The joys of buying a new car often give way to the many headaches of … actually buying the car. Negotiating price, pinning down financing, and navigating the worlds of tax, title, and license all take a bite out of the fun of finding your next vehicle.
While the days of plaid-suited used car salesmen and balloon-addled new car showrooms still exist, modern car buying has evolved. From Tesla “galleries” in shopping malls to Carvana’s vehicle “vending machines,” companies are finding new ways to attract new customers.
And now, eBay stakes its place in the car-buying and -selling ecosystem with Secure Purchase, a comprehensive platform designed to manage all aspects of the process.
“In the past, buying a vehicle online lacked the safeguards and simplicity shoppers expect. Secure Purchase changes that by creating a secure, trusted, and streamlined experience,” eBay General Manager of Vehicles Jesse Kiefer told GearJunkie. “This is a big deal because it connects buyers and sellers nationwide while removing complexity from the process.”
From Caramel to Secure Purchase
While perusing, bidding on, and buying vehicles on eBay has been around for a while, the Secure Purchase platform, announced this summer, revamps the process. According to eBay, almost 80% of vehicle purchases in 2024 occurred across state lines. That brought with it extra paperwork and logistics, which has made online car-buying prohibitive to the average car buyer.
To address it, eBay this year acquired Caramel, a U.S.-based software company that specialized in end-to-end vehicle transactions. The result, according to eBay Motors General Manager Chris Prill, is “a more secure and transparent vehicle marketplace, which in turn makes it easier than ever for buyers and sellers to transact with confidence.”
If you’re considering buying or selling a vehicle on eBay, here’s what you need to know.
eBay Secure Purchase: How It Works
Car shoppers can browse vehicle inventory right now. Vehicles eligible for the Secure Purchase platform have a badge on the listing. Buyers who choose to purchase a vehicle through Secure Purchase will incur a flat $25 fee. There is no fee to sell or list a vehicle.
According to eBay, this represents roughly 80% of vehicle listings on the site.
To verify identities, buyers need to upload a photo of their driver’s license, along with a selfie taken on their phone. They may also need to answer follow-up questions to confirm registration details (or to apply discounts). Sellers will have to furnish a government-issued photo ID.
Sellers also must provide photos of the vehicle title, odometer, and VIN. Then, eBay will verify that the title and all details about the vehicle match. When the transaction is complete, eBay will provide a prepaid label for sellers to ship the title. Buyers will also receive their plates in the mail.
To add a little peace of mind, eBay includes purchase protection up to $100,000 at no added cost. Buyers may also have the option to opt in to a Vehicle Service Contract for an extended warranty.
The fine print notes that some services, such as title and registration, financing, protection, timing of payment, and transport may vary based on the vehicle type and selected features. But identity and title verification, and payment are all included in Secure Purchase transactions. Secure Purchase is currently available on a variety of vehicles, including cars, trucks, boats, ATVs, motorcycles, RVs, and commercial vehicles.
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