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The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) Watchdog columnOct 21, 2012 (The Morning Call (Allentown - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- When Cory Moyer's van rusted to the point where it wouldn't pass state inspection, he hit the Internet to find a new one. Not just any van would do. Moyer, of Walnutport, has been a quadriplegic since he broke his neck while teaching gymnastics 21 years ago. He is in a wheelchair and needed a specialized van with a lift and hand driving controls. He thought he found one on eBay, a 1993 GMC Safari described by the seller as well-maintained and lightly used for its age. It was Moyer who felt used when the van arrived in July. He said his mechanic told him it was in worse shape than his previous one. "Vehicle needs serious attention," Blueridge Service & Tire of Walnutport wrote on his state inspection report in August. "Not worth fixing, will never pass inspection with frame rot." Moyer told me he'd asked the seller, a man in Wisconsin with a perfect eBay feedback score, before he bid on the van if there was any rust. The seller said there was a "small amount" on the bottom of the doors and one corner of the rear bumper, according to the auction listing. Moyer told me he confronted the seller after receiving the diagnosis from his mechanic. He said the seller told him he didn't know about the damage, and he couldn't refund his money because he'd already spent the $3,400 Moyer had paid him. The seller did not return my call. Moyer asked eBay for help, filing a claim under its Vehicle Purchase Protection program. It provides up to $50,000 against certain losses during auctions. The undisclosed damage on Moyer's van was not among the losses covered. While eBay's program does cover undisclosed damage to a vehicle's engine, body, transmission or frame, it doesn't cover undisclosed damage on vehicles that are 10 years old or older. EBay told him he'd have to work it out with the buyer or contact authorities if he believed any laws were broken. It also suggested he leave the appropriate feedback through eBay's system that allows auction participants to rate each other's performance. Moyer told me he'll be leaving feedback, for sure. He said his attorney sent the seller a letter demanding a refund this month, and the seller has not responded. Moyer wants to know why eBay even bothered advertising its Vehicle Purchase Protection program on the listing for the auction he won if it didn't apply. "They made me feel nice and cozy and comfy with their vehicle protection plan," Moyer said. "That's the only reason I did it, because I thought EBay's got my back." I posed that question to eBay. Spokesman Todd Witkemper told me the protection was advertised on the listing because a buyer would have been eligible for some of the protections under the program regardless of the vehicle's age, such as paying for a vehicle and not receiving it. He said the notice about Vehicle Purchase Protection notes that "restrictions apply" and includes a link to the details of the program, which explain the exclusions, including the one about old vehicles not being covered. Moyer told me he hadn't read the fine print, and assumed he'd be covered in all instances if the program were promoted on the auction. "If it's not going to be covered, then don't put it on the page," Moyer said. I've never been a big fan of buying vehicles online because there are too many opportunities for something to go wrong, including misrepresentation of condition. Even if sellers don't intentionally mislead you, there could be unknown problems. There are thousands of cars, both new and used, available in the Lehigh Valley area from dealers and private sellers. You can test-drive them and take them to a trusted mechanic to make sure there's nothing major wrong before you put your money down. If a seller won't let you do that, walk away and find another car. There are plenty for sale. I can see, though, in some cases why you'd shop for a car online. Moyer was looking for a specially outfitted van in his price range. Collectors might be looking for limited-edition models. If you do buy online, make sure to ask the critical questions about damage and history (for example, was it used by a smoker ). If you're buying on eBay, make sure you know the caveats with its Vehicle Purchase Protection program. With any purchase, either in person or online, get a vehicle history report through a company like Carfax or AutoCheck. This is the second column I've written about an eBay vehicle purchase that wasn't covered by eBay's purchase protection. In the previous one, a Lower Milford Township man bought a car from a dealer in Florida. When he flew down to get it, he found it was in awful shape and he refused to take it home. His claim for coverage under eBay's protection plan was denied because he had failed to take possession of the vehicle. See my blog at http://blogs.mcall.com/watchdog/ for my previous stories about problems with online car purchases, including scams on Craigslist. The Watchdog is published Thursdays and Sundays. Contact me by email at [email protected], by phone at 610-841-2364 (ADOG), by fax at 610-820-6693, or by mail at The Morning Call, 101 N. Sixth St., Allentown, PA, 18101. Follow me on Twitter at mcwatchdog and on Facebook at Morning Call Watchdog. ___ (c)2012 The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.) 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