H2 Purchases off Ebay

[Packerdad]

Hey Forum members!
I've been looking here in Mid-MI for an '04 or '05 H2 for a few months, probably will get serious to purchase later this summer. I have noticed that there are some nice rigs on Ebay from time to time. The problem... they are usually far away to kick the tires. Any tips on what to look for or decipher from the ads? Yes... I WILL have a local mechanic do a quick once-over when I find one that I'm really serious about.
Has anyone here on the forum purchased theirs this way?
(I've also noticed that most of the time, the Reserve Price does not get met, meaning much of the posts never sell...). Is the gas-price and mileage issue starting to pull down the value of the vehicle? (which, in a ways, will work in my favor)
Take care,
Tom

[mdoyle]

I bought mine off eBay and flew down from KC to TX to pick it up. The listing included dozens of pictures along with a clean Carfax report. I brought along an OBD-II code reader and a bunny suit (tyvek jumpsuit not a bunny costume ) to do my own inspection.

The listing required paying a deposit via Paypal and bringing guaranteed funds. I didn't present the payment until I throughly inspected everything.

One final layer of protection was the free warranty Square Trade provided me (3 months / 3k miles I think it was) with the option to convert it to a longer term.

Based upon the seller's feedback and sales volume, the price research I'd done, and the back-up protection of the warranty, I hit the BIN and never regretted it.

To date the only problems I've had were the rear air bags leaking after a few months and the ignition/start switch I replaced myself for $38 bucks.

[Hummer Aficionado_VT]

There are always sweet H2s to buy off of eBay. You can find out how reliable a seller is by checking thier feedback score (the higher, the better) or you could just message them your questions, and they're usually very responsive. -But I guess it depends on how motivated they are to sell...

You could also check craig's list. There are usually a few good deals there too! Good luck in your search!

[Motohead]

I bough mine off of E-Bay last April. I flew from FL to TX to buy it. It was from a Mercedes dealership that took it on trade in with only 4k miles on it. Of course they had good feedback and everything was as said. Have not had any problems with it. If you ever question if they actually have the vehicle, ask for a specific type pic that they have to take, and there is a good chance you will know if they have it.

[H2bill]

Best to go check it out yourself if possible. I bought a BMW 328i off of eBay and the dealer posted about 30 pictures of it. Looked brand new and he swore it had not been re-painted. Once I got it I discovered at least part of it had been repainted. Who knows why. Carfax was clean. Regarding carfax, anyone in the car industry will tell you they are useless and unreliable.

You may indeed find a great deal, but it is definitely a 'buyer beware' environment.