Buying a car off Craigslist?

[karenbaco]

Any tips for buying a used car off Craigslist? Not sure what to look for or expect for the sale? It will be financed through a bank. Want to make sure we don't get the raw end of the deal.

 

[MichaelaF]

I sell cars through a non-profit organization. The only time I would ever possibly MAYBE consider buying a vehicle off Craigslist is if I could take a trusted mechanic with me to look it over first and let me know what the issues were with it and how much it would cost to remedy. And this would only be after doing a lot of research to make sure you are getting the right price. You can get a price range off Kelley Blue Book's website (http://www.kbb.com/), but you can only do that accurately if you have a mechanic that can tell you the condition.

This is especially true if you are financing it through a bank - the chances are way too high that you'll be stuck with a lemon that won't work properly (or work at all) and a loan that you still have to pay off.

 

[Ranger111]

1) Have to disagree with the first respondent, a large, large number of cars are sold this way. As with all used cars, some are great, some lousy, with the majority falling somewhere in between.

2) To give yourself a fair chance, before you do anything else, sign-up for one of the VIN check services. That way you can see the history of the car, estimate if the miles on the odometer seem consistent, most likely see service records on the car, etc.

3) Take along a friend (or two) when looking at said cars -- if they know a little about cars, even better.

4) Google the seller's contact information (if a "private party"). see if their phone number or e-mail (or both) show up as selling lots of cars (that would be a caution).

5) Go with the "Vibes."

Finally, anytime you buy a used car, it is a bit of a risk -- even from a local, respected dealer.

While it would be "nice" to be able to have the car inspected before purchase, most sellers won't allow it -- and that does not necessarily mean they have anything to hide.

 

[MichaelaF]

Lots of people attend Justin Bieber concerts too...that doesn't make it a good idea.

I'll agree that purchasing any used car is a risk. But if I'm spending thousands of dollars on a purchase, I'm going to want to reduce my risk as much as possible. Many reputable dealers offer Certified Pre-Owned and/or warranties with your vehicles. There's literally no way I would buy a car from a private seller without inspecting it first. NEVER. If they have nothing to hide, there's no reason my friend or I can't look at it. If they say no, then they are free to sell to someone else.

Some states have used car lemon laws or used car buyer's rights, which can be helpful for you. Do a search to see what applies in your state. Sometimes these only apply to dealer used sales, rather than private sellers.

I'd also agree with the previous poster about using a VIN service to do a car check.

To reiterate, I would say it is far more important to not buy off Craigslist (or any private seller, honestly) if you are using bank financing rather than cash. If you were able to pay cash, you could probably take a few more risks, and not stand as much to lose if you had to put money into it or resell it. Worst case scenario is you will be paying a loan on a car that doesn't work and you can't resell to pay off the loan, while having to pay for ANOTHER vehicle to get around (or be without).

 

[Ranger111]

not to argue -- but Justin B. -- this is cars, not performers.

I would never buy a car before inspecting it myself, either (although lots of people do, especially off EBay).

However, there is a difference between inspecting it yourself -- and having the seller release the car to you for several hours, maybe a day, to have a mechanic inspect said car.

most people, will not do that. Most auto dealers will not do that. I would not do that.

And yes, a certified vehicle gives you better odds, but those vehicles are usually over-priced (but you are paying for the peace of mind).

Anyone looking to buy a top quality used car -- and looking to better their odds SHOULD consider the certified cars.

But, odds are, you can find a perfectly good used car from a private party -- just as people have been doing for decades -- for a cheaper price than the dealers -- only diff. is now, instead of the Sunday Times, people advertise on Craigslist.

i am not sure if the objection is to Craigslist, itself, or to private party car sales in general....but a used car is just that....and always has been.

 

[MichaelaF]

To be certain, I'd never expect a person to release a car to me to TAKE to a mechanic. That's why I said "take a trusted mechanic with me to look it over first ". This is assuming you have a mechanic friend who can do this and is willing to. Point being, if you don't, then I wouldn't buy off Craigslist, especially on a bank loan.

 

[Ranger111]

To be certain, I'd never expect a person to release a car to me to TAKE to a mechanic. That's why I said "take a trusted mechanic with me to look it over first ". This is assuming you have a mechanic friend who can do this and is willing to. Point being, if you don't, then I wouldn't buy off Craigslist, especially on a bank loan.

This is getting into much more than I want to say, but not many people have a trusted mechanic who would do this. And, it is no longer 1964, a mechanic needs his/her computer, a lift, etc. to do a decent job looking over a car.

Again, is it just Craigslist (which I see as nothing different than any other private party sale), or used cars in general.

If it is used cars in general, fine. I understand this. So, stick with new or pay a hefty premium for certified used from a new car dealer. I also understand this.

But, again, lots of reasons NOT to dismiss used car private sales if you are comfortable with such things.

 

[Mrs. Bradbury]

We sold our last vehicle on Craigslist, so I can't really turn my nose up at car sellers on Craigslist.

I will say this: I trust strangers on Craigslist about as much as I trust any car salesman. Always, always remember: let the buyer beware, no matter what you're buying, or from where.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I have been searching CL for a used car for my ds17. It seems that this is currently the way people list a used car for sale. There were around 5 just in my home town. People used to have to pay a lot of $$ to have an ad listed in the classified section of a newspaper. Now they can list with lots of pics, longer description etc.

I have also bought a used car from a dealer for myself. It had just 17,000 miles on it, barely used and we kept it for another 10 years. I see nothing wrong with this either but that car was $11,000 and most dealers will only keep cars on their lot that are slightly used. They don't keep older, used cars which is what I was looking for ds. I was trying to keep in the $2-3,000 range which is non-existent at a local Ford/Chevy dealer lot.

The job ds interviewed for fell through so I'm not still car searching but we did see some very decent looking deals. I immediately ruled out any car from a seedy neighborhood & anything that looked too good to be true. I also would not plan to carry cash when looking at a car listed on CL. I'd bring as many people as possible, prob my whole family, to deter any possible idea of someone mugging us. It's rare but it happens.
fwiw, I don't know any mechanics that I could bring to inspect a car before buying.

 

[kymom99]

not to argue -- but Justin B. -- this is cars, not performers.

I would never buy a car before inspecting it myself, either (although lots of people do, especially off EBay).

However, there is a difference between inspecting it yourself -- and having the seller release the car to you for several hours, maybe a day, to have a mechanic inspect said car.

most people, will not do that. Most auto dealers will not do that. I would not do that.

And yes, a certified vehicle gives you better odds, but those vehicles are usually over-priced (but you are paying for the peace of mind).

Anyone looking to buy a top quality used car -- and looking to better their odds SHOULD consider the certified cars.

But, odds are, you can find a perfectly good used car from a private party -- just as people have been doing for decades -- for a cheaper price than the dealers -- only diff. is now, instead of the Sunday Times, people advertise on Craigslist.

i am not sure if the objection is to Craigslist, itself, or to private party car sales in general....but a used car is just that....and always has been.

My niece recently bought a used car from a dealer. She shopped around for a couple weeks and all the dealers allowed her to take their cars to bob sumeral, etc. to have them checked out. None of these places charged her either, which i thought was cool. Also, she sold a car to a guy a few years ago and I remember she let him take it out for a drive. May have held his license or something but if he had said he wanted to take it the a garage down the street she would have probably said ok. I haven't sold a car myself to a stranger on years so I don't have any personal experience with this topic.

 

[MichaelaF]

This is getting into much more than I want to say, but not many people have a trusted mechanic who would do this. And, it is no longer 1964, a mechanic needs his/her computer, a lift, etc. to do a decent job looking over a car.

Again, is it just Craigslist (which I see as nothing different than any other private party sale), or used cars in general.

If it is used cars in general, fine. I understand this. So, stick with new or pay a hefty premium for certified used from a new car dealer. I also understand this.

But, again, lots of reasons NOT to dismiss used car private sales if you are comfortable with such things.

The OP asked for tips for buying off Craiglist, in order to not get the raw end of the deal. I was giving my tips, as someone who literally deals with (used) cars on a daily basis.

There's a lot of middle ground between buying from a private seller you don't know and buying Certified Pre-owned from a large lot/dealer (which I wouldn't usually do either). There are a number of reputable used car dealers (do searches to find reviews - there are plenty of crappy ones, too) that will work with you to find a vehicle in your price range that is dependable, and inspected thoroughly. Because they are paying mechanics to have already worked on it and do inspections (ours get three inspections), and likely office people to do title and paperwork, yes, you'll pay more than you will a private seller. It's up to you to decided whether it is worth it, or whether you want to (possibly) risk more in the long run in order to save more in the short run.

Used cars are always a risk. I know we've sold cars we've worked on, done triple inspections on, and something will go wrong the day after our warranty expires. That's just part of living in an imperfect world. And I'd never assume that every private seller (Craigslist or not) is a con man out to rip you off. But there are also plenty of sellers who literally wouldn't know if something specific were wrong with their car in order to tell you. This is probably the larger risk you are taking, rather than just getting scammed intentionally.

 

[DVC'96]

When we bought my sons car from a private owner we asked him if he would bring the car to our mechanic and he did. We paid a small amount to have it looked over and the mechanic told both of us his opinion. It worked out very well for us-we've had the car for 2 years now with no major problems.

 

[supersnoop]

If the seller won't let you take the car to a mechanic for a pre-purchase inspection, ask the seller to take it in to your mechanic or dealer. Make that a condition of sale. If they won't agree, then you don't want the car.

The mechanics report will cost you anywhere from $50 to $200 dollars, depending on the type of car and where you take it. The fact that you're willing to spend that money should prove to the seller that you're a serious buyer. Also, any issues that the mechanic finds will help you negotiate the price.

You might lose some money looking at lemons, but it's better to spend the money now instead of ending up with a money pit in the driveway.

 

[texasroni75]

Two months ago we bought a used car from Craigslist for our DD(19). DH did the legwork, having it checked out, KBB value, test driving it, etc. It turned out "okay" - it needed more work than DH had anticipated, but since the cost of the car was very low, it worked out. We've had similar experiences with buying from any used car dealership, so, it didn't feel like it was a bad deal. We wanted her to have a car that she could drive to and from work and school (10 miles each way), and nothing fancy since she's a new driver, and plans to upgrade to something nicer in a year or two.

My two biggest issues with buying from Craigslist:

(1) Safety - bringing cash to a location to buy a car from a stranger, not a business storefront, feels unsafe in general. You never know if the person is just pretending to sell a car and is waiting to take your money and run.

(2) Title loans - In our area, title loans are SO common (kind of like a payday loan), and you might be getting a "copy" of a title that isn't clean - and might have thousands of dollars in loans against it, that become YOUR problem once you take ownership of it.

My best advice, like others posted, is to trust your instincts. If something sounds fishy, don't buy. And don't rush it either, thinking someone else is going to buy it out from under you. There are SO many cars on Craigslist, chances are there will be a dozen more cars just like it for sale the next day!

 

[supergoofy]

Take somebody with you and insect the car at the sellers house. I am a gear head and know what to look at and I have yet to have a seller me tell me no when I put on my overalls and climb under a car.

The Vin services are a hit or miss. If I do the work myself or have a shop do it and it is not reported as it is not a mandatory thing then it doesn't show up. And some things show up weird. Daughters car shows a "salvaged" title. So one would assume its a wreck. No it was a public car and went to auction that totals the title.

Do research on Kelley Blue Book to get values and also look at other adds to get a price.


Then go with your gut. Look at everything. If the vehicle is super super clean are they hiding something? If they left it dirty inside and out to me that shows they don't care.

 

[danygirl]

DH is a mechanic and he worked for one of the used car superstore chains so I have some knowledge.

We buy from Craigslist. Usually he knows what he is looking for - he does his research ahead of time and knows what brand and model he is looking for.

We test drive and inspect everything before buying.

When you buy from a superstore don't assume they fix everything. they dont. They fix the stuff they think will break before the 30 day warranty expires. They have a price point for each car and they will not do repairs that put too much money into the car. So if you buy from them you should take your car to a mechanic for a thorough inspection before the 30 day warranty runs out. or better yet, ask if you can have a local mechanic inspect it before you buy.

The autotrader is a good place to look for used car listings.

 

[Lewisc]

I don't know how much the OP is looking to spend. You have some protection if you're buying a car which still has some of the Mfg warranty left, has a transferable service contract or is new enough for you to purchase a service contract.

In theory buying a car from CL is equivalent to buying a car from a classified ad in the newspaper. I suspect the internet is giving us more shady sellers.

I'd make sure the seller is the original owner of the car. Better yet is the original owner and has service records. Try to see the car at the owners home. Resist the temptation to see the car in a more convenient spot. I've read some car dealers use "shills" to sell cars they'd rather not sell on their lot. I know there are some people who buy a car on CL from an honest buyer. They misrepresent the car and resell it for a quick profit.

 

[tvguy]

My only experience with Craigslist was as a seller, and the ratio of wacko inquiries to legitimate ones was staggering.

Local law enforcement here has out and out said they feel the risks of buying or selling on Craiglist are too high to even consider it.

I would not a used car (from any source ) without having it taken to my mechanic, at my expense, to be inspected. Having said that, cars are complicated machines. Any used car is a risk, because, just like the cars in my driveway, even if it is in perfect condition, there are just too major expensive failures that can happen that can not be detected in advance.

 

[davedmaine]

Any tips for buying a used car off Craigslist? Not sure what to look for or expect for the sale? It will be financed through a bank. Want to make sure we don't get the raw end of the deal.

I'd buy a fish tank on CL, but never a vehicle

 

[jmail048]

I'd buy a fish tank on CL, but never a vehicle

agree. I sold a car on craigslist once, never again. To many people trying to pull a fast one