Buying a car online, sight unseen?

[TBH]

Hi, folks.

I'm trying to buy a used car to replace my old one. The pickings are very slim locally right now. I found a great deal on Craig's List, but the car is in another state. The seller is being deployed to Afganistan, and he wants to sell us the car using a third party called ProPay, which I checked out on the Better Business Bureau. We would also do a VIN number search on Carfax before buying it. We'd be paying ProPay for the car, and the seller would ship it to us. The price is so good it's making me a bit nervous. The seller says we'd have 5 days to inspect the car, and I've written to him asking him to verify that we could get out of the deal if we found problems with it during that 5-day period.

There was another car being sold under similar circumstances, also a serviceman about to be deployed, and I said no way, but because there's a 3rd party involved here it seems a bit safer.

Am I crazy to even consider this? I have a friend who bought a truck on Ebay one time and it worked out fine, but my friend is a bit of a loose cannon.

Thanks for any advice....

[glock35ipsc]

Do you know anyone in the area that could go look at it for you? I have bought vehicles online before, but it is a 50/50 chance of getting what is advertised. I mainly buy hot rod projects so I'm not too concerned with actual condition.

[kork13]

Get the 5-day deal in writing, specifically stating that you may choose to cancel the sale, return the car, and get all money refunded if for any reason you find the car to be unsat. The seller, if he's being honest about the good state of the car, should understand that you're simply trying to protect yourself, and shouldn't have a problem specifying and documenting the conditions of that agreement.

Then after delivery, take it to a garage/mechanic you trust and have them do a full check-out on it. They're likely to find a couple little things which can probably be lived with, but if there's anything significant, you can either take it back to the seller or get an estimate for repairs. If you're getting such a great deal, the cost of the inspection and possibly any repairs might actually be worth it. Check into it.

[bjl584]

I personally wouldn't buy a vehicle sight unseen. Even if you buy a used car in the more traditional manner of going to look at it and taking it on a test drive, there is still a good chance that there may be something wrong with it that doesn't show up until after driving it for a few weeks after you purchase it. A good example would be a car with a bad waterpump and/or thermostat. Looking at the car, even test driving the car won't reveal this problem. It only becomes evident when the car's engine gets warm. (Probably a few days after you buy it and take it on its first trip longer than 20 minutes) There are tons of other examples, but the point is, I wouldn't buy something as expensive or complex as a car without being able to actually see it and drive it first.

[gamecock43]

I dont know about buying a car sight unseen...it might be worth it to check it out yourself. I DO know that servicemen often sell their cars before deployment and generally sell at great deals. I guess the idea of impending life threatening circumstances makes it seem petty for them to haggle over a couple hundred dollars.

[kork13]

Originally Posted by gamecock43

I DO know that servicemen often sell their cars before deployment and generally sell at great deals. I guess the idea of impending life threatening circumstances makes it seem petty for them to haggle over a couple hundred dollars.

It's also simply a matter of finances. Doing so can save them hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. Especially single service members, by selling their car they can eliminate car debt payments on a car they obviously can't drive. Plus, they can downgrade their insurance to simply being an operator (with no registered vehicle), so insurance costs drop out almost completely. Over a 6-, 12-, 15-, or more month deployment, those two factors can easily save them a great deal of money that would otherwise be wasted.

[TBH]

The car is being listed for less than a quarter of its blue book value. That makes me more nervous than the buying online thing. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Still it is exactly the car we want, and I can't find anything that touches it within 50 miles of us. Is it too much to ask to find a Japanese sedan with less than 100,000 miles on it, 2000 or newer, for under $5,000? Apparently it is too much to ask.

I don't know. I haven't talked it over with my spouse yet. I know he's not going to go for it, and once again I'll have occasion to be glad he's so rational. It balances me out.

[kork13]

Originally Posted by TBH

The car is being listed for less than a quarter of its blue book value. That makes me more nervous than the buying online thing. If something looks too good to be true, it probably is.

.......WOW.

Shoot, I'd be nervous too. If he's selling it THAT low, he's either desperate to sell, or there is likely something wrong with it. Try to find out exactly what his motivations are, and express your nervousness about it. And again, definitely needs to be driven for a couple days and taken in to a good mechanic to look at it. I still think you could pursue it if it really is what you want for a price you can afford. Just make sure that 5-day cancellation deal is tight.

[TBH]

Yeah, 2003 Camry, 34,000 miles on it, for $2500. Definitely too good to be true.

I'm talking myself out of it pretty quick, here.

[bjl584]

Originally Posted by TBH

Yeah, 2003 Camry, 34,000 miles on it, for $2500. Definitely too good to be true.

I'm talking myself out of it pretty quick, here.

It was probably wrecked and rebuilt. I would stay away. You may be setting yourself up for a lot of heartache.

[AmbitiousSaver]

There are a lot of scams like this going around and my DH is military. We've heard it all, divorces, etc, etc

I wouldn't do it. If its posted on a LOCAL Craigslist and they are somewhere else, why are they advertising it where you are? My DH has found cars online and specifically said he'd be willing to travel to look at it and they won't tell him where it is but that the will use a 3rd party, he could have X number of days to look at it, and the car would be shipped to him.

Too sketchy for me and most of the ones we seen were severely underpriced compared to KBB

[Johansen8]

it's best to do some more research about the seller, company or mediums...I won't buy anything I haven't seen

[tripods68]

Originally Posted by TBH

Hi, folks.

I'm trying to buy a used car to replace my old one. The pickings are very slim locally right now. I found a great deal on Craig's List, but the car is in another state. The seller is being deployed to Afganistan, and he wants to sell us the car using a third party called ProPay, which I checked out on the Better Business Bureau. We would also do a VIN number search on Carfax before buying it. We'd be paying ProPay for the car, and the seller would ship it to us. The price is so good it's making me a bit nervous. The seller says we'd have 5 days to inspect the car, and I've written to him asking him to verify that we could get out of the deal if we found problems with it during that 5-day period.

There was another car being sold under similar circumstances, also a serviceman about to be deployed, and I said no way, but because there's a 3rd party involved here it seems a bit safer.

Am I crazy to even consider this? I have a friend who bought a truck on Ebay one time and it worked out fine, but my friend is a bit of a loose cannon.

Thanks for any advice....

I wouldn't trust anyone without being able to checkout the car myself. If you are unable to check it out for yourself, then go somewhere else. Trust your instinct that this could be a scam. If its too good, then something else must be wrong...

[mnpqrd]

I saw many Lexus, Accord, Camry, and Acura ads saying they are only a few years old for under $5,000 from craigslist. They even post pictures of the cars. What if the seller is from Nigeria? What if the seller just made up that "seller is being deployed to Afganistan"?

[tripods68]

Originally Posted by mnpqrd

I saw many Lexus, Accord, Camry, and Acura ads saying they are only a few years old for under $5,000 from craigslist. They even post pictures of the cars. What if the seller is from Nigeria? What if the seller just made up that "seller is being deployed to Afganistan"?

Those are definitely SCAM>>>Stay away.

[mom-from-missouri]

I have on ebay because they guy had a lot of feedback and it was a 100. Craigslist has no feedback, so I doubt I would off of it.

[kork13]

Well, even eBay's feedback is pretty easy to pad if you want to make the effort.... just make a few accounts, and do a whole bunch of essentially meaningless transactions, then write glowing reviews of yourself. I've seen it many times, where it's clear that somebody's feedback is not legit.

[Obiwan]

Originally Posted by mnpqrd

I saw many Lexus, Accord, Camry, and Acura ads saying they are only a few years old for under $5,000 from craigslist. They even post pictures of the cars. What if the seller is from Nigeria? What if the seller just made up that "seller is being deployed to Afganistan"?

That's pretty ignorant and racist, dude. Not all Nigerians are scammers. I suggest you get an education and a more well rounded world view before posting such stupidity on these forums.

[rizzmo]

I think he was simply pointing out that nigeria is frequently the target of email scams, not trying to insult all nigerians. OP I believe this is a scam.

[mnpqrd]

Originally Posted by Obiwan

That's pretty ignorant and racist, dude. Not all Nigerians are scammers. I suggest you get an education and a more well rounded world view before posting such stupidity on these forums.

Please re-read my post. I didn't say "all Nigerians are scammers".