long distance car purchase questions

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justcuz

justcuz

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What do you do when you find a driveable car that you are interested in but it is very far away? (ie: other side of the country)

do you fly down and look at it?

do you base your decision on email pics?

do you go by what the seller tells you?

after the deal is done...

do you transport it to where you live?

do you drive the car home?

if the car is transported when do you pay the seller?

does the car come C.O.D.?

what method of payment is used?

has anyone ever got a car that was not "as promised"?

I just want to protect myself and make sure I don't get burned.

appreciate all your advice and input.

thanks
 
It can be very easy to get burned buying a car over the internet. I have only done it once with my Sebring. I did not go out and look at it but relied on the sellers description and pictures. Note I did not buy it form an indvidual but a new car dealers used car dept. Everything went smoothly and the car was still under the manufacturers warranty so I felt pretty safe about it. Payment was made via paypal for the downpaymnet and a certified check for the balace before it was shipped. Now if I were to buy an older car I would definitely want to either check it out in person or have gearhhead that lives near it from FABO or the Barracua group check it out for me before I laid down a chunk of cash.
 
I went from Jacksonville to Kingsport,Tn. to look at a 75 Dart Sport with a sunroof. It was supposed to have a little rust. And the pictures showed that.
It turned out to have a little rust surrounded by large expanses of air!
The pictures were shrewdly edited.I got it at a greatly reduced price.
I could have had one of our trucks pick it up as we deliver to the Lexus dealer about a mile away but I went up with the Dakota R/T and my trailer and I am glad that I did.
 
I recently purchased a car from ebay.
I had been looking for a long time to purchase a car. Years ago I owned many mopars. I had gone to local car shows looked in trade publications, and almost everything was out of my price range. I was looking on ebay for quite some time, and the same thing either too expensive or total rust bucket, which I did not want to get into major body work, as that is not my thing.
Well I purchased a 73 Dart Swinger with a 440 from a guy in South Carolina, I lice in Connecticut. The guy sent me many pictures, and there was no rust on the car the floors and trunk were clean.
The guy told me that he got burned once before, where someone on their computer generated a very official looking bank check.
So I send him a deposit, then I got a bank check and mailed him the money.
I paid $450 to have the car shipped from South Carolina. So I get the car it appears to be clean of rust, the engine is a fresh rebuild with .03 over pistons a mild cam, and extras. What bothers me. and this may have changed my purchase decision had I seen it. The wiring is really hacked, the lights work though dim, no horn no reverse lights.
I probably will rewire the entire car with a painless kit.
But all in all I believe I paid a fair price based on what I seen. But I do not think I will ever again buy a car without going to see it
regards
George
 
Unless you have money flying out your ***, never buy a car sight unseen.

Ask your self…. Would I be willing to just flush this money down the toilet? If you can answer yes then you are in a safe position to buy the car without looking at it.
 
1968FormulaS340 said:
Unless you have money flying out your ***, never buy a car sight unseen.

Ask your self…. Would I be willing to just flush this money down the toilet? If you can answer yes then you are in a safe position to buy the car without looking at it.
Click to expand...

Good way to look at it.
 
if you have pics.post them here. maybe you can get some advice.
 
I guess I was just dumb lucky several years ago when I bought my '69 Dart sight unseen except for the photos on eBay. I also talked several times with the seller and he was very truthful in his description of the car and its condition.
One of the smart things I did was to pay for the car through an escrow account. That way the funds did not transfer to the seller until I received, inspected, and accepted the car. I'd recommend that payment method to everyone buying an internet-purchased older car.
I also had the car shipped from Oregon to SoCal. The transport service delivered the car direct to my home driveway without any problems.
In fact, the car came with more items that weren't in the sellers ad or mentioned during our telephone conversations: Complete new AutoMeter guages including speedometer and in-dash tach, new B&M shifter, all new still in the boxes; and a new 3" exhaust and mufflers in the back seat of the car.

Good luck on whatever you decide to do! And let us know what you find and post pics. We love pics!!!
 
I purchased my car on Ebay, but the seller delivered it from Washington to Texas. I had the chance to look it over real good before I paid in full. I did have to send a deposit first which made me a little nervous.
 
See if you can get a member of our family off this sight to go look at it for you!
I got burned even driving out to get the car I was told was in great shape.
 
Once I flew to Colorado to buy a "real" 69 Formula S car and it was a clone. Man I was not happy. I woud decode the fender tag and look at the broadcast sheet if the seller has them.
 
I am with nothingbutdarts we are from all of the world let alone the continent ask for someone or even 2 people to check it out if they say its good then it might be worth flying down to look at it but another big thing is what kind of money are you talking about if it's only a few hundred dollars it might be worth just getting it shipped and getting a member here to look at it without seeing it yourself but if it is over 10k I wouldn't touch it without seeing it in person just get a member to look first so you know if its worth the plane ticket unless the deal is so good you think they might buy it on you.
 
yellowdartdave said:
I went from Jacksonville to Kingsport,Tn. to look at a 75 Dart Sport with a sunroof. It was supposed to have a little rust. And the pictures showed that.
It turned out to have a little rust surrounded by large expanses of air!
The pictures were shrewdly edited.I got it at a greatly reduced price.
I could have had one of our trucks pick it up as we deliver to the Lexus dealer about a mile away but I went up with the Dakota R/T and my trailer and I am glad that I did.
Click to expand...

I bought a 1070 Dart on E-Bay........ The guy got from California, one owner, no rust, "so rust free its sick", yada, yada, yada. Something told me not to send a deposit. The guy was Canadian and wasn't happy about it but agreed to meet me in Niagara Falls NY to finish the deal. I don't know what car he used to take the photos but it wasn't the car that he tried to sell me. We drove from Baltimore Md to Niagara Falls and back with an empty trailer and some hurt feelings but there was no way I was going to throw good money after bad (travel expenses) to buy an over priced piece of crap that was not as advertised. I would NEVER buy a car, and by that I mean exchange funds over long distances without the opportunity to look at the car to guarantee it is as advertised. We have since been to Barr Massachusetts and Jacksonville Florida and bought both cars becuase they were as advertised. Both guys had integrity and had NO PROBLEM waiting untill the cars were inspected untill funds were transferred.
 
I have driven over 500 miles to get things off the internet. I always talk to the owner first to get a feel for the type of person. So far ive been lucky. I havent had to send deposits but have agreed to bring cash. Just dont met in a dark alley. Usually a friend has been with me (whether it was his purchase or mine) and lets just say if either of us is near my truck you dont want to try any crap. on a side note the only person to ever see the pistols was the highway patrol while giving me a ticket.
 
If you want to be 100% sure go see the car. If not "let the buyer beware".
 
I live in Canada near Detroit and a couple of years ago my son and I bought the 71 Dart you see in the avatar on Ebay from California for 2k veiwed pics and had a few phone calls with the seller made payment through paypal and seller arranged transport for the car to Detroit, another $800, then brought it over border from there. All went smooth. I felt secure using pay pal as you are a little more protected using pay pal. I guess you have to be willing to gamble.
 
It depends on who you are talking to as the condition of any car.

I would have the car inspected first by a trusted FABO member if one is available in the area. If that report was good the go look at the car yourself. I have done the long distance deals and about 50% was great, 30% were almost OK and 20% were liars from the get go.
The worst deal that I ever got into is on a 1968 or 1969 Dart GT Convertible (memory fails me on year) that was so great (according to the seller) with very little rust. It happens to be in Oklahoma City so I grab the cash and mad a mad dash to get the car.

Photos on the internet looked really good and his price was about right. I got there and the rust had rust featuring 6 to 8 inch holes in all the floor pans and most of the trunk floor missing. Most of the metal on the car was being held together by the paint. I asked him about all the rust? His comment was "Well, what do you expect from a 40 year old car?"
This began as a Craigslist car and ended up going on eBay where someone paid good money for it. Later the car showed up on Craigslist again by the original seller still claiming "Very Light Rust Repair Needed".
 
If you can,t get a member to look at the car,request pics of every square inch of the car inside and outside.It,s to bad people are misleading!Be careful.
 
What do you do when you find a driveable car that you are interested in but it is very far away? (ie: other side of the country) Remember, it's a car. You ain't married to it, yet. If things don't fall into place the way they should, there are others out there. Nothing you do to protect yourself is completely fail-safe.

do you fly down and look at it? Depends on what I'm looking for. If it is a 100% operational vehicle, #s matching, and will spend more than $3000 for it... Definitely, yes. If I'm looking for a project car, it depends on the $s and other red flags I may pick up on.

do you base your decision on email pics? Not unless I know the photographer and that they did not doctor the photos.

do you go by what the seller tells you? In some ways, yes. If the guy comes across too slick or as a BS artist, I would pass on the deal. Also look who is selling and where they are selling. I am now VERY suspicious of any dealer in a major metro area that sells on eBay. A dealer passing itself off as an individual is a major red flag in my book. For dealers, check his local BBB for complaints against him.

after the deal is done...

do you transport it to where you live? Yes.

do you drive the car home? No, even with my assessment that it's driveable. If I've mis-judged the car, I don't want to be sidelined somewhere between the center and the Edge of the World.

if the car is transported when do you pay the seller? All determined in the terms of sale.

does the car come C.O.D.? All determined in the terms of sale. Make sure you clearly state under what terms you will reject the car and that you have proof that the seller has agreed to those terms.

what method of payment is used? If price has not been set and I'm going to be under what the seller is expecting, I will use cash. (You can sign the title and take it, or I can pick it up and walk out.)

has anyone ever got a car that was not "as promised"? Yes. Oddly, it was the '73 Dart I got off of eBay. I simply did not have time before the auction closed to go see a car less than 60 miles from me. I did call the seller and asked questions before I submitted a bid.

Here's the story. It had a valid license tag and state inspection, but the brakes were spooky when I drove it at the seller's premises. The "little rust" turned out to be fist sized holes in each of the front floor boards and a roof that could charitably described as Swiss cheese that had been patched skillfully with Great Stuff! (spray foam insulation) and spray bedliner on the top and a fresh headliner on the interior. When he threated to turn me in as a "welcher" to eBay, I relented. (If this ever happens again, I'm going to say, "Go ahead. You're not getting any of my money, thief." When I began to strip the car down and found out what had been done to the roof, I made photos and stated my case to eBay, the dealer's local BBB, the state AG, and the state board that grants dealer licenses.

I have no way of knowing if it was me or that I was one of many who had complained. As of a month ago, there was no one in the car business at the location where I bought the Dart. If you are curious about the car, I've maintained a log at http://www.forabodiesonly.com/mopar/showthread.php?t=51094
 
I bought my 65 Dart GT on ebay sight-unseen from a towing company. That didn't make much sense since only 8 miles from my house, but no time. I had seen it for sale on Craiglist for several months at $1800, but never visited since hadn't decided to start a new project. I saw it one night on ebay at $700 w/ 1 hr left, so jumped in and won at $1000. I wasn't worried about rust since CA and they had a lot of photos. I paypal'ed a deposit and they delivered it to my home gratis where I paid the balance in cash. They had all the lien paperwork for a title, which worked later at the DMV.

It had been abandoned at a paint company, with all trim in the trunk. However, a long time or poor paint since faded, so I am repainting. It had a rust strip bleeding thru the sill they hadn't mentioned. The guy claimed to have driven around the yard, but unlikely since the gas hose was rotted thru, a damaged rad, and no brakes. Anyway, the 273 ran fine with a new carb. The problems I noted since might not have been found in an inspection anyway (rust-thru in right floor, left drag strut ripped thru K-frame & re-welded). Overall I am satisfied and with ~$2K and more time it should be nice. It had $4500 on the window which must have been the initial price at the tow yard, so they probably weren't thrilled w/ $1K, but the market decides.
 
I've purchased 2 68 Cuda's on fleabay. Both from Texas. Reason for the long distance purchase was to minimize rust and I was not disappointed with either. First one was bought about 3 years ago. Vendor was less than honest and the car had more dings than I imagined, but the price was reasonable. Second one was purchased this summer from an incredible gent. He was upfront with the flaws and the price was right. Still, the car would have been good enough to drive home. 1800 miles one way, but I pulled an empty trailer out and brought the car back. First one was brought up by carrier to Minneapolis and I trailered across the border from there. Costs either way were significant. Paid in full for both cars based on eBay pictures. It would have been different if I was paying $10K for the cars, but you have to be realistic about what you expect for what you pay. You also have to go with your gut about the person you're dealing with. Vendor #1 was fine until I took delivery of the car, he could not disappear fast enough. Vendor #2 as stated was outstanding. I've also bought several snowmobiles from Wisconsin and in general, vendors have been honest. I'd do it again.
 
I've been lucky, maybe. I've bought 3 cars long distance. You didn't say what it was that you are buying. A late model car, I would buy and drive it home. An older car I would plan to trailer or tow home.
I note that you haven't been on FABO very long. Most of the folks on here would be very trustworthy to do the inspection for you. Unfortunately, the one time I have been burned with a long distance purchase was with a FABO member. I didn't loose any money in that deal, but I was out a day of travel and a 600 mile round trip to pick up bogus parts.
C
 
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