How to Buy a Used Moped on Ebay
Mopeds and scooters are flying from the show rooms as gas prices have reached all time highs. USA Today found in July that throughout the country dealerships are running short on moped lines with few selections available to choose from on the floor. With short inventory in local areas many people are turning to ebay to hopefully find a new or a used moped. Ebay has the largest selection of auction goods online and is also one of the most trusted auctioneers online, often showcasing hundreds of listings for used mopeds and scooters from individual owners across the country.
When purchasing a used moped on ebay you want to keep a couple of things in mind. First and for-most you want to land yourself a great deal or at least a fair deal for yourself. There are a few important factors to analyze as you comb through the ebay listings to insure you make a great choice. Lets take a look at them one by one. If you are a first time ebay buyer you can easily register in a just a few minutes, and begin browsing the listings for terms such as "used moped" or "used scooter". As you click on auction listings, one of the things to always notice is the sellers rank. Take note on how they are ranked by ebay? Are they an established seller with thousands of transactions or do they have only a few completed transactions. I would advise not purchasing a higher priced item from a new seller with less than one hundred transactions to be on the safe side. Analyze the auction listings and write down information on each moped that catches your eye. You can select "watch this item" on the item's auction page to make it easy to relocate the deals that were most attractive.
Compile all of your favorite listings and then choose the top listings that you are interested in bidding on. Some things to weigh in for this decision are style, color,brand name, miles per gallon rating (70-90 is common), odometer mileage, wear and tear on the body, service records, previous ownership, and current location of the moped. If anything important is not addressed in the auction listing, on the right sidebar under "meet the seller" you can easily "ask the seller a question".
Before setting bids on your favorite listing you want to get an idea of what the cost will be to get your moped to you if you win the auction. If they are located a significant distance away from you then the clear choice will be to have it shipped out to you. You will want to get a free shipping estimate from ebay on your listing. This can be found on the individual auction page, and there will usually be a comparison of several service provider rates. It will probably run you about four or five hundred dollars to ship the moped directly to you. Some sellers however may offer free shipping as part of the deal which can make there deal even better then some of the others. Another way to go for the more budget minded is to make use of ebay's "advanced search" option located to the right side of the search bar. You can then select mopeds & scooters under "powersports" in the menu drop down. Select item listings within three or four hundred miles from your closest big city or your zip code. I have searched for listings near San Francisco, Ca and get a good number of results to look through. If I were going to bid on and win one of these closer to home listings I would go pick up the moped with some rope and a pick up or a small Uhaul trailer in tow of a car for an easy pick up. This option would save a pretty penny in shipping and could be the best way to go if you find a good selection of listings in your region.
Now that you have some good fundamentals down, its time to start setting bids on your top choice. You want to bid on one item at a time since you don't want to risk the potential of winning two or more auctions at once. Generally it is best to go for one item at a time, set up good bid increments, and take note of when the auction ends so you can bump up your bids near the end if it becomes really close. For bidding help visit kelly blue book for value estimates for the models you are considering. They are a great resource for finding the value of mopeds and vehicles. Ebay is continuously posting new items on an ongoing basis so if you are outbid, don't give up there will be more new and used mopeds to bid on in a short matter of time. This sums it up for getting a great deal on a used moped or scooter on ebay. If you do you due diligence as a buyer, know exactly what you are placing bids on, and set your bids accordingly you will get a great moped from ebay.
