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Don't be a victim

Started by fishnjim, August 02, 2018, 06:31:17 PM

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fishnjim


Scot Minesinger

It is not too difficult, if you want to buy a car go and drive it, meeting the owner and etc.  Do not buy a car sight unseen unless a trusted friend views the car and makes sure it is a real thing.

Anyone who buys a car over the internet without seeing it is vulnerable to theft.

You read about this all the time, why?  Are people really too busy not to be bothered with viewing a substantial purchase.  The consequences may be severe.

Fairfax Station, VA  22039 (Washington DC Sub)
1970 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
1970 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1970 four door Convertible w/Cadillac Warranty

Cape Cod Fleetwood

I bought Have Blue (my SUV) on line. Knew I wanted an Acadia SLT from driving one locally, 'this' one was 12K cheaper than anything in New England and a CPO. Called the GMC/Cadillac dealer in Brooklyn, gave them my AmEx to hold the car until they faxed me the build sheet, it checked out against the ad. They faxed me a bill of sale, I signed and faxed it back, over nighted a bank check, they over nighted the title, Badlands Trucking picked it up 2 days later, I was driving it 5 days after I saw it on line. Still driving it, what a great car. YMMV.

\m/
Laurie
There are 2 kinds of cars in the world, Cadillac and everything else....

The Present -1970 Fleetwood Brougham

The Past -
1996 Deville Concours
1987 Sedan De Ville "Commonwealth Edition"
1981 Coupe De Ville (8-6-4)
1976 Sedan De Ville
1975 Sedan De Ville

The Daily Driver and work slave -
2008 GMC Acadia SLT *options/all

wrench

#3
I am mystified by anyone who would buy a piece of complicated machinery without inspecting it.

Right now I am looking for a cheap car for somebody and the first car was asking 3x what the condition of the car warranted.
Second one, the seller was just flaky, not a scammer, but I knew I didn't want to do 'business' with someone like that due to if the dude was that flaky, what decisions were made during his ownership that were equally or more flaky?

I had a guy selling an Explorer and none of the pictures showed the right side which had been totally T-boned in and lifted the tailgate and there was hay and a goat living in it!
And the guy wanted fair retail for this pos!

Another time, expensive luxury SUV...I am there 5 minutes, the guy is telling me how he just had the oil changed and I pull the dipstick and no oil is registered on it. I show this to him and he was like wtf?

I said thanks, have a nice day.

Another one, I get there and the truck
Is on jack stands and he is bleeding the brakes, a brake line rusted through and was leaking before I even looked at it. Have a nice day!

I have a million stories like this. I also have a lot of success stories where good vehicles can be had for good prices, but you have to look at them because the ad doesn't tell the story, the CAR tells the story.
You are not buying the ad or the pictures, you are buying the car.

Man, you gotta go look at a car or at least have a pre-purchase done. And you must check the paperwork! Don't get me started on titles.

There are a lot of junk cars and whacky folks out there.

1951 Series 62 Sedan
1969 Eldorado
1970 Eldorado (Triple Black w/power roof)
1958 Apache 3/4 ton 4x4
2005 F250
2014 FLHP
2014 SRX

gary griffin


My method is "Fly and Buy".  The time I trusted the owner I had a lot of money tied up in correcting the deficiencies he overlooked in his advertisement and our phone conversation.
Gary Griffin

1940 LaSalle 5029 4 door convertible sedan
1942 Cadillac 6719 restoration almost complete?
1957 Cadillac 60-special (Needs a little TLC)
2013 Cadillac XTS daily driver

fishnjim

This ring was preying on the export market - which is quite sizable.   It's a lot more expensive and difficult to go and see, especially if it turns out a wreck, so I guess they took the chance and got took...

76eldo

I inspect and purchase about 20 cars a year that go to Norway through one particular broker.  EVERY car gets inspected and NO money changes hands until someone in the US has verified the VIN matches the title and that the car is as represented.  The cost is about $500.00 per car plus inland transport to the Port in Newark.  In most cases I am able to negotiate the selling price of the car to more than compensate for my fees unless it's an ebay purchase.  That price is set when the bid is made.

Buy a car sight unseen and un-inspected and just expect to be ripped off.  Maybe a lot, maybe a little, but pretty much every time.

Brian
Brian Rachlin
Huntingdon Valley, Pa
I prefer email's not PM's rachlin@comcast.net

1960 62 Series Conv with Factory Tri Power
1970 DeVille Conv
1970 Eldo
1970 Caribu (?) "The Cadmino"
1973 Eldorado Conv Pace Car
1976 Eldorado Conv
1980 Eldorado H & E Conv
1993 Allante with Hardtop (X2)
2008 DTS
2012 CTS Coupe
2017 XT
1956 Thunderbird
1966 Olds Toronado

cadillacmike68

Quote from: Cape Cod Fleetwood on August 02, 2018, 10:03:21 PM
I bought Have Blue (my SUV) on line. Knew I wanted an Acadia SLT from driving one locally, 'this' one was 12K cheaper than anything in New England and a CPO. Called the GMC/Cadillac dealer in Brooklyn, gave them my AmEx to hold the car until they faxed me the build sheet, it checked out against the ad. They faxed me a bill of sale, I signed and faxed it back, over nighted a bank check, they over nighted the title, Badlands Trucking picked it up 2 days later, I was driving it 5 days after I saw it on line. Still driving it, what a great car. YMMV.

\m/
Laurie

Laurie, you were working with a new car dealer. These others - I don't trust them as far as I can throw them.

If its too far to drive and buy, then it's flu and buy for me, which I've done.
Regards,
"Cadillac" Mike


metalblessing

Yeah when I was a teenager I bought 1970's Cadillac Hearse on ebay without seeing it. Turned out to be a real bad deal and luckily I got my money back from a paypal dispute. Was a major mistake and taught me alot. Got my current car via craigslist, but I had a friend who lived in the area and he took a look with his mechanic friend, and now I own it.
1968 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Hearse/Ambulance Combination