Ebay motors??

[Redneck]

Has anyone bought one off there? What kind of luck? What have you heard?

I am just kinda leary of buying a used motor like that without a face to face inspection.

I am looking for a used 25-30hp w/electric start.

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Ebay motors??

i have bought and sold many motors, boats, and parts on ebay. you have to be careful, ask the right questions, the ask them in another way. if you get a bad feeling, don't. pay with paypal,

 

[JB]

Re: Ebay motors??

I have bought a few and refused to bid on a few. The ones I bought were at least as good as the seller claimed and the ones I didn't had a bad smell to them.

 

[Spinkick]

Re: Ebay motors??

I burned myself.

It's a long story... but the short version is I was so excited about getting my first fish'n'ski bass boat, I didn't ask the right questions even when I knew something was up. Boat was fine. Because I didn't have time to test drive it, I took a chance. Burned me. Paid 6k for the whole package. After fixing all registration problems (_fill_in_dirty_word seller was not registered owner ), missing HIN, missing motor s/n, and trailer VIN (finally fixed all that), I dropped 3600 on COMPLETE rebuild because the moron ran the motor lean for some time. Piston #1 had a hole in it. #4 was very close. I had already reupholstered and recarpeted the boat when that happened. Now, it's a totally different boat about to go up for sale because I bought a new one.

You can bet when I post on eBay, craigslist, etc., any and all questions will be answered so the buyer doesn't get burned like I did.

In short, I take blame for not doing my homework like I should have.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Ebay motors??

I bought a 1989 Evinrude 4HP off eBay a couple years ago. I, perhaps stupidly, didn't test the motor prior to purchasing it relying on the assurances of the seller. When I went to test it on the water I primed the thing up and it wouldn't start and was just shooting gas all over. I contacted the seller and he was genuinely bummed (as in he firmly believed there were no issues with it) and told me to get it fixed and send him the bill. I had the carbs cleaned by a mechanic and sent him the bill which he promptly paid. Worked out fine in the end.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Ebay motors??

You really have to watch what you are buying. I've bought a few things that were not as perfect as decsribed, but thought I still made a fair deal so it was a non-issue in my eyes (after all I was buying it sight unseen and trusting the seller)

The key phrase is right there, trusting the seller... I bought the 01 Crestliner I'm rebuilding off Ebay and asked the seller are there any defects to the hull, scrapes, gouges, cracked welds? His reply "No, the hull is in perfect condition" Does this look like the hull is in perfect condition?

I was p!ssed since the one thing I was looking for was a flawless hull, he said take it or leave it, I took it All in all I'm happy with the boat, just very dissatisfied in the seller.

 

[F_R]

Re: Ebay motors??

You all guys did leave a negative feedback, didn't you? I have a 100% positive feedback of over 350 and would bend over backwards to protect it if anybody is unhappy.....so far nobody has been. Likewise, I've never had any problem with anything I've purchased either.

 

[Spinkick]

Re: Ebay motors??

In my case the seller mysteriously became a "no longer registered user" almost immediately. Again, I take the blame for not being more prudent. However, if he ever makes it to Texas, I know exactly where he can park the boat...

 

[lowkee]

Re: Ebay motors??

You may start seeing more 'genuine' reviews on ebay, since sellers can no longer threaten negative feedback (finally!) if a buyer is unhappy and/or ripped off and leaves the seller negative or neutral feedback.

I have bought and sold on ebay. Most stuff came as described, a few didn't. Buyer beware as always.

 

[F_R]

Re: Ebay motors??

Just one more comment on the feedback issue. If you are not happy with the purchase, give the guy a chance to make it right. And if he does make it right, especially without a hassle, he deserves a positive feedback. I have bought a couple of items that were not as advertised because the seller just didn't know. In both instances a full refund was given, including shipping.

"If you are unhappy, tell me."
"If you are happy, tell the world"

 

[Whoopbass]

Re: Ebay motors??

Make sure the auction has lots of info with many pics.
If the pictures or description seem deceptive then the outboard is probably a turd.
Shipping a big motor is not easy or cheap. Shipping will most likely be a minimum of $150.
I sold my 1980 25 hp Johnson on ebay and got $1025 for it. I think shipping was an additional $100. Outboard were going for more money on Ebay then. A few months ago I saw outboards similar to mine go for $300-$400.

 

[DJ]

Re: Ebay motors??

I've purchased/sold quite a bit. Even my current Boston Whaler.

As mentioned, always try to work things out if they are not right.

Ask questions and do not let the bidding frenzy get to you. Set your goals and stick to them.

 

[grego]

Re: Ebay motors??

Pictures are deceptive! I have a buddy that does not even clean an item before selling on e-bay. I buy a lot of crap from e-bay, but do not sell. Just bought a mid 90's boat "on e-bay" and am pleased with purchase. though " propeller" in pics looked fine ,just got call from propeler shop. $210.10 What do you do?????

 

[tashasdaddy]

Re: Ebay motors??

i arrange all my own shipping. http://www.freightcenter.com/ i have gotten the best rates, and i am willing to pay for packing, with in reason, usually the seller will deliver to terminal, and i pick up at terminal here. i have also paid to have the item picked up at the seller business or home. that is fairly cheap, the expensive part is having it delivered to your home. terminal is much cheaper.

 

[Shizzy]

Re: Ebay motors??

I keep my Ebay purchases simple and cheap. Parts or doohickeys that are only a few bucks so there is no real loss. As far as motors I would still rather be able to put my hands and eyes on it.

 

[Spinkick]

Re: Ebay motors??

A buddy of mine had a decent idea. He contacted the seller and asked to put $200 to hold it and won the bid. The deal was he got to drive to Dallas (from Houston) and test drive it. If he didn't like it the seller kept the 200 and my friend walked away from the deal. The seller agreed. My buddy bought the boat.

So it can work out. Every deal/bid is different. It's the few bad apples that create the problems. Although I just bought a new boat, if I bought used again, I would start with eBay but would be FAR more careful than I was the first time.

 

[jasper60103]

Re: Ebay motors??

Redneck,
I know a guy who normally deals here locally thru craigslist, but if you are willing to risk buying unseen, and pickup the freight he may work with you. PM me if interested in his contact info.

 

[Whoopbass]

Re: Ebay motors??

i arrange all my own shipping. http://www.freightcenter.com/ i have gotten the best rates, and i am willing to pay for packing, with in reason, usually the seller will deliver to terminal, and i pick up at terminal here. i have also paid to have the item picked up at the seller business or home. that is fairly cheap, the expensive part is having it delivered to your home. terminal is much cheaper.

Thanks for the link. I didn't know they existed. Looks like there is a couple carriers in my hometown. They are still more expensive then Fedex but they would be good for large items.
I was shipping 15hp Omc motors across the country for $45-$75 through DHL. I am highly upset they decided to shut down their grounds operation.

Checkout http://www.forwardair.com/
They are a trucking company even though they sound like an airline.
I shipped a 50 hp Johnson a couple thousand miles for $150. Terminal to terminal only. The problem with them for me is that I have to drive 80 miles to get to the closest terminal.

 

[5150abf]

Re: Ebay motors??

I bought a motorcycle off Ebay, it is a heart stopping experience hitting the "BUY" button when it commits you to spending several thousand dollars and what your buying is 300 miles away.

It was exactly as they said and turned out to be a very pleasant experience.

As stated ask alot of questions and read feedback, you can get a real feel for how they are in a short time.

Good luck

 

[mthieme]

Re: Ebay motors??

I agree with everyone. I have earned 100% feedback (692) over the past 10 years. There have been a few bumps in the road. All but one was resolved. The one was a $6 DVD I bought...not a great loss.
Two winters ago I bought a SeaRay SRV207 for $400 off eBay. It was one of those donation boats. The interior was immaculate, hull had some minor easily repairable scratches/gouges, everything electrical worked, but motor would not start. They told me it was not a milkshake but I was counting on the worst. Sure enough, it had a cracked block. Matter of fact, the manifolds and risers also had cracks. Well, I had too many projects already and figured this puppy would sit around too many years before I got to it (even with another SBC sitting in the shed). I stripped her, transferred a few items to my SRV190, made my money back selling parts, and sent the hull to the dump .