GM extends eBay test through September

• Source: Global Times
• [11:07 September 03 2009]
• Comments

General Motors will extend its program of allowing consumers in California to purchase a new GM vehicle on the eBay Motors Web site.

The program started August 11, and was supposed to end September 8, but now the program will run through September.

About 16,000 vehicles were listed on eBay. According to the Automotive News report, none of the 3,000 GM vehicles on auction for seven days on eBay were sold by the deadline on September 1.

However, GM said in a statement that the program is boosting awareness of GM vehicles. The automaker says about 4,000 eBay shoppers negotiated to buy a vehicle, though it doesn't say how many sales resulted from the negotiations.

"The numbers on eBay itself aren't significant, but we didn't think it would be," Mark LaNeve, GM vice president of US sales said during a conference call with reporters September 2. "The dealers want to continue it, and so we are working on making some tweaks to it and continue," he added.

GM says 225 dealers in California are listing vehicles online. And it says it will evaluate the program after it ends and may start a national eBay-GM Web site.

Agencies and Shi Jierui contributed to this story