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Buying a car ***need advice*** Paranoid?

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by Flyin' Fred, Nov 20, 2006.

  1. Flyin' Fred
    Joined: Nov 14, 2006
    Posts: 19

    Flyin' Fred
    Member

    So I found another car. It is in GA and I am in CO. I want to buy it but my question is, how can I keep from, sending the guy money and not getting my car?
    I verified his address and phone, that is about all I can do.
     
  2. buschandbusch
    Joined: Jan 11, 2006
    Posts: 1,293

    buschandbusch
    Member
    from Reno, NV

    Safest way is to go in person and check it out, not always feasible, so probably second safest way is a TRUSTED escrow service. Do not use his reccomendations, there are plenty of fake ones. Find a well known one and both agree on it. Escrow holds the money, the car gets delivered, he gets the money.
    Simple as that.

    Or pay a partial payment, and have him deliver the title when you send the rest
     
  3. knuckle
    Joined: Jan 29, 2005
    Posts: 104

    knuckle
    Member
    from Missery

    Send him half the money, he sends you the title. Send him the other half, he sends you the car.
     
  4. Flyin' Fred
    Joined: Nov 14, 2006
    Posts: 19

    Flyin' Fred
    Member

    Went with safe funds. $16.00 for the transaction. 3rd party escrow. Cheap insurance.
     
  5. roundvalley
    Joined: Apr 10, 2005
    Posts: 1,776

    roundvalley
    Member

    If it's a high dollar car, round trip airline ticket is cheap insurance. I have been burned on just photos.
     
  6. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 22,544

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    never buy a car without a personal inspection by either yourself or someone you trust. cash and carry only.

    that's the only safe way to buy a car.
     
  7. 19Fordy
    Joined: May 17, 2003
    Posts: 8,313

    19Fordy
    Member

    Don't even think about buying any vehicle unless you see it first with your own two eyes. Your disappointment will be great , if you spend $$ on a dream that was not real.
     
  8. msuguydon
    Joined: Oct 5, 2006
    Posts: 545

    msuguydon
    Member

    I could not agree More, I bought my first "Rod" a few weeks back, I went and saw the car twice and drove it and still missed a bent hood. OHH well, I am not unhappy with the purchase but pictures and phone calls are helpful, but no substitute for seeing the car in person.
     
  9. mrkerb
    Joined: Nov 3, 2004
    Posts: 126

    mrkerb
    Member

    If you are comfortable buying a car through photos: you can send a deposit and give the balance to the transport company to hand-over when they pick-up the car. The guy "trades" the car and the title for the $ when the truck gets there.
     
  10. Flipper
    Joined: May 10, 2003
    Posts: 3,426

    Flipper
    Member
    from Kentucky

    I just made a trip from Kentucky to New Mexico to buy a "rust free, dent free truck from the desert".

    It needed full floors, cab corners, both outer cowl panels, both kick panels. .....It probably had more stuff wrong, I quit looking after the first minute.

    I wasted a couple of days and $600 in gas, but it was better than having someone deliver that piece of crap to my house.

    I wouldn't send any money. Payment after inspection only. There are some real low-lifes out there.
     
  11. DrJ
    Joined: Mar 3, 2001
    Posts: 9,419

    DrJ
    Member

    Monkeyboy's Grandad, "Never do business with anyone you can't walk down the street and punch in the nose."
     
  12. My wife and I bought our first Corvette through the interweb. It was numbers matching and most everything was there to make it run. We were sent pictures of it before the owner tore it apart to restore it. We rented a truck and trailer and set off to Atlanta. My son and I got there only to find what we had paid in full previously for was a Corvette shell with all the parts including steering column sitting in boxes all around it. Make certain you only give a deposit and then pay in full when you pick up the vehicle. I would have gladly forfeited 500.00 deposit and driven home rather than haul home a 5,000.00 pieces of crap. yes that was plural, It was in several pieces. I failed to mention, the guy told my wife it was in drivable condition. even the brake pedal bracket was pulled out of it.
     
  13. There are a lotta Georgia Hambers here,,,,,get someone to go look at the car,,,,,,HRP
     
  14. Send a fellow HAMBer in GA to give it the once-over. Start a thread with "Georgia HAMBers" in the title. I always read ANY thread with Houston or Texas in the title.
     
  15. ChevyGirlRox
    Joined: May 13, 2005
    Posts: 3,496

    ChevyGirlRox
    Member
    from Ohio

    Before you hire an escrow service and exchange any type of money, have someone go look at for you. There are multiple inspection services listed in the back of Hemmings. Or, like mentioned above, have a HAMBer do it for you. Good luck. Caution is not a bad thing in this scenario!
     
  16. Doc.
    Joined: Jul 16, 2005
    Posts: 3,558

    Doc.
    Member Emeritus

    I agree with always seeing a car in person before buying it. The only car I have ever bought site unseen was the Lunar Lander, but that was a no brainer. I've bought many cars over the years that were long distances away. I've also walked away from many deals when I saw the car in person. I have to "feel" right about the car or it ain't going home with me. I just give a deposit up front and then fly out and inspect the car. Airfair is rediculously cheap now days. I then swap the cash for the title and car. Done deal.

    Doc.
     
  17. 49ratfink
    Joined: Feb 8, 2004
    Posts: 22,544

    49ratfink
    Member
    from California

    I used to hang out on the ebay motors discussion board quite a bit before I decided to spend too much time here on the HAMB. on a regular basis people would come in complaining that the car they bought without seeing it was not what they expected.

    either the seller was a lying sack of shit, or they expected much more than was described, or a combination of both. either way the advice given by the board regulars was they shouldn't have bought a car without looking at it first and now they are stuck.
     
  18. McKee
    Joined: Jul 22, 2005
    Posts: 1,192

    McKee

    I do pre-purchase inspections for people all the time, just get a local independent appraiser to look at the car and he'll verify the condition of the car and in many cases the integrity of the seller.
     
  19. Where is the car in Georgia? I live north of Atlanta
     
  20. reborn55
    Joined: Jun 11, 2003
    Posts: 228

    reborn55
    Member

    what year is the car. Some cars are sold in Ga. with only a bill of sale(correct me if I am wrong) and may present problems getting a title in some states.
     
  21. Dr_X
    Joined: Oct 21, 2004
    Posts: 232

    Dr_X
    Member

    I drove 18 hours from Wisconsin to Colorado to look at a shoebox. Looked at it for about 10 minutes and drove 18 hours back to Wisconsin WITHOUT a shoebox. Go there, check it out, then buy it or not. Don't send a dime to the guy. If it's legit they'll let you check it out and drive it before any money changes hands. Yeah it was a long weekend doing all that driving, but i saved myself a lot of aggravation by just driving away.
     
  22. nrfleming
    Joined: Nov 17, 2005
    Posts: 387

    nrfleming
    Member

    where in georgia? there are couple of hamb members here that would probably check it out for you.
     

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