Starting this week, GM will start selling vehicles using the online auction site Ebay. Watch this short video for information on the program (you can click ahead to 3:25 in the video for the Ebay story.)

According to a news report from Reuters,

More than 225 GM dealers in California are participating in the program, which will run from August 11 through September 8. GM said it intends to expand the program nationwide if the pilot helps it reach new customers and gain market share.

The website – gm.ebay.com - allows consumers to compare pricing across models and participating dealerships, negotiate prices, and arrange financing and payment. Consumers can agree to pay the advertised price or indicate the price they are willing to pay and can negotiate online with the dealer for the vehicle. More than 20,000 new Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Pontiac vehicles will be listed initially on the site.”

Currently, most car companies/dealerships don’t see a lot of turnaround from their websites. Lots of people get on to search vehicles, request quotes, build their own car, etc. but very little of that actually transpires into sales.

What do you think? Will this program be a success? How often do people buy things online, especially high-ticket items like cars, without seeing them in person first?

More importantly, would you consider buying a brand new GM car off e-bay?