Buy Forklifts With Confidence
A number of forklifts listed on eBay in the Business & Industrial category will likely interest you. When trying to select the right forklift, get to know exactly what you're buying, research the seller, and understand how eBay and PayPal protect you.
Know your purchase
Many sellers put a lot of time into creating their listings, making an effort to ensure they include all the information buyers need. Carefully read the details in listings for the forklift(s) you consider buying and carefully review available photos. Before placing a bid or buying an item, be sure to:
Have all your questions answered: If you still have questions after reading the listing and reviewing the photos, contact the seller using the Ask seller a question link in the “Seller information” box in the top right corner of every forklift listing. Also request additional photos if you want to see the forklift from a particular angle that isn’t shown in the photos included in the listing. If you have more questions than you can address in email, get the seller’s phone number and give him/her a call. Some forklift sellers even include their phone number so you can call them directly. Just remember that you need to actually bid and buy on eBay in order to be covered by eBay and PayPal protection programs (see "Buyer protection" below for more details).
Get delivery details: Calculate and include delivery costs into your final price. This may simply be the cost of driving across the city or state if the forklift is close-by or it may mean working with a shipping company that can transport the forklift from anywhere in the country. To learn more about shipping costs, ask the seller or visit the eBay Freight Resource Center.
Complete your transaction on eBay: Always complete your transaction on eBay (with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer). Transactions conducted outside of eBay are not covered by eBay and PayPal protection programs (see "Buyer protection" below for more details).
Know your payment options: Never pay for your eBay item using instant cash wire transfer services such as Western Union or MoneyGram. These payment methods are unsafe when paying someone you do not know. Instead, pay with PayPal for amounts less than $2,000 (including deposits), a money order, or direct bank-to-bank fund transfer. You can also finance your forklift purchase through Equipment Financing for eBay, provided by Direct Capital Corporation.
Know your seller
Just as important as researching your forklift purchase is getting to know the seller. Take time to research the seller so that you can feel positive and secure about every transaction. Key things to look for when evaluating a seller are:
Positive Feedback: What is the seller's Feedback rating? How many transactions have they completed? What percentage of positive responses do they have? What do buyers and sellers say in their Feedback? Did the seller receive praise?
Sales history: Find out how long the seller has been a registered eBay user and look at the types of items a seller typically offers. If the seller’s Feedback seems low, take the time to look at the Feedback details; sometimes a seller's Feedback looks low until you realize that they’re a forklift dealer and their Feedback count comes entirely from forklift or heavy equipment sales.
Terms and conditions: What are the terms and conditions of the sale? Are the terms agreeable to you? Sellers typically set terms and conditions, but you should make sure you agree with them. If not, find another seller/forklift or contact the seller to find out if he/she is open to your suggestions.
Good communication: Once you’ve initiated communications with the seller, how is he/she communicating with you? Is the seller courteous and professional? Is the seller responsive? Once you bid on a big-ticket item such as a forklift, communicate with the seller through My Messages in My eBay. All legitimate Second Chance Offer messages will come through My Messages and not to your email address alone. Always contact the seller before accepting a Second Chance Offer, and never respond to any request to send money via Western Union or other instant cash transfer service.
Buyer protection
In the unlikely event a problem arises during your transaction, you can typically work it out with the seller. However, if you can’t, eBay and PayPal are there for you.
eBay Business Equipment Purchase Protection up to $20,000: Each forklift purchased through eBay is automatically covered against fraud and material misrepresentation up to the cost of the forklift or $20,000 (whichever is lower) with the Business Equipment Purchase Protection Program. To qualify for this safety program, complete your transaction on eBay with a bid, Buy It Now, or Best Offer.
Put down a deposit with PayPal: PayPal enables you to pay up to $2,000 without the seller ever seeing your bank account or credit card numbers. Also, PayPal protects buyers 100% against unauthorized payments from their accounts. While $2,000 may not be a high enough limit for the full purchase price of most forklifts, it's great for deposits (many sellers require a deposit on a forklift within several days of the close of a listing).
eBay Security & Resolution Center: Visit the Security & Resolution Center to learn how to protect your account and use eBay's quick and efficient resolution tools.