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Buying a Ram CTD on eBay?
- Thread starter AHarris
- Start Date
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I bought a 2003 Dodge Ram 1/2 ton through Ebay. The truck was perfect. I drove it a year, put about 8,000 miles on it and got more than I paid for it on trade in (against the employee price, so I got a really good deal) when I traded for my CTD. Just look at the feedback and call them and talk to the owner. Do a carfax and insist on really good pics and I think you will be fine.
Ive only purchased three item on ebay a new 04. 5 CTD and two smaller items. The truck I got a smoken deal ($21,526 for a new 2wd St) and no problems. Both the other items were a PIA. One took 7 months and a letter from the US postal service (for mail fraud). Unless I paying for and picking up in person,I will not use ebay again.
PToombs
TDR MEMBER
I bought a truck that was supposed to be a gem. Drove 4 hours to get it, it looked good. Paid the guy (I'll call him Slick) and took off for a u-haul for a dolly for the car. I stopped to fill the truck with fuel, when I left the trans acted funny. ( Slick showed me around the truck, then closed the hood quick before I pulled the sticks. I never thought twice about it until later. ) When I pulled the trans stick the oil was FRIED . I was about 12-15 miles away, so I called him. Slick said I could bring it back or drive it home and he would pay for trans repair. I didn't want to try to get money out of a guy so far away so I drove it back. The trans was starting in 2nd each time I took off.
He gave me my money back and $50 for the fuel I put in (thank god I kept the receipt. ) When I got home I went and checked his feed back, which was good, 98% or so. When I read the comments with a different view, he smoothed over a lot of people.
So, my advise is, look closely, see if a TDR member is near the truck for a personal look, and bid wisely.
By the way, my buddy bought an '02 CTD and several other vehicles from e-bay and had good luck.
He gave me my money back and $50 for the fuel I put in (thank god I kept the receipt. ) When I got home I went and checked his feed back, which was good, 98% or so. When I read the comments with a different view, he smoothed over a lot of people.
So, my advise is, look closely, see if a TDR member is near the truck for a personal look, and bid wisely.
By the way, my buddy bought an '02 CTD and several other vehicles from e-bay and had good luck.
Ebay for my CTD
Picked this CTD up on Ebay last year. The guy had 100's of + feedback so I felt fine plus I payed in person. Used my new/used CTD to tow my Dad's GMC Sonoma home on the U-Haul rig. No problems for the 1st year. Power Steering going bad now. I wonder why?
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Picked this CTD up on Ebay last year. The guy had 100's of + feedback so I felt fine plus I payed in person. Used my new/used CTD to tow my Dad's GMC Sonoma home on the U-Haul rig. No problems for the 1st year. Power Steering going bad now. I wonder why?
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I looked for months on different sites, and went back to ebay and wound up finding a local guy selling a 2003 3500 CTD QC DRW Sport with only 28K miles for a really good price (several 1000 below book).
I went across town, looked at it, drove it and checeked it out. Met him at the bank a few days later (after hitting his buy it now) and took the truck home.
Been great ever since. Except the turbo is leaking, but I'm not attributing that to his use.
I was warned heavily about trucks coming out of TX at the time (which is prolly still holding true) because they may be Katrina victims or used/abused heavily.
Also, be warned, many banks won't loan for over 100K miles... I found that out as I was trying to buy a truck out of NM previously, this was also an ebay find. I was sitting in the chair at my bank and was asked for current mileage and got that slap in the face. now that I look back, though, I'm glad I didn't go for it because I love the truck I ended up with.
I'd say that you can get some really good deals, but be very careful. And take the advice of finding a local TDR member to go take a look if it's more than a couple hours away.
I went across town, looked at it, drove it and checeked it out. Met him at the bank a few days later (after hitting his buy it now) and took the truck home.
Been great ever since. Except the turbo is leaking, but I'm not attributing that to his use.
I was warned heavily about trucks coming out of TX at the time (which is prolly still holding true) because they may be Katrina victims or used/abused heavily.
Also, be warned, many banks won't loan for over 100K miles... I found that out as I was trying to buy a truck out of NM previously, this was also an ebay find. I was sitting in the chair at my bank and was asked for current mileage and got that slap in the face. now that I look back, though, I'm glad I didn't go for it because I love the truck I ended up with.
I'd say that you can get some really good deals, but be very careful. And take the advice of finding a local TDR member to go take a look if it's more than a couple hours away.
i haven't bought a pickup on ebay, but i use ebay for a lot of other things including guages, my comp... . and various other things. Anyway, i've had nothing but good experiences with it. As long as you look close at feed back, and look the pictures over real good, you'll probably be fine. But to be safe on a purchase that big, it would probably be best to find someone close that you trust to go look at/drive it first.
I used ebay in my new truck buying... some smoking deals out there... I narrowed down my dealer search and along with advice on here got me a smoking deal thru Carson Dodge, Tom Porter , Internet Sales Manager... everything went well... it was worth driving 500 miles for it
I had several posts going over in the 6. 7 forum about my experience. . they might be good reading if its a new truck your after
I sold my titan to buy the dodge. . I sold it on ebay. . the buyer got a fabulous truck (car/truck) that was perfectly maintained with very carefully done mods. . so the good ones are out there... you do have to be careful. . I said in my ad that I would cooperate with any pre delivery inspection the buyer wanted... he talked to me a bunch on the phone and decided based on his speaking with me it wasnt necessary. . I also had paperwork to back up everything I said. . he flew in from another state and I had it all prepped for a road trip for him... food/sleeping bag/personal care items. . everything. . it cost me 100 bucks on a 22k sale but I got a million dollars of good will out of it. I told him. . if the truck isnt everything I say it is Ill split the cost of your trip back with you. . this is where I had to trust he wasnt some nutty buyer,, he wasnt. . it all worked out fine
If I bought a used truck off someone this is how I would want to be treated...
I had several posts going over in the 6. 7 forum about my experience. . they might be good reading if its a new truck your after
I sold my titan to buy the dodge. . I sold it on ebay. . the buyer got a fabulous truck (car/truck) that was perfectly maintained with very carefully done mods. . so the good ones are out there... you do have to be careful. . I said in my ad that I would cooperate with any pre delivery inspection the buyer wanted... he talked to me a bunch on the phone and decided based on his speaking with me it wasnt necessary. . I also had paperwork to back up everything I said. . he flew in from another state and I had it all prepped for a road trip for him... food/sleeping bag/personal care items. . everything. . it cost me 100 bucks on a 22k sale but I got a million dollars of good will out of it. I told him. . if the truck isnt everything I say it is Ill split the cost of your trip back with you. . this is where I had to trust he wasnt some nutty buyer,, he wasnt. . it all worked out fine
If I bought a used truck off someone this is how I would want to be treated...
Yooper39 said:
My Brother and I both bought 3rd gen off ebay,I bought a 03 and he just bought a 06 about 5 months ago and they were just as desribed,just make sure you talk back and forth to the guy you are dealing with,you will soon find out perty quick if its a deal or not,hope this helps!!!
Oo. I Bought My Truck Off Ebay From A Dealer In New Jersey And I Have Bought 35 Other Things On Ebay , Only Got Screwed One Time But It Wasn T For The Truck Though , I Did A Buyer Payback Threw My Credit Card And I Got My Money Back For The Rims I Got Screwed On From A Guy In California , So I Am 99% Happy With Ebay
(first post)
I just bought the '95 in my sig off Ebay. It has quite a few miles, but the price ($9K) seemed decent compared to what I've seen others go for... The truck is rust free and the interior is clean, although it's not without it's issues:
Cruise control doesn't work.
Stereo is dead.
Has a brake-controller under the dash (which does light when brakes are installed) but the wiring at the receiver looks botched... ).
Currently has 35" BFG Mud-Terrains which rub the RF fender at lock. Suspension is stock and I'm looking for stock wheels and tires to replace them (my days of wanting big mudders has passed... BTDT)
RF tire blew out on the drive home on I-80 in central PA. 5 hours and $650 later we were back on the road. Amazingly, a local Walmart happened to have (4) 35x12. 5x16. 5 BGF M/T in stock. I replaced both front tires, which stinks as really don't want them... but I needed to get home.
It's 15 degrees outside right now, so I haven't looked at it much, and because the tires won't pass local safety inspection (too much past the fenders), I can't really drive it much until I get the right wheels/tires for it. If we get a break in this cold-spell, I plan to poke around it to figure out exactly what I've bought.
Other than the blow-out, it drove fine on the way home, although the clutch releases really high in the travel. There is a slight noise coming from the trans when cruising in 5th. After purchase, there was a good amount of vibration in through the wheel, but that mostly disappeared after getting the new tires which were balanced better.
So far, I'm happy with it. It's a 13 year old truck with nearly 250K miles on it. One can't expect perfection.
*side note: The head service tech at Walmart was a woman. I was slightly surprised when after they finished installing the wheels, they moved to it a different bay and she was the one who torqued the lug nuts. I watched them like a hawk for almost the entire 5 hour ordeal... it was painful at times...
I just bought the '95 in my sig off Ebay. It has quite a few miles, but the price ($9K) seemed decent compared to what I've seen others go for... The truck is rust free and the interior is clean, although it's not without it's issues:
Cruise control doesn't work.
Stereo is dead.
Has a brake-controller under the dash (which does light when brakes are installed) but the wiring at the receiver looks botched... ).
Currently has 35" BFG Mud-Terrains which rub the RF fender at lock. Suspension is stock and I'm looking for stock wheels and tires to replace them (my days of wanting big mudders has passed... BTDT)
RF tire blew out on the drive home on I-80 in central PA. 5 hours and $650 later we were back on the road. Amazingly, a local Walmart happened to have (4) 35x12. 5x16. 5 BGF M/T in stock. I replaced both front tires, which stinks as really don't want them... but I needed to get home.
It's 15 degrees outside right now, so I haven't looked at it much, and because the tires won't pass local safety inspection (too much past the fenders), I can't really drive it much until I get the right wheels/tires for it. If we get a break in this cold-spell, I plan to poke around it to figure out exactly what I've bought.
Other than the blow-out, it drove fine on the way home, although the clutch releases really high in the travel. There is a slight noise coming from the trans when cruising in 5th. After purchase, there was a good amount of vibration in through the wheel, but that mostly disappeared after getting the new tires which were balanced better.
So far, I'm happy with it. It's a 13 year old truck with nearly 250K miles on it. One can't expect perfection.
*side note: The head service tech at Walmart was a woman. I was slightly surprised when after they finished installing the wheels, they moved to it a different bay and she was the one who torqued the lug nuts. I watched them like a hawk for almost the entire 5 hour ordeal... it was painful at times...
Thought that I would resurrect this thread as I am the newly un-proud owner of a POS scrap vehicle from eBay. Very long story short, after four months of attempting to get my vehicle it finally arrived yesterday and is basically scrap. The vehicle was described as in very good condition, low millage (63000) and functioning perfectly. When it finally arrived the first thing out of the transporters mouth was that they almost could not get it on the truck, it would not move even with the pedal on the floor. It just got worst from there, the transfer case won’t shift and keeps popping into natural, the frame is rusted to the point of being almost unsafe, and the front end has about ten inches of play. Actually the list just goes on and on. I have been working with eBay’s “buyer protection” carrier. I contacted them regarding the condition and was told that rust is not covered on vehicles over 10 yrs. old, the transmission and engine are covered but not any 4wd parts. I read the “plan” prior to purchasing the vehicle and did not see any of these points listed. Anyway, it appears that they are going to be of little or no help. The point of this is that I would not do it again under any circumstance, it may go well, then again…. . and eBay is of no help. Now for the help issue. I will be submitting a separate post in the correct forum, but anyone have an idea as to the problem with the movement. Once it’s been warmed for 30+ minutes it will move all be it very slowly. After driving for several miles it will get up to about 35 as long as you don’t attempt to go up any grade. The transfer case just refuses to move, except to pop out of what appears to be 2wd hi. To get it sort of back it take all the strength that I can muster (and I am not a small man) I need to take it to Dodge for estimates but any information would be useful.
Owned it over 5yrs, and still love driving it.
PAtkins, would agree with Yo Hoot--would love to know who this jerk is who ripped you off? Also wondering what his eBay feedback score is. My wife and I have been using eBay since 2000 (MsMisty2, 186 positive feedbacks and no negatives) with nothing but good transactions. Let us know who this jerk is so we won't do business with this scumbag.
I read your posts (including those in your other thread) and am really sorry to hear you go screwed like this. I hope there is enough good left in the truck for you to restore it. Sounds like you need to start with a new transfer case. Have you checked frame/driveshaft alignment?
Great feedback from everyone. Of all I've seen on eBay, the Lou Futz Dodge offers seem pretty attractive... too bad I won't be in the states soon enough to take advantage of those left over 2007s with the 5. 9. Hopefully they'll have good deals on the 2008s with the 6. 7 by then and I might bite early next year. Also seen a few good clean 2004s and 2005s for what seems like good proces (low to mid 20s with 50K miles and under).
I wouldn't buy anything from anyone on eBay with a low feedback score.
I read your posts (including those in your other thread) and am really sorry to hear you go screwed like this. I hope there is enough good left in the truck for you to restore it. Sounds like you need to start with a new transfer case. Have you checked frame/driveshaft alignment?
Great feedback from everyone. Of all I've seen on eBay, the Lou Futz Dodge offers seem pretty attractive... too bad I won't be in the states soon enough to take advantage of those left over 2007s with the 5. 9. Hopefully they'll have good deals on the 2008s with the 6. 7 by then and I might bite early next year. Also seen a few good clean 2004s and 2005s for what seems like good proces (low to mid 20s with 50K miles and under).
I wouldn't buy anything from anyone on eBay with a low feedback score.
Evils of Ebay
My exp's on ebay have been good and bad. Few yrs back won a 93 ferd 250 with a 7'3 that I was going to use as a play around truck. Guy said it ran great and interior was perfect. Drove 8 hrs got there and it wouldnt start in 70 degrees "it's cold natured" he says. Plus the interior pictures he had on the net were not even the same truck, pics were grey int truck had red. So after I allmost had to reach under the seat to get him out of my face I left. Time I got home had neg feedback from him "nonpaying deadbeat POS" he said. He's no lomger on ebay. Then back in dec when took my truck in for the DTT I got an 87 K5 blazer to drive till I got the dodge back that turned out better than the ad described. It's actually so nice I drive it more than my CTD, mainly to keep miles of it though. What it boils down to is alot of people get on ebay and think a shiny paint job = something better than it is. And I've learned from my wheeling and dealing. anyttime I wanna get rid of a vehicle, Put some mag wheels on it and get more than it's worth.
My exp's on ebay have been good and bad. Few yrs back won a 93 ferd 250 with a 7'3 that I was going to use as a play around truck. Guy said it ran great and interior was perfect. Drove 8 hrs got there and it wouldnt start in 70 degrees "it's cold natured" he says. Plus the interior pictures he had on the net were not even the same truck, pics were grey int truck had red. So after I allmost had to reach under the seat to get him out of my face I left. Time I got home had neg feedback from him "nonpaying deadbeat POS" he said. He's no lomger on ebay. Then back in dec when took my truck in for the DTT I got an 87 K5 blazer to drive till I got the dodge back that turned out better than the ad described. It's actually so nice I drive it more than my CTD, mainly to keep miles of it though. What it boils down to is alot of people get on ebay and think a shiny paint job = something better than it is. And I've learned from my wheeling and dealing. anyttime I wanna get rid of a vehicle, Put some mag wheels on it and get more than it's worth.
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Issue 128 – Digital Version
Digital Magazines
FREE!
TDR Test Drive - Digital Edition
Renew
Subscribe
Gift Subscriptions
Back Issues
Subscription Status
Address Change Form
Buyer's Guides
Ram Diagnostic Trouble Codes
The Perfect Collection
The Perfect Collection Vol. II
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Dodge/Cummins Historical Overview
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What Makes Us Tick?
Product Showcase
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