Has anyone had any experience buying a car over the internet without seeing it in person? Got any advice or suggestions?
Have someone local that you can trust check it out, or, for the amount of money you are spending on the blue 70, fly someone like Jim Weise in and have him check it out.
Absolutely - it can look good in the pictures but when you get there in person you might find a dirty interior, parts not assembled, fisheyes in the paint, strange noises when it runs (or maybe it doesn't run) etc. My son just bought a car off Ebay (without my permission) and this was my experience. If a picture is worth a thousand words than being there is worth a thousand pictures... :Brow:
Are you out of your flipping tree????? NEVER, EVER buy a car over the internet. Spend the money on the plane ticket. I am the MASTER of getting bent over backwards by buying cars over the internet. I don't care if you do send someone to check it out- it doesn't matter. I have had people look at cars for me and I still got it shoved up my a**... Please, if you want me to elaborate, PM me. Please, do yourself a favor, look at it in person!!!!! :beer
i have bought cars site unseen you need to be careful with what you want and weigh out if something is wrong it has to be a good price bottom line no differnt than buying from one of us as well one mans great is another mans good to fair my fair seems to be ok or good to someone else send him a disposible camera or 2 in the mail and with a letter ask him to take certain pictures for you close up in areas you know will be bad if the car is not what they say it is door edges are a good one mud across the bottom but from a distance they look great under qt panel wells by dog legs ect. what it cost to send it to him will cost that to send it back include that moneys as well if he wants to sell the car and is honest he will do this good luck Greg :TU: :Comp:
I bought my 97 Firebird off Ebay almost two years ago. Thankfully (knocking on wood) I've never really had any problems with it. Sight unseen but there were PLENTY of phone calls to get a feel for the seller. There are some good deals out there, not everyone is out there to rape you as a buyer. Of course with that being said, I don't know if I would do it again or not..........
Been there - done that! The red car above was shipped from CA. I was lucky and did not get scr**ed, but I didn't get the deal I thought I was either. To me, it depends on the amount of money involved and the level of risk you want to take. You have to decide if you trust the seller based on your conversations and any other information you can glean from him. The biggest question you have to ask yourself is: if I get it and don't like it, can I sell it myself and get my money back? Don't think you are going to return it or get any help from the seller. Get as much information up front as you can, ask lots of questions, get pictures and videos if possible (to see if it really runs and sounds good), get someone to look at it, if possible. Yeah, if its big money to you, get a professional to appraise it for you. Then you have the whole experience of shipping it - that's another chapter in the story! Good luck - Bill
IF you are bidding on a vehicle OUT of your area, Either Fly in & do the inspection, or PAY a Professional to do it and Talk with them as to what you want & what you want looked at SPECIFICALLY. I just went through an internet buy, on a $45K Corvette. Buyer in Texas, Car in the North East. "Only Needs a Paint Job". Car showed up on the truck, complete underside recently undercoated, BUT 2x4x3/16 inch chunks of rust were falling out the inside of the Frame Rails. Purchaser called Seller on this matter, as car will need a new Frame. "Well you can't put you hand thru the frame. Thats what we call Rust here." WRONG ANSWER!!!! Law Suit Pending, due to Misrepresentation! Did another Corvette locally for a Purchaser in Denmark, after bidding was over. "Never been Hit, Matching #s, Ride & Drive,Bla, Bla Bla. Matching #s, Yes. Never been hit, but SURE hit SOMETHING! Ride & Drive? Mechanism to latch hood was NONEXISTANT, no Pins, Nothing. 25MPH hood wanted to come open & stand right up! Interior had so many coats of clear over the paint on the dash, it looked like it was Patten Leather, and the paint was 1/16" thick from where it had come off of the dash in a 2" circle! Bidder & I were on computer for 3 hours, starting at Midnight, he got his deposit back! In Fairness to Renee & Denny, the Firebird ws less than 30 miles from home. BIG difference from 1500-3000, & they got a Nice Car. (Slow, but looked Fast) ou: Flight, Lodging, Car Rental, Food, are all thoughts to consider, as cost IF you are going to look at a car some distance away, as well as the time line you are working with. Cost of Certified Inspection would be in most cases 20% or less, and save "Oh S&*ts" when the truck is at your drive, and unloading the "Matching Numbered Stage1, from original Owner, in Like New condition," with the "Bondo Billy," Body & Paint $200 Restoration, & 2x4s between the Braced Frame & Shell. BUT MAN, THE PIX LOOKED GREAT!!!!!!! When I go out on a PPI, I am in contact with MY Client, Before, & After the Inspection, and all thru the car, and am getting all the information I can get. There is a 10 page form, I use, Battery of Pix (emailed to Client & HQ) that Day with information & items I normally inspect & specifics on what the Client needs checked. Data Tag Info, Numbers, History when available, and ALL other Documentation I can get my hands on from the Seller. IF the car has been sold & recorded, chances are we will find it in our Data base as well. (AAG has the largest Data Base of it's Type in the Country) We work for the Client, NOT the Seller, and are the Prime Appraisers for Hagerty & Grundy, to name 2 Clients (Listed right in Their Web Site Information)
I have bought and sold several cars over the internet, and I would do it again. My 71 GS Convertible was sold on eBay, for a lot of money, to a guy who never even called me til the auction was over... but he said my pics and 100% feedback made him feel secure enough. I think that I can get a feel for the honesty of a person over the phone to an acceptable extent. My 68 Rivi GS was bought from Virginia the same way... individual owner, professional man, good pics in a nice location, (a horse farm). I felt secure. But then again, I am a salesman who routinely installs $5000+ systems for my clients without a down payment, and I NEVER get burned... I can just sorta tell about a person. Now for a car over $20000 I would prolly (there I go again) invest the money and go see it... Frank
I learned about this the HARD way. I bought a car off EBay 2 years ago-my '68 Wildcat coupe. I should've known something was up- the pictures on the ad were just a tad out of focus....as were the additional ones I had sent to me. I paid more for the car than it was realistically worth, but since it was loaded and a Southern car I thought I was getting a bargain. WRONG! Let's just say that when someone says a car is original-that can mean that it's original and SHOWING IT'S AGE!!!! The tail light lenses were so cracked and clouded I was appalled! That was only one of many disappointments. The cosmetics were the least of my concerns, however..... The oil light was disconnected and after I picked up the car, I drove it 30 miles and the ENGINE SEIZED!!!!! :rant: :rant: :jd: :af: :af: Luckily, I found a local mechanic who had been working on cars since the '50's. He went about rebuilding the engine. I had to rent a car, fly home, fly back when the car was ready.....so I could of saved myself a lot of money and lots of aggravation had I flown down to check the car out first. The seller reluctantly accepted less for the car and the remainder of what I had originally paid went towards the rebuild. Now it's a great car and since it's a keeper, I'm not concerned with getting my money back out of it. Which would realistically take several more years of appreciating on this car. Bottom line: do your homework and see the car in person before you buy. You'll be glad you did. David
