Honestly, I could see this working and actually revolutionizing the way we buy cars.
They list up the car starting at cost (with the R&D costs, labor budget, servicing / warranty, etc. all figured in) and the market determines how much profit they make on it. At the very worst they break even... which is better than they're doing right now.
@philibuster: They'd have to work something out with eBay that waives the insertion fees in exchange for a cut of the profit. But I really do think this could work and it would give GM further incentive to lock the bean counters in a cage and keep them the hell away from the cars. As the perceived value of their vehicles went up, so would their profit margin.
Just a thought: If the Obama/US Government pushes GM in a direction not based on a sound business/marketing case (e.g., a ubergreen car 'nobody wants'), do you think Lutz will push back? I do...to the point of resignation. Could be the proverbial canary-in-the-coalmine.
Hasn't eBay been losing ground to places like Craigslist due to sellers getting screwed by higher fees and buyers getting screwed by unscrupulous sellers? Does it make sense, then, if you're a failing automaker to link up with a failing auction site? No? Well, I guess that's why GM is doing this.
what are they going to do when after a few weeks they realize that no one is bidding on their cars?
Current auction price: $0.00
Buy it now! $22,876.98
6 months till auction closes
Number of Bids: 0
a big bite of the reality burger might be good for them. I won't even mention some poor Nigerian Prince who has all his money locked up and he needing your help to retrieve it but you can kept 10% and send the reast to me
Isn't "Global" just "Asia & America" for most intents and purposes? They're getting rid of Opel, Vauxhall, & Saab, right? Do the 1000 CTSs they sell in Europe after decades of marketing Cadillacs count?
If the GM eBay ads are going to be like the other ones I have seen, they will go like this: JUST L@@K!! Amazing car, slight transmission problem, slight engine problem, no reverse gear, but still driveable! Slight body damage, but it will buff right out. I have installed new cupholders and a custom spoiler. You will not find a better deal. The title is salvage, but we fixed it. Thanks for looking!!!
The online auction seems like a venue more suited to used cars than new ones.
Has anyone here ever bought a car on eBay Motors? I mean, I've been tempted, but I'd probably just use eBay to find the car, then go look at it and buy it in person.
@Jagvar: I've been tempted, too, but I just can't bring myself to buy something that I haven't actually seen in person. To me, that's just asking for trouble, be it a new or used car.
@Jagvar: I've been tempted, as well, but a car is something I can't buy without seeing it in person first. Pictures can be taken in a way that hide undisclosed problems.
@Jagvar: I bought my Honda CB550F motorcycle on eBay. Drove 10 hours to Ohio to get it in another story of adventurous automotive hilarity. Since I was planning to rebuild the entire thing anyway, I can't exactly compare it to buying a car to actually use every day.
But in eBay's defense they have a few safeguards and buyer protection programs in case you get shafted by an unscrupulous seller, which can even include involving law enforcement.
What they need to do is expand the current "build and price" feature and allow customers to build the car online, order it from the factory online, and then purchase it through the dealer of their choice.
By doing that, it keeps both dealers and customers happy. Which, you know, is a good thing to do if you're an automaker.
@pauljones: Somehow, my comments are being systematically demoted, and I'm not entirely sure why.
I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt and attribute it to a system glitch, as my comments are generally very much on topic, particularly my first one.
@Ray Wert: Fair enough, I apologize. I will refrain from using that word from this point on.
Also, I did not intentionally promote the post again. I just replied to your comment, and it seems that that promoted all of the comments in the chain.
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They list up the car starting at cost (with the R&D costs, labor budget, servicing / warranty, etc. all figured in) and the market determines how much profit they make on it. At the very worst they break even... which is better than they're doing right now.
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(and I can also find out how to do an image on 2.0!
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1967 Mustang - transmission in trunk. Assembly required. Buy now and get a free bowl of soup. It's good soup.
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Myspace Glitter Graphics
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Current auction price: $0.00
Buy it now! $22,876.98
6 months till auction closes
Number of Bids: 0
a big bite of the reality burger might be good for them. I won't even mention some poor Nigerian Prince who has all his money locked up and he needing your help to retrieve it but you can kept 10% and send the reast to me
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JUST L@@K!!
Amazing car, slight transmission problem, slight engine problem, no reverse gear, but still driveable! Slight body damage, but it will buff right out. I have installed new cupholders and a custom spoiler. You will not find a better deal. The title is salvage, but we fixed it. Thanks for looking!!!
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I AM ISTING THIS FOR A FRIEND.
-Hmm, because you're a better ister than him.
HE KNOWS ALL ABOUT THE CAR.
-Hopefully he owns it too!
THERE ARE A SMALL CHIP IN THE PAINT (CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM).
-Is that a one or a many?
SEATS HAS BEEN REDONE.
-I can has redone seats?
69 CORVAIR SPIDER RAR END.
-Is that better than the Grrr end?
THERE ARE A RESERVE OF $15,000 ON THE CAR.
-Can one have multiple reserves?
PERFESSIONAL BUILD!
-Perfessional.... yeah, I'm sold!
BUYER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PICK UP OF THE CAR, AND FOR ALL THE SHIPPING ARRIANGMENTS.
-Hopefully that's not supposed to be arraignment!
MUST BE PICKED UP AT HIS RESIDENCES.
-Can he pick the one closest to where the buyer lives?
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Has anyone here ever bought a car on eBay Motors? I mean, I've been tempted, but I'd probably just use eBay to find the car, then go look at it and buy it in person.
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But in eBay's defense they have a few safeguards and buyer protection programs in case you get shafted by an unscrupulous seller, which can even include involving law enforcement.
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Fritz, you're fired.
What they need to do is expand the current "build and price" feature and allow customers to build the car online, order it from the factory online, and then purchase it through the dealer of their choice.
By doing that, it keeps both dealers and customers happy. Which, you know, is a good thing to do if you're an automaker.
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I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt and attribute it to a system glitch, as my comments are generally very much on topic, particularly my first one.
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Also, I did not intentionally promote the post again. I just replied to your comment, and it seems that that promoted all of the comments in the chain.
Please check your private messages.
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