Buying a car out of state

I have a car I am looking to buy from a fellow hammer and he is in another state. I tried the search function but must be using the wrong words? Anyway I am open to suggestions as to how we go about this? I can not take off and drive the 3,000 miles round trip give or take a bit, to purchase it in person. In the photos I like what I see and have tentatively said I want to buy it. So how best to make sure I get the car and he gets the money? I have already made contact with another Hamber for transport. So let fly with your advice.


Thanks! Mike

 

Wire transfer from the bank,,it's the safest way to buy a car.

Make sure the seller has been a Hamber for more than a few months and don't be afraid to ask questions. HRP

 

No bitching about how it's a turd and you got ripped off if you don't fly out and look at it. You take what you get if you only look at pictures. Pictures ALWAYS look better than the real thing.,

 

Very sage words! Yes I know photos can hide a world of problems but I like what I have seen and agreed on the price , just on edge about sending my money to a complete stranger. When the time comes I will ask you guys for references if you know him and such. I figure it can't hurt to ask you guys. I am excited to finally get a HAMB friendly car to work on. Plan to keep the chopped bug a while longer but this one will get priority time.

Thanks, Mike

 

if you know the guy who is going to transport it, give him the dough and work out with the seller that if it isn't as represented then the guy doesn't pick it up, if it is, he hands over the cash.

 

Mike, absolutely do not wire, mail or in any other way, transfer the total purchase price until you actually see the car. In person. Up front and personal. Hands and eyes on it. A deposit? Sure, take a chance. Usually, I accept three or five hundred dollars. It's non-refundable as long as the seller doesn't misrepresent the car. Get a chasier's check for the balance. Put it in your pocket and get your butt out there.
Either you buy it or not. Much better to argue over a small deposit rather than the whole purchase price. Anything else is sorta like getting married through the mail based on a photo that may, or may not, be ten years old. Best of luck.

 

Mike,
Check the Hamb O Dex section, that is where the 3 quality transporters have adds. You can see literally hundreds of feedbacks/references from fellow Hambers who have used our services. BenD, Racinman & myself are responsible for a large majority of the transporting here on the Hamb. Feel free to contact one or all of us for a price quote.
Bill

 

Many people, including myself, won't take any kind of check on loading day. Too much risk, as bank checks can be stopped, or can be bogus. There is no way that your bank can place a call to the issuing bank to see if it is good; it just does not work that way.

 

If it was a road worthy car I'd highly consider doing the fly out drive back thing. Or fly out and if you buy it rent a U haul and trailer and tow it back. I'd rather spend a bit of extra money going to check out the car than end up buying overpriced scrap metal that someone passed off as a nice rig or prime project material.

The exception might be a car that is well known on the board and has been seen by many members and has a lot of serious driving under it's tires.

 

HAMB'rs are great, but also normal people, and may overstate conditions of cars as their idea of clean and yours may not be the same...neither is wrong, just different....
Pay and independent appraiser to inspect the car and give you a written report.
As far as payment, I really don't know how that is best handled, but would not pay in full until I saw the car and it was delivered..
Good luck and let us know what you do...

 

If you can't look at it yourself find a hamb member in the area at least go check it out for,not a damn appraiser but a car guy. Post some pics of what you found.

 

There's no way I would accept anything but cash if not paid by the time loading day came around. Those who think a cashiers check is as good as cash better have a talk with their bank. Payment can be stop/reversed even weeks later. As a matter of fact selling over the internet I accept only USPS money orders, Paypal or cash if the buyer trusts the mail. There's also no way the car would leave without being paid for in full.

 

Geez, how many sellers that live 1500 miles away would agree to that deal?...None.... That's just plain misleading "advice" to the OP. The world simply does not work that way.

 

As far as payment, I really don't know how that is best handled, but would not pay in full until I saw the car and it was delivered..
Good luck and let us know what you do...[/QUOTE

I am sorry, I have been transporting for 29 years & no one in their right mind is going to let the transporter deliver the vehicle to the buyer before payment is made in full...Thats just not how it works. At the end of the day, you just have to take a chance sometimes. If it is not a very expensive vehicle, I have been known to pay up to 5k in cash for the buyer with the understanding that I will be paid in full upon delivery

 

Thanks F&J, we were typing at the same time!

 

my dad and I have bought two cars sight unseen other than pictures. One a Model A the other a 36 coupe (ford).

The Model A only dealt with pictures and talking on the phone went over every piece of the car. Agreed on price and wired the money and sent a shipper to pick it up. We were very pleased with what was delivered.

The 36 5 window coupe we didn't see hardly any pictures (quarter shots). Told the seller to get the car appraised and we would pay what the appraisal came back plus the cost to have the appraisal completed. We used one of the big appraisal houses. Once the appraisal came in we wired the money to the seller and had Rick ( Racinman) pick the car up and deliver from California to Florida. We were super happy with the car we received and the transport that rick did for us.

I think buying a car sight unseen can make you a little nervous but you have to go with your gut and feel your way through the situation.

Also both of these cars were not cheap low quality cars. The Model A was totally restored bone stock car that we wanted the sheet metal from and the 36 was a older frame off restoration that we wanted to make a nice driver out of.

I think people get themselves into bad situations by jumping in feet first. Both of these transactions took more that 30 days to complete. If the seller is a fast talker he is probably fly by night. If they guy sticks around for lots of questioning and interrogation he is more likely legitimate.

If you like gambling buying sight unseen is for your, if you don't like risk this isn't for your. I feel I hit the jackpot twice!

Good luck

Nick

 

Do not buy unless you check it out , either in person or your agent. I repeat do not buy until you check it out in person or your agent . Write this 1000 times !

 

Agreed, get another HAMBER to check it out for you. Get a phone video, etc, emailed to you. In the end Buyer beware, and you should see for yourself.

 

Having bought two from out of state, if you can't lay hands on it hire/find a third party to look it over. Photos many times do not tell the entire story.

 

There is no other sure way of 100% satisfaction other than going out there, seeing the car yourself, handing him cash, and transporting it home yourself. Any other method involves some level of risk. So decide how much risk you are comfortable with, and go from there.

 

Mike,

Here is the answer to your question:

@ http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=630479



Jim

 

As you can see there are many opinions/schools of thought on how this should work. Maybe I've just been lucky, but I've bought and sold many cars from projects to full frame-off restorations via the internet and have never been dissatisfied as the buyer and never had an unhappy buyer.

Sometimes it just isn't possible/practical to go and inspect the car in person. Spend some time corresponding with folks and get to "know" them and go with your gut.

As much as we all seem to detest Ebay, the feedback system works. There has to be an element of trust by both parties for it to work, but take your time and do your homework to get there.

I've never allowed anything I've sold to be loaded until I've been paid; in full. I think most sellers are going to have that same attitude about it too.

Good luck!

 

My dad told me that there are two major purchases in a mans life. A house and a car. That being the case, how do you drop your hard earned money, without seeing it in person or at least have someone look it over for you?

Airline tickets are cheap, compared to going through the hassle of being ripped off. I'd add a plane ticket into an out of state purchase or rent a nice car and drive out to see it.

You can rent the new Corvette through Enterprise.

 

I've both bought and sold vehicles via the internet, the most recent an OT car, a few weeks ago. That one I paid in full prior to having the shipper pick it up. No seller in their right mind would release an unpaid for car.

When purchasing, and usually when selling too, a deposit is made to firm the the deal and final payment is made, either in cash or certified check, when picking up the vehicle. While all the dire warnings CAN be true, the fact is, most people are honest.

If you have reasonably good people skills and are reasonably perceptive, a few phone conversations, during which you ask some key questions, should give you ample indication if the person you are dealing is trustworthy. If you have no idea what I am talking about.....do not buy except in person.

One thing I learned fairly early in the car business. If a customer trusts you...you can probably trust him/her. People who displayed a lot of concern about MY trustworthiness often where reflecting their own character. I got burned a few times learning that lesson.

For instance........a person who lies a lot......is very reluctant to trust what someone else tells him/her. Same goes for cheating spouses and 'significant others'.

The world requires a reasonable amount of trust to function.


Ray

 

I had a guy once who wanted me to deliver a car to him and he'd pay me when I got there. Like a 150 mile trip to a stranger I'd never heard of before and he couldn't even advance a deposit.

Instead, I delivered the car to a local scrapyard because I knew that guy would pay me.

 

Yah but towing a car trailer and hotrod with one is kinda hard isn't it?

 

Well, I wouldn't tow anything with a Vette, but I'd use it to ride out and look. That's what I meant. So, rent a Dodge Ram and make a vacation out of it. The bottom line of what I was saying is, see it in person. You'll sleep better.

 

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you have to see this car in person got to see the vin. number matches the title you can run the vin number trough your state or highway patrol. Thats what I did and got lucky..

 

Well said. I've been lucky too. Bought ~ 20 cars via the net. Sometimes they were better than represented. Was pleasantly surprised. I was dealing cars so was working with "play money" but still was " puckered up" till the car arrived.

 

Well said. I've been lucky too. Bought ~ 20 cars via the net. Sometimes they were better than represented. Was pleasantly surprised. I was dealing cars so was working with "play money" but still was " puckered up" till the car arrived.
Also there is escrow services. I have no experience with this though
https://www.escrow.com/services/vehicle-escrow.aspx