How To Buy A Car On Craigslist Without Getting Scammed

It's a lot more fun to buy a car on Craigslist than it is to sell one. A Google Image search turns up the same Jetta on a site called Autozin—everyone sells their car on Autozin, right? Asking questions in real time will help you get a sense of the seller's motivation (and possibly veracity). Also check whether the website price matches the Craigslist listing.

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But buying comes with plenty of its own pitfalls—even if you avoid cashier's checks and bank wires to Nigeria. If they respond with a story, but still don't offer up a location, it's a scam. After all that, try to enjoy your new ride—until you have to start this process all over again. If there isn't one specified in the ad, send an email to see whether the seller will disclose the location. If you're convinced you've found a car that you want, go get it. Unless you're doing big money and a bank wire, that's still how a transaction goes down. Craigslist cars and trucks for sale near me. Here are some more hints that you maybe have just entered the scam zone: - A price that's way too low. Remember, public places are good places, and bringing along a friend is even better. Ezra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist.

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I once bought a truck with a front bumper made out of a guardrail, and the seller wanted to keep that. A photo that clearly doesn't match supposed location (mountains in Miami? Those facts are mutually exclusive. Craigslist maine cars and trucks for sale by dealer. Also some police departments offer safe zones for conducting online transactions, that can also work in a pinch. Most private sellers will state up front whether their car has the coveted locking differentials.

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Dealers seldom care because they can't know every single detail of every car they sell. A personal e-mail address pasted into the main photo—nobody does that. —with a location listed as "Echo Lake Road, Alaska. " Now to dispel a popular myth: The truth is, sometimes dealers can be cheaper because they simply don't know what they have. I once had a seller proactively drop the price $350 once he realized he was talking to someone who would actually come buy his truck. In another case, a phone call revealed that an almost-too-good deal was probably actually for real, which brings us to our next point. The ad meets most of the above criteria, with a $1, 500 asking price that's about a third of what the car actually should cost. Here are two scenarios to avoid: Once, when selling a car, I found myself with the buyer (whom I'd just met), riding through a sketchy neighborhood with $14, 000 cash in my pocket. Grammar mangled beyond even the typical Craiglist norm. Craigslist cars and trucks for sale by owner. For example, I once found a 1970 Chevelle SS396 4-speed, seen here, for $9, 900. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Here's an example: This 2006 Jetta GLI has been popping up on Craiglist in Charlotte, NC (pictured above). If you find a car online from a dealer, check to see if the dealer has a website (or, in the case of the really small operators, a Facebook page). I also once accepted a personal check for my 1979 BMW in a McDonald's parking lot.

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It all sounded legit, but if you waver on something like that, you inevitably regret it. He's now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. That doesn't happen over text or e-mail. Once you've decided to commit, you now have to worry about the pick-up, so make sure you work out the conditions of the sale before you meet. Here are some tips that keep your internet car-buying dreams from being run off the road. More From Popular Mechanics. But if the listing includes in-the-know jargon like model codes ("E39" BMW 540i), that can be a bad sign—the dealer actually knows what they're talking about.

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A listing that's been active for only a few minutes. Take the 1993-1997 Toyota Land Cruiser. The first thing to look for is a location. The listing is also five months old. This guy must be having quite a tough time selling this Jetta. Not just price, but whether the seller is keeping any accessories. So if you're looking for a specific feature, a dealer could be the way to go. The scammiest listings tend to be the newest because they haven't been flagged yet. If not, negotiate from the lower number. Picking up the phone also helps to establish you as a serious buyer rather than a time-wasting texter. Perhaps they bought a car at an auction but are unaware that it has an ultra-rare option.

A price that's bizarre ($1, 523).