Advice please- quick!! UPDATE-first post!!

[WriteDisney]

Ok here is how it went! Thanks for all of your advice BTW I was super nervous until I met them.

When the guy showed up, he was with his daughter who was 19, I texted their license plate number to DF and my best friend. I told him we were looking for the asking price, and that if that was not realistic for him that he could skip the mechanic thing. I went with them to the mechanic, who DID try to find things wrong that were not really wrong, he said something about the exhaust, which is all brand new, and I showed them the receipt for the new exhaust less than 6 months ago. Then he sort of smiled, gave them a "look" and after that seemed pretty honest. He knew I was on to his plan.


I listed in the add that the car needed rear brakes and that the a/c has a leak. The mechanic did also mention the brakes, but i felt like they were def attempting to whittle down the price. I have to say though, they were very normal and seemed very reasonable and the mechanic was also very nice. I stayed for the whole thing, it took less than an hour for the trip there and back. It did appear to me that the daughter could use some more driving lessons, talk about backseat driver, I was terrified by her lack of coordination. She ran a stop sign and almost killed us all. At the end of the trip I asked if she was a new driver and she said no, but she had recently totalled her last car, after having had it for only 3 weeks.


I hope her dad is looking at safety ratings on crash tests, lol! My SUV has 5 stars. They said they have 2 more to see today and they wll call tonight.

Glad everything worked out! :

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I guess what I'm balking at is that a lot of people seem to think someone wanting to have a car that they are interested in buying, being inspected, they must be trying to scam them or something. In the past we've often bought cars and brought a buddy of his along (ASE certified) to look or taken them to him. He works at dealership and ran his own business on the side. Lots of mechanics do this without hanging a "sign" out front and usually get a lot of business by word of mouth. One guy we know actually works on his landlords work vehicles for a reduction in rent. I would trust him to take a car that I was seriously considering buying to him, with all the posts of "make sure ___" if someone does this, buddy and certified but on his own time, how could you make sure. I don't know, I guess I'm not conveying what I mean very well. I've dealt too long with cars & the car business that this just doesn't seem out of the ordinary to me.

After selling over 30+ used cars we have never had anyone take it to a mechanic, well maybe one, I can't remember. Nor have we taken a car to a mechanic, my dh works on cars. So we don't need that unless it was a sensor issue or something computer related.

I do understand getting it looked at, I don't care about that. It is just I would be there as the OP did.

Not sure what you are saying really. Are there shady people out there, sure there are. We have been burned on a few of those cars. It happens. But it would have not been something that we could tell right away.

 

[dawson5]

My husband is the same way, he has been around cars his whole life also. He's probably bought & sold around 20 cars, rebuilt 4 working on 5 right now. Any used car that we've ever bought has been given the once over by a mechanic who is also a buddy that does it on his own time usually for a 6-pack. (Just because they work cheap doesn't mean they aren't good ). I just thought this was common place, we've always gone into buying with open eyes about possible costs coming at us down the road.

OP good luck on selling the car. *sheesh* on the driver. One of our neighbors, their son just turned 16 and within a week of having his license rolled the car "avoiding a rabbit." That is his story at least.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

My husband is the same way, he has been around cars his whole life also. He's probably bought & sold around 20 cars, rebuilt 4 working on 5 right now. Any used car that we've ever bought has been given the once over by a mechanic who is also a buddy that does it on his own time usually for a 6-pack. (Just because they work cheap doesn't mean they aren't good ). I just thought this was common place, we've always gone into buying with open eyes about possible costs coming at us down the road.

OP good luck on selling the car. *sheesh* on the driver. One of our neighbors, their son just turned 16 and within a week of having his license rolled the car "avoiding a rabbit." That is his story at least.

Maybe it is the price range of the car? Let's be honest, expecting a 2000 car to be in excellent condition and not in need of some work is not realistic.

I could see taking a car to a mechanic if you saw something/heard something and it was a more expensive car. And you were serious about buying it.

But to take it to a mechanic to try and lower the price on a 2000 car and the buyer is "just looking" is a bit silly. He has 2 other cars to look at. I don't find that "normal".

 

[wdwmom0f3]

Not to alarm you but I had a guy come test drive my dads Jeep Cherokee. He drove it straight to Wal Mart & had a key made. He came back and said that he was going to think about it, and he thought about it alright. He came back that night and stole it. My Ins. paid off and then the jeep was found a few months later in GA. with the same guy driving it. He put a GA tag on it that didn't match the car. By the way, his wife & kids were with him.

I would agree to meet him at the shop with the car and explain to him your firm price. I would also tell the people to check it out, but you will be back to pick it up.

Good luck!

 

[bumbershoot]

I guess what I'm balking at is that a lot of people seem to think someone wanting to have a car that they are interested in buying, being inspected, they must be trying to scam them or something.

I saw the main issues were that she was going to go with him, and getting into a car with a strange man isn't something people should be doing.

Also, there was the worry that the mechanic was a friend of his, who was going to TRY to find things wrong with the car, rather than be honest.


OP, glad the inspection went well, and I hope that he buys it!

At the end of the trip I asked if she was a new driver and she said no, but she had recently totalled her last car, after having had it for only 3 weeks.

Oh gracious. Well, at least they're buying your car instead of a brand new one. Guy at my HS kept smashing up his cars, and his parents bought him nicer, more expensive, FASTER cars each time!

 

[dakcp2001]

They already made an offer! BUT it was less then we wanted. I reminded him about the conversation we had before he test drove it, and he said he would think it over and call me back. Then his daughter called me back. I felt bad saying no to her , but they knew I wanted more before they took it out.

I think we will prob meet in the middle. They seem nice enough, and well, this girl needs a safe car. lol. DF thinks I should tell her the car doesn't run unless your seatbelt is fastened.

I think its ok to want to have a car looked at before you buy it, I was just afraid to go alone with a strange man and I was horrified that it could take two hours (that was his estimate, it only took about 1) I have also had so many bizzare emails from people on CraigsList I find it hard to trust anyone now.

 

[dakcp2001]

The Jeep is SOLD! We came to an agreement and are meeting tomorrow to pass the papers!


Any advice on what to include on the bill of sale? I plan to write on there all known issues (the a/c and needing back brakes) is there anything I need to do to cover myself?