To those that have bought a used car, help a fellow NTer out! vol. thanks :)

[mugzbo]

What's up NT fam,
I'm planning on buying a used whip from someone off craigslist and as of now, the deal has been agreed to. This is my first time buying a car on theintranetz and so far, everything seems cool. I'm planning on copping an '02 Lexus IS300 sedan with 53k miles on it. She's using eBay as anarbitrary mediator (vehicle protection proggie sounds legit) and is giving me 5 days to test it after I receive it. Any past reviews of how using eBay as a 3rdparty arbitrator? How fast does everything process? etc, etc, etc.

Anyways, what I wanted to know is: are there any other things I need to be concerned about? My bro told me something about asking her about the ownership titleand I sent her an e-mail about that and am waiting a response. Are there any other kinks/details I may have missed out?

Thanks for the input, all is appreciated.

 

[antbanks81]

DONT DO IT! There was someone on craigslist selling a GS for pennies on the dollar and my guy found out it was a scam. I think she said she lived in Vegas andwas selling the car because of a divorce and needing money. We thought it being involved with ebay and paypal made it safe, but that is not the case.

DONT DO IT!

 

[realxfresh]

That ebay *@%+ is a scam don't fall for those. if it's too good to be true, chances are it is.

 

[oidreez]

craigslist is for local transactions only. you pay cash and receive item. i dont know about all this ebay *!#+

 

[justhotkicks]

Check the title, test drive the car, and have it inspected by a mechanic before any money ever changes hands...not even a penny.

When test-driving, drive over bumps, make sharp turns, brake abruptly, and push the car to some extremes to see how it handles it.

Checking the title (getting a CarFax) gives you a clue about the car's history. Was it a rental car? Was it inactive for some period of time? Was there anyliens on it? Does she even have the title in hand?

Research general specifics on the car and question her about them. If i'm not mistaken, the earlier model IS had transmission problems and recordedterrible gas mileage.

Is the price indicative of the current value of the car? The used-car market is pretty bad, but you should be wary of surprisingly low prices. Unless it'san emergency, nobody is willing to take less money. The '02 IS300 with 53k miles in good condition is worth, according to KBB, $11,300. Anything less than$8,500 means there's something wrong with the car.

Ask her about maintenance. Did she get routine check-ups? Tune-ups? How often did she change her oil, get new tires, etc.

There's a lot more to buying a car than agreeing to a price. Good luck.

BTW that eBay thing is most likely a scam.

 

[kanyewestjayz4life]

Only use craigslist, so you can meet at your mechanics spot and check it out. I think they have a local feature on ebay also, ebay could come through beinglegit, but nobody on here trust them "Im with them" ebay cause nothing but trouble for the most part.

 

[dr spaceman]

Lemme guess, she's not in the area at the moment so you can't go over to take a look at it? more than likely a scam, if it's a local transaction, idon't even get the need for ebay as an arbitrator.

 

[mugzbo]

Wow, thanks for the responses. Since a lot of you guys have had the previous experience of dealing with such things, it does make me question the deal now. Atfirst, I thought that having the transaction being done over eBay made it a little safer but apparently not.

I think she said she lived in Vegas and was selling the car because of a divorce and needing money.


WOW. This is almost exactly the scenario she laid out for me. She posted the ad in craigslist in NY but said that the car was ready with the shipping companyin VA. That made me suspect it for the worse but damn...that really kills it for me.

This broad was selling the IS300 for $4,200 including shipping. I mean when you guys see a deal like that, your initial reaction is to question why the ##$% itwould be so cheap. On the other hand, it seems like a deal you just can't refuse. I've had these situations before but it turned out well once (when Icopped DS Gold Flightposites for $90) and worse (when I copped fake Voltage Foams for a bill). $4,200 was OD suspect for an IS300 but I really love the IS300& GS300 as well. Damn, this just killed me.

Thanks NT!!! I really was about to go through with this tomorrow too. Funny thing was that I just graduated and wanted to make this my first step into realityand was planning on carrying everything out without my parents' help. On a side note, why do you guys say that the eBay thing is a scam? I haven'tmessed with eBay after they got all corny with the commissions charge several years ago. Doesn't eBay register the transaction as a legit one and anythingthat goes wrong could be worked out? Whatever, I'ma see how she replies to my e-mail and just lead her on to mess with her for getting my hopes up. SkeeosFTL

 

[carlos tevez]

Wow, I cant believe you almost actually fell for this.

You actually thought about buying a car without inspecting it/test driving it?

It's like buying a mail-order bride.

 

[dr spaceman]

The thread you were gonna make next week would've been interesting.

 

[mugzbo]

I'll admit, I'm a fool for this one. Thanks for looking out!

 

[antbanks81]

Man don't sweat it, someone always trying to get over on others.

 

[mangudai954]

Originally Posted by Carlos Tevez

Wow, I cant believe you almost actually fell for this.

You actually thought about buying a car without inspecting it/test driving it?

It's like buying a mail-order bride.

@ you OP

 

[a55a5in11]

u need to get the vin# of the car and get a vehicle inspection report done

 

[infamousod]

this nigerian fella is selling me his bentley because the law prohibits him from owning more than 3, sound legit to you?

 

[oidreez]

Originally Posted by mugzbo

I'll admit, I'm a fool for this one. Thanks for looking out!

doesn't the cars/trucks page on craigslist have in BIG LETTERS [size=+3][ OFFERS TO SHIP CARS ARE 100% FRAUDULENT ][/size]

 

[tha shermanator]

I'm also buying a used car but from a dealership too. How exactly to you get a mechanic inspect the car? Do you take it to them? Are the dealers supposeto let you do that? Who else should inspect the car?