POLL Question about 3rd Party Inspections & Craiglist...

[Steve Stauning]

Fellow Refreshers: Please help me out here - I'm trying to settle a bet. I need your honest feedback, please.

The entire question won't fit in the poll, so here is whole question:

If Craigslist offered an independent, third-party vehicle inspection service (perhaps for a $59 per vehicle fee charged to sellers) to supplement some vehicle classifieds, which of the following do you think would result (you may choose multiple answers):

 

[Alexander Lau]

• Most buyers wouldn't care
• Most FSBO (For Sale By Owner) sellers would never pay for an inspection
• Most dealers would never pay for a third-party inspection

There are my votes. Maybe I am contradicting myself? I often do...

 

[Brendan Dolan]

Like most things, a small minority will care and wont move forward without it, most will like it but not really care but pay if the cost isn't much, but it won't stop them from moving forward. Finally, another small minority won't pay for it and will complain about any cost. It's the usual bell curve of grinder to lay down.

 

[yagoparamo]

Is there any way to get some feedback as to how that worked for ebay (I think that they had/nave a similar offering?)

 

[Steve Stauning]

Yeah, eBay used Pep Boys for inspections and there was very little demand on either side of the transaction for the service, as I recall.

 

[Steve Stauning]

There are no wrong answers, so please take the poll if you have not.

 

[Alexander Lau]

I wonder how well Google / Alphabet backed Openbay has done...?
https://www.openbay.com

 

[Steve Stauning]

I'm not sure, but it seems OpenBay is unrelated to this question (unless I'm missing something). This is not about repair shops, it's about whether buyers and sellers would pay for or even want independent inspections of used cars.

 

[Alexander Lau]

I'm not sure, but it seems OpenBay is unrelated to this question (unless I'm missing something). This is not about repair shops, it's about whether buyers and sellers would pay for or even want independent inspections of used cars.

My point is, they offer that service through their brokering system. That was in reference to Yago's question on how well it has worked for eBay, etc. Dealers are giving them a cut. I guess my point is, are dealers willing to buy those inspection leads?

 

[Steve Stauning]

Ahh... makes sense. Good point.