best way to make the exchange when buying from out-of-state private seller

I'm thinking of buying a car from an out-of-state private seller. But, I'm not sure what's the best way to go about it. Any suggestions? If things work out, I'm thinking of having an auto transporter ship the car over. And, I'll probably fly over to inspect the car before starting the paper work. Is there anyway to prevent from wasting money or from being scammed?

Reply to
Lynn
Loading thread data ...

Not everyone is totally honest......some issues that may be considered minor by the sellor may not be fully disclosed. Some descriptions may be vague or misleading. Like what does 50% of treadlife remaining on tires really mean? I would never close a sale unless I was able to personally inspect the car and see a clear title etc. It should be good enough of a deal to warrant the cost of travel. Otherwise I would pass on it.

Peter

Reply to
Peter W Peternouschek

Good points.

Is a carfax report sufficient to show a clean title?

Reply to
Lynn

Carfax helps in verifying mileage and possibly how many owners the vbehicle has had and what states it may have been registered in. I would not trust it for accident/damage history info since not everything is reported to CarFax.

Peter

Reply to
Peter W Peternouschek

In that case, it might be better to have a pre-purchase evaluation done as well. Probably better to do it before I make the trip.

Reply to
Lynn

That's what i recommend. Find someone near the car to look at it first and give you an opinion as to whether it's worth the trip.

Reply to
Martin Joseph

Just a suggestion - order an independent appraisal before anything else. There are many nationwide services and several will go out to the car so it does not inconvenience the current owner. Here is one example just for illustration -

formatting link

Reply to
Sandy

I'm in Tulsa and found my 83 300SD in Dallas and it sounded like the car I wanted. I asked the seller very specific questions and listened intently for the any weaseling in the response. I heard very little so asked if she would give me the name and number of the mechanic, which she did. He confirmed everything she said. I called back told her I would buy it provided that everything was verified by my personal inspection. I asked her if she objected to a mechanic lookin at it and she didn't hesitate in agreeing. I took a cashiers check and asked if she would pick me up at the airport and have clear title. The airport inspection convinced me to drive it around town and the only thing I found that wasn't revealed was that the power antenna didn't work. I testeted everything I could, checked the 0 to

60 time and decided I didn't need a mechanic so I bought the car and have been happy. I always am very specific in asking what doesn't work, what if any deferred maintenance, any leaks, dings or tears. If after personally inspecting it I find anything misleading I dig further and if theres' too much I decide if I should negotiate on price or walk. Hope that helps.
Reply to
Henry Kolesnik

That's a really good suggestion. Thanks!

I've never tried an independent appraisal before. Is this better than a pre-purchase evaluation?

Reply to
Lynn

Sounds like a good way to go about it. In addition, I'll probably rely on someone more adept at mechanical inspections than I am.

Reply to
Lynn

Sorry, didn't mean to confuse you - it's mainly just terminology since both do similar jobs. Probably best in your case to go with a co. that specializes in pre-purchase evaluations.

Good luck!

Reply to
Sandy

That's definitely a good thing to keep in mind. Even though this car is not from a state that gets floods, one never knows where a car has been.

Reply to
Lynn

Lynn You never mentioned how much you know about cars or this particular model. Does it have maintenance recors? You can usually take the last digits of the VIN to the local stealership and they'll tell you what they did. If they won't release because you aren't the owner have the owner get the those records. YOu can check lots of stuff yourself like all the power windows, seats, roof, ant, lights, signals, wipers, heater, ac, def, radio, tape/cd, mirrors, oil leaks, tranny leaks, coolant, (is it clear), belts, etc. How it starts, accelerates, shifts, brakes, turns, etc. If anything seems sluggish or doesn't seem right get an estimate to fix. An estimated cost to fix a small problem will sometime floor you by its magnitude. Body and upholstery work are also expensive.. Tires, if they're new see if they're cheapos, will give you a clue to the sellers intentions and also worn cheapos might mean lack of maintenance.

Reply to
Henry Kolesnik

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.