Study Reveals Private Party Used Cars Sold Online Rife With Costly Problems

BANDON, Ore., Dec. 4, 2003 -- Beware of private party sellers when buying a used vehicle through eBay or an online "classified" site such as AutoTrader.com.

A national study conducted by CNW Marketing Research, Inc. in November of more than 38,200 online used-car buyers showed nearly 13 percent of those who purchased from a private party said the condition of the vehicle was significantly worse than advertised.

Slightly over 9 percent of those who purchased from an independent used-car dealer felt the vehicle was misrepresented while about 5 percent of those who bought a used car from a franchised new-car dealership believed they were hoodwinked.

Of those who said they were misled, the cost of bringing the vehicle "up to snuff" cost an average of $316 for vehicles from franchised dealers, $611 from independent dealers and a whopping $738 for vehicles from private parties.

Complaints ranged from inoperable switches and gauges to major body repairs that were not revealed in the classified ad or online auction.

In a previous study, less than half of the respondents (46.8 percent) said they would recommend buying a vehicle online to a friend, relative or business associate.