What has your experience been purchasing equipments, parts, accessories, online using sites like ebay, machinery trader, rock and dirt, iron planet, machinery zone, etc.... and what were some of the things you hated and what were some of the things you loved? We have had issues listing on a few of the sites, and haven't really used ebay, but want to see what's out there, what works and what doesn't. Thanks.
I've bought a skid steer, skid steer tires, diesel purifiers, excavator buckets, and a laser level on Ebay. The skid steer and the tires were local, so I got to check them out before purchase (so I'm not sure that it really counts as buying them online). Purifiers were from foley, and it was a top notch transaction. Bought two excavator buckets, one was not the correct one for my machine, and was promptly issued a refund by Mcgrew. One was correct, and shipped in from Hawthorne Cat in California to PA in 4 days. Old ford parts for my L9000 by the dozen, never had a problem My worst transaction was a Spectra CR600 that never shipped. I filed a complaint with Ebay, and within their waiting period, Ebay issued a refund. The guys business must have tanked, judging by the 40 or so negative reviews within a week, all saying the same thing : Item never shipped, wont return calls, etc. My dump truck was on Craigslist, so was my dozer and excavator. All that said, Ebay can be hit or miss. Good sellers can make occasional mistakes. Bad sellers, it typically show up in their ratings. I prefer craigslist, and on Ebay, I usually sort by "nearest first", and hope that I can get out there to check things out. There really is no substitute for hands on inspections, and dealing with dollars in hand
That's a great response - Thanks @ rossaroni. Since you've been so involved in online buying and selling, I'm curious based on all your experience, as a customer, what are some of the most important things that you MUST have as a buyer to be willing to purchase online. Is it fast delivery? inspection information? guaranteed refunds? warranty?... whatever they might be. The reason I ask is, I don't think the internet is currently optimized to buy and sell equipment, and am wondering what are some of the barriers that make it most difficult to buy and sell. Separately, we've used listing companies like machinery trader etc, but you get a ton of false leads, and when you try to buy, a lot of times the equipment is not available, or it's a broker, making the back and forth time for due diligence extra long. Looking fwd to your thoughts! Thanks.
kpark00, you didn't mention CatUsed or any dealer or manufacturer web sites.
Hi John C. I haven't worked with CatUsed and most of my experience has been overseas, where we have not dealt with dealer sites, but instead, had a contact we could call on to give us quotes. Since you asked about CatUsed and other dealer/manufacturer sites, what has your experience been with them and what are some things that you like/dislike about using their sites? Thanks.
I'm sure that there are areas that could be improved, but I've bought from MachineryTrader, Ebay, Craigslist,and Catused and never had a bad experience. I don't generally buy sight unseen, but often will line up 2 or 3 prospective items, take a road trip around the country to inspect, then advertise on uship.com or try and negotiate with the seller for transport. I've bought dozers, scrapers, a compactor, a skid steer, a soil shredder, a steel ply form system, lasers, a concrete pump, used skid steer tracks regularly, all kinds of concrete equipment, all kinds of parts. The items are never perfect, but always well worth the trouble.
@acivil - thanks. we've sold some equipment without the buyer inspecting, so made us think about what the most important things are for buyers to not have to put in the trouble of travel costs / time. also, i am trying to figure out what the main issues are with selling online (aside from the obvious false listings etc) because we are trying make our online sales more efficient. sounds like the usual suspects (mt, ebay, catused etc) are the best places to go.
I have had very good success purchasing parts online. Like any other product, the trick is knowing who sells a good quality part and who does not. Most of the used and aftermarket suppliers do a good job.
@kpark00 I am more at ease buying a machine described as sound in every way through ebay without inspecting because they offer a bit of protection. I would think the problem with offering buyers some sort of protection from a small business standpoint would just be the liability... unless you could find some sort of insurance policy to cover that aspect of your business. I see those usual suspects as being a decent place to start as they allow you to maintain your identity as a business while enjoying their high levels of traffic. I would also consider back linking your site on things like your signature on your email, and your signature on this forum ect... it helps with SEO, and lets others know what your business is. We are having a conversation about your business, but if I had 100k to drop on iron with you right now, I wouldn't even know where to start.