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Posts Tagged ‘Ebay’

Car and Driver 10 Best…

  • By: Fredric
  • December 5, 2006
  • 1 comments

For those interested in a new whip this holiday season, Car and Driver just released their annual 10Best list. While I’m partial to German cars (read Audi), all seem like a good bet.

For those looking for fun, excitement, speed, and affordability, check out the GTI or Mazdaspeed 3. While they’re not the most flashy of whips, they definitely hold their value and will reward you in reliability, safety, and provide a nice cabin for de-stressing on the ride home.

A more sophisticated look is the obvious BMW 3-series or Infiniti G35. While most new 2007 models of these while hit your pocket pretty hard, there is an unmistakable debonair that emanates from the owner as they step out onto the city landscape. If you’re first car purchase reaffirms your entrance into adulthood, this is an excellent first start. Be sure to opt for the all-wheel drive version if living in the Midwestern or Eastern winter line of fire.

Thinking about buying on ebay? Check out the howto.

Happy Monday!

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Posted in: News

PayPal

Young Black Professional Guide PayPalFor you YBPs who shop online, I’m sure you’ve seen PayPal as a payment option, especially if you use eBay. PayPal, a clever marriage of e-mail and the credit-card system, lets anybody accept credit cards over the Internet. PayPal has evolved from just paying small businesses for purchases; now it lets you send money electronically to anyone with an e-mail address. Many websites and blogs use PayPal for “tip jars.” When you click on the link, it takes you straight to the person’s invoice and you can put money in their account. If you have a website and want to accept payment for whatever you sell, or just want to accept donations, you can put a PayPal button on your pages. To do this, you go to the PayPal site, click Merchant Services, copy the html code and paste it into the source code of your site.

Still using Western Union? Upgrade to PayPal

For example, if you want to give your brother across the country a Christmas gift at the last minute, go to PayPal.com, fill in his e-mail address and the amount you want to send, and click “send.” Shortly, he will receive an e-mail from PayPal saying essentially, “You’ve Got Money.” Then he goes to PayPal.com and, if he already has his own PayPal account, then he clicks to accept the money, which magically appears in my account. If he’s not a PayPal member, signing up is easy and takes only a few minutes. Best of all, the service is free. So unless it’s an absolute cash emergency, skip the high Western Union fees and send money the fast, easy way.

To get your money out of your account, you can have PayPal send you a check, arrange direct deposit to your bank, or have the company issue you a debit card, whereupon you can use it like any other debit card. You can also keep your funds in a money-market account with PayPal. Impressive.

As with any other site dealing with money, PayPal has its share of imitators and scam artists trying to con customers. But PayPal has an entire department devoted to keeping their customers safe. They give plenty of security tips, especially about fake PayPal emails. PayPal will always address you by your full name in emails and will never ask you for your password. And if you think you have received a scam email, don’t click on any links in the email. You can even forward the email to PayPal to get assurance that your account is safe (I’ve done this before and their customer service was very helpful.) Last but not least, keep your PayPal password protected and unlike any other internet password you have.

Posted in: Personal Finance

Buying a car on eBay

  • By: Fredric
  • November 10, 2006
  • 4 comments


Welcome to the first installment of what I hope to be a continuous effort to keep you up-to-date on all things related to the auto industry…with a YBP twist of course.

Buying a car on eBay is a great way to get a deal. Be careful, though, before heading directly away from this website to make your hard-earned dollars turn into a 4-wheeled fun box. For those that don’t know, eBay has created a separate website specifically geared towards purchasing an automobile. Here are a few tips:

  1. Set a price limit : Establish the maximum amount you can afford.
  2. Choose a top 2 : Pick two models that will meet all of your requirements.
  3. Read up : Research the two models for Kelley Blue Book (KBB) price, customer reviews, and typical insurance costs.
  4. Find a local seller : While a lot of car dealerships offer thier cars on eBay, buying from a local (within a 2-3 hour distance) seller is going to give you your best deal.
  5. Contact the seller : Sometimes seller’s have had their cars online for awhile. Contacting them through email to discuss why they are selling it, what other deals they are willing to throw in, and possibly offering an upfront price may allow you to get the best deal.
  6. Check carfax : Always pay for a carfax history report.
  7. Get the car inspected : There are plenty of services that will do a full inspection of the vehicle before you buy! Although a little expensive, its well worth it! Also try and get a warranty from them if possible!
  8. Be patient! : When I bought my car on eBay, it took me 6 months to find the exact model I wanted in my price range. Not only did I get a good deal, I got it for $8000 below KBB.
  9. Don’t forget taxes : When you buy from a seller outside of your state, you still have to pay taxes separately when you get your license plates. Often, this is about 7-8% of the purchase price. If possible, see if you can get two checks from your lending bank…one for the vehicle and one for taxes.

Have fun, be safe, and happy eBaying!

Want me to talk about something in particular? Email me at ybpguide {at} gmail {dot} com.

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Posted in: News

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