Snag a free car-history report from eBay Motors

Looking to buy a used car or truck? On eBay, consumers can snag a free vehicle history report thanks to Experian's AutoCheck.

Buying a used vehicle can be tricky and over the years consumers have been known to complain of rebuilt lemons and cars with "secret" histories. And eBay isn't trying to exclude rebuilt cars or vehicles with different histories. All eBay is trying to do is let the vehicle's real history be known.

According to a New York Times article, Nicholas Franchet, senior director at eBay Motors says, "Previously such vehicle background reports were offered by some sellers, but now eBay will provide them on all used vehicles after the 1981 model year."

Experian's AutoCheck places an emphasis on the importance of consumer awareness and knowledge, especially when it comes to the history of vehicles for safety purposes.

However, some don't believe the disclosure is actually useful. Anthony Giorgianni, an associate finance editor for the Consumer Reports Money Advisor newsletter states, "Don't trust it. Don't trust it." Giorgianni has evaluates many services that check vehicle identification numbers and histories. What has he found? Numerous flaws.

Franchet argues that “the history on a used car is not a perfect science." But he says that he believes the Experian information can be a great help to buyers. “In our experience it is very, very good data,” Franchet adds.

What does the consumer learn from the report? Mileage, any damage the vehicle has accrued and a history of where the vehicle has been registered. This is certainly valuable information, however the information cannot be trusted 100 percent.

The best advice for consumers? Check out a range of resources and educate yourself in order to have total confidence when making a purchase.

Pay to play the savings game at Swoopo.com

As eBay shoppers shrink due to frauds and automated bidding software, Swoopo, a pay-to-play auction site is jumping into the action.

What is Swoopo? It's an online auction site for the U.S., Germany and Britain that charges 60 cents per bid. The charges add up fast, and the odds of winning are small -- especially since you're playing against two other countries.

The New York Times features an article on the pay-to-play site and points out the huge savings possible at Swoopo. "This month, a new 40-inch Samsung TV, which normally sells for $1,500, sold for $67.92, and a white LG refrigerator with a price tag of $1,498 went for a cool $77.90."

However, these savings are similar to winning the lottery. The odds are very much against you. The upside? If you know you will lose the item to another bidder, you have the option to buy the item at full retail price. The catch is that the full retail price is much higher than you will find it at Amazon.

The downside to Swoopo? One 60 cent bid turns into a second 60 cent bid which turns into multiple bids, and before you know it someone else has won the item up for auction. Much of the revenue is said to be used by Swoopo to advertise customers for the site, in order to double its registered users. Swoopo had 2.5 million users in July.

If you are looking for a bargain, we advise that you don't shop at Swoopo. If you are willing to pay for the item full price, and enjoy entertainment and excitement for your shopping experience, then check out Swoopo here.

JetBlue auctions flights on eBay

Want to save hundreds of dollars on your next flight? Cheap JetBlue flights--with a starting value as low as 10 cents--are being auctioned off on eBay.

JetBlue, known for being a low-cost airline, is auctioning off flights on eBay. More than 300 flights are being offered and 20 aiports are covered. Aside from these, there are six mystery packages that are receiving much higher bids.

All flights are departing on Thursdays and Fridays and return on Sundays and Mondays. The flights leave from major metro areas such as New York or Boston and connect to vacation destinations like Southern California or Salt Lake City. Specific times and flight numbers show on the screen once bids are placed.

Read the full story here, and then head to eBay to book your flight!