How do YOU buy a car long distance?

[68gulfstream]

I'd love to hear some stories about your experience buying a car in another state. It sounds like a very scary thing to do.

 

[hatchdog]

I recently went through the same process and had the same concerns. My transaction was a little bit less stressful as I bought a car from a site member recommended by another member. Even so, I had never met either party and at the time I wasn't a member of the site so I was still running on blind faith. So I decided to suffer the expense and traveled cross country to meet the seller, see the car, deliver rather than mail the check and bring the title home with me. Then I had to arrange cross country transport which required patience waiting for the car to get picked up. Once picked up it arrived quickly and was in perfect condition.

In the end everything went very smoothly with both the sale and the transport.

 

[Mosesatm]

Also, if the car is near one of us just ask for assistance in inspecting the car. Not everyone can take time off to go inspect a car, but some can and will.
You don't need to worry about any of us buying the car out from under you. We have ways to take care of those people. :wink:

 

[mbsf1970]

I had a trusted member on this site see mine in person. Once he labelled it a "good car" I bought it with as high a confidence as you can get from 2500 miles away!!
still driving it 4 yrs later!
Stephen

 

[whodat]

Flew out to California to see my first one. Didn't know about this site beforehand. Didn't even get to drive the car. It was orange and didn't even have the correct grill. Made a mini vacation out of it. As soon as I returned I drove to the outskirts of Dallas and seen a blue c-code that wouldn't even start when I arrived. The next day when I returned the seller wasn't there and so I left. I then found this site and another member had one for sale. I went see it and then made arrangements to go and pick it up. With everything I have invested in the car I could've bought the S-Code that was for sale in California.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[68gulfstream]

Also, if the car is near one of us just ask for assistance in inspecting the car. Not everyone can take time off to go inspect a car, but some can and will.
You don't need to worry about any of us buying the car out from under you. We have ways to take care of those people. :wink:

That's encouraging. I'm just starting to think about, what happens if I see a car that I really like? Then what do I do? I'd definitely need some expert eyes to keep me out of trouble.

I'm in Florida and all the cars seem to be in California. Maybe buying from a member of the forum would be a good option if the right car came up.

 

[BigJim]

After several phone calls and emails containing pics I pulled a trailer 80 miles to look at a car. Made a cash offer along with an offer to haul it away right then and bought it following inspection and price discussions.

 

[Mosesatm]

IMO pictures are definitely the key. Ask the seller for photos of everything. It helps to have a Photobucket, or some other photo hosting) account. It's a lot easier than emailing them.

It may also help to let the seller know that you need to a long way to inspect that car, and that you expect him or her to give you an accurate and honest description. If you travel all that way to inspect the car and it's not what you expected you may more than a little upset.

Here are two questions I like to ask:
- Will the car make a 2000 mile trip to (wherever)? It doesn't need to be to where you live, just a long way from the seller's home.
- If you were to keep the car what would you do to it?

I'm sure the other members of this site have questions they like to ask.

 

[mbsf1970]

My key question's are similar to Arlie's

"If your wife needed to give birth to your child and you needed to drive 250 miles to closest hospital, would you get in your Mustang?"

"If your daughter had to cross the country to go to college, would you trust your mustang to get her there?"