) are from members of clubs.

[davemk4]

Ya trouble is he said he go ship it to ireland for a extra price and with work crazy at the
minuate can go over
i know you should view a car before viewing.....and with a mini and rust problems

do you just take a guys word for it???

[The Marcos Graveyard]

put up a link to the Ebay page, perhaps then we could give an opinion on the car.

[joeyfinneran]

To be honest in my opinon i wouldnt buy a mini with out looking at it un less it was like 100 euro. Never take someones word when theres money involved unless you know the person and they know there stuff.
Just my opinon on the stuation

[keith]

To be honest in my opinon i wouldnt buy a mini with out looking at it un less it was like 100 euro. Never take someones word when theres money involved unless you know the person and they know there stuff.
Just my opinon on the stuation

sound advice IMHO

[des]

I brought 2 in from the UK I bought on E-bay, both were exactly as described and very happy, but it is a nerve wracking experience, if anything goes wrong it could be a real disaster. I did have a problem with one of the tires going flat, so I called the AA (I had checked I was covered in the UK in my own car) but they refused to help (they apologized a week later), luckily it kept enough air to get me from petrol station to petrol station. A friend tried to bring in a Rover P4 he won on E-bay, but when we got to Scotland with a jeep and trailer it was a complete wreck. You dont have to buy the car you won on E-Bay if it's not as described, so we walked away - an expensive lesson.

[kerryminigringo]

I have bought two Minis from Ebay.The one I did not view before buying I was disappointed with and the one I did view I was and still own.Ask plenty of questions and ask for loads of photos.

[davemk4]

Thanks for all the replies, the car i was looking at was sold

better luck next time