An exciting proposition
Buying a car can be a daunting process, especially if you’re purchasing from a private party through a platform like Facebook Marketplace. eBay is trying to make that process easier and more convenient with the advent of “Secure Purchase,” the online marketplace’s new car buying process.
How does it work?
According to the press release, Secure Purchase takes care of payment, financing, registration, ownership transfer, and transport, while also keeping the funds digital and traceable. eBay breaks it down into four steps:
- Start the checkout: Both the buyer and seller verify their identity and provide basic information about the vehicle being purchased.
- Opt into services: The buyer can select their financing, transportation, protection, and insurance preferences in a few clicks.
- Submit key information: The seller uploads photos of the title, VIN, and odometer reading, all of which are independently verified through national vehicle title databases to ensure accuracy.
- Payment and signature: The buyer and seller digitally sign the required documents, then transfer funds through the platform to initiate registration and title transfer.
eBay
Altogether, it looks like Secure Purchase acts as the middleman, with the eBay team verifying all the information that the seller and buyer send over. By taking care of tax, title, and other paperwork, neither of the parties even has to set foot in a DMV. That already has me sold. The car, the plates, and the title are even mailed to you, making this the closest to Amazon Prime for cars we’ll likely get anytime soon.
The entire process is powered by Caramel Dealer Services, LLC, an eBay subsidiary that the marketplace acquired earlier this year with the goal of doing this exact thing. There is also a $25 fee to buy a vehicle with Secure Purchase, but if all of the above go as planned, the fewer headaches are more than worth it.
“Online automotive shopping offers unmatched selection and value, but it can be overwhelming for some buyers,” said Jesse Kiefer, General Manager of Vehicles at eBay. “Secure Purchase removes complexity and adds an extra layer of assurance for users on the marketplace. Shoppers can find exactly the vehicle they want at the right price from anywhere in the U.S., while sellers can close deals with complete confidence. And there’s no visit to the DMV.”
eBay
Final thoughts
As someone who has bought two cars from private parties, I can tell you that the paperwork is never fun to deal with. My Datsun 620 had been sitting for so long that its existence was completely erased from the DMV system, and that was not a fun process to deal with. Not all circumstances will be that extreme, of course, but if eBay’s Secure Purchase system works like it claims it does, buying a car will just be a matter of clicking a few buttons and sending some information over. There are definitely some positives to living in the digital age, and the ease with which you can buy a car nowadays is one of them.