Hi. I have asked about internet financing in other threads, Now I am curious if anyone has bought a car off the net. iether through net dealer, eBay, etc and then had it shipped to them. There is a car down in Texas I want and can't make it down to do a deal. Have had a friend in the area look at it and says it seems fine. dealer seems reputable, etc. My question is How smooth was the deal? Did the dealer require a bunch of documentation even though the loan was sought and recieved by the buyer through eloan, or peoples first or similar company. Was there any dealy with shipping or dealer wanting to be sure they had their money for several days before they shipped car, etc. Anyone have any stories? I wouldn't bother but can't get near as good a deal in my area for the same car. I appreciate any information as I don't want to jump into quicksand.
I suppose I got lost with your responce. Did you mistype something or is that implying it is a stupid thing to do in your opinion?
Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? This was just a bump for you, I would like to know the ans. to your queation too.
About two years ago I bought a car on Ebay for my neighbor. It was her dream car, a 1976 AMC Pacer, avocado green, with only 47K original miles on it (no joke)! I think we bid about $4,700 for it... She FedExed the seller a cashier's check (he had an excellent Ebay rating) and the car showed up at her front door about two weeks later on the back of a carrier truck. It was exactly as advertised, and funny as hell because none of us had actually seen a real Pacer in about 15 years. I forgot how ugly they were. No problems with the transaction, but if I were to do it again, I'd send the car into a local mechanic for an inspection before I'd buy sight unseen.
Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? Sorry. Didn't mean to sound harsh. I wasn't familiar with your signature data that shows up in every post. I thought you might have implied it was "The End" for me if I did that. Sorry!!
Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? Thanks for the story Ryder. I can't imagine what a pacer would look like myself come to think of it. I remember back in the 80s a guy I knew prided himself on his Javelin. I thought that thing was hideous! But I have seen what some of those bring now. Not sure why. But again not sure why a 1970 Hemicuda would bring the kind of money it would. Of course the Hemicuda is a much nicer looking car with a serious engine. But still, 6 figures?? If anyone else has bought a car sight unseen on the net, ebay, etc and have used online financing I wouldnt mind hearing how it went. Thanks again!
Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? A friend of mine has bought a car and 2 pickups off of e-bay. He has had no problem with them. One is a 65 Mustang, 68 Chev pickup and a 69 Chev pickup. If you can find what you want close to home it is usually a pretty good deal. The transportation cost is quite high. All of the looked great and were run very good. I hope you find what you want.
Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? I have a friend who bought a van off of e-Bay, but he didn't have it delivered. I think he had someone look at it, then he bought a one-way ticket and flew to pick it up on a weekend. But it was only a one-day drive, you sound like you're farther away. It might be worth your while to have a mechanic inspect it. You said you had someone look at it, maybe they could make arrangements to pick it up and take it to a mechanic for inspection. And I don't know anything about shipping a car, except that there are companies that do it. You may want to check in the phone book for one, and get some quotes. It may be cheaper for you to contract for someone to ship it instead of letting the seller do it. You have more incentive to shop around for a good deal.
Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? Re: Shipping Contact just about any wrecker service and they can give you a cost on delivery of the vehical,, just tell them how many miles the trip will be. Shop around. Some may even just charge a flat rate fee.
Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? Hmmm. If you look in the yellow pages there are companies that specialze in car delivery.
Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? Hey this is my area of expertise. I am a used car dealer. Buying a car over the internet is fine. These are my suggestions; they apply for any car purchase, not just internet, also for private individual sellers not just dealers. Find a National mechanic in the area (ex. in my area Dobbs or Firestone) ask the seller if they would mind rinning the car to the mechanic for a 1/2 hour or 1 hour inspection, you of course are paying the mechanic. This is the best thing you can do, it also gives you leverage to negotiate price if they find mechanical problems. If seller won't do this, siting inconvenience offer to pay them for their time. If they still won't be cautioned. Also get a CARFAX this will give you all info. on vehicle that is of public record. It is an excellent service. As a dealer I have no problem with somebody bringing a mechanic to my lot or having me bring the car to a local mechanic. I wouldn't buy the car without a mechanic inspection and a CARFAX. But if you still want the car my next suggestions are: get lots of pictures of the car. The more you see the better. Can you cancel the deal when you get there if you drive the car and don't want it. I sell cars over the internet, but never force them to buy if they get here and don't like it. In my humble opinion that is bad business. Of course get this in writing before you bid or buy. If it is a dealer do they offer a warranty? Push for at least a 30 day major component 50% parts and labor guarantee. Otherwise it is 30 seconds or 30 feet whichever comes sooner. If it is a private party sale there is no warranty. Most states have no lemon laws that pertain to used vehicles. If you sign an AS IS NO WARRANTY you usually have no recourse. If this car has no remaining factory warranty, buy an extended warranty, it is well worth the few hundred it costs. Don't buy the warranty from the dealer, go directly to the warranty company. Well I hope this info. helps somebody.
Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? I got my new z-3 from Ebay less than two months ago. Easiest experience I have ever had buying a car. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=6056&item=2400097239&rd=1
Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? Nice car Justin! Since this is creditnet, I natually have to ask what your credit situation was when you bought the Beemer.
Re: Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? It was advertised as the wide body car because it had a wider wheel base.
Re: Re: Anyone ever buy a car off the net? When I got the Z-3, my credit union pulled EQ and I had 745 with two inquiries. My EQ score peaked at 762, but I have a new AMEX Blue with $10k limit reporting and a Citi reporting with $1,700 limit and the loan for $28,500. Now I just bumped off my CU inquiry and I have none with a 738. My other automobile loan will show a zero balance within the next month, so it will go back up some hopefully. I am selling it privately, trade in is a ripoff. Not too bad I suppose, I'll be 25 in June =)
If anyone else has bought a car sight unseen on the net, ebay, etc and have used online financing I wouldnt mind hearing how it went. Thanks again! RichardS45 ================= I would not want to buy a car sight unseen . I see this as a very good reason not to buy one on Ebay
