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  #16  
Old 12-15-2009, 10:44 AM
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Ummm

Quote:
Originally Posted by strelnik View Post
Hank,
where do you live? We don't know and can't figure it out from your name.
FYI: That post was made 04-13-2007..

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  #17  
Old 01-06-2010, 01:56 PM
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ALL SELLERS LIE

OK, OK, 99.9% of sellers lie.

I know dealers aren't supposed to post here, but I figured I'm offering advice so no harm, no foul.

I've bought literally hundreds of cars, and over 70% of them long distance. There are some hard/fast rules to keep in mind:

1. EVERY seller lies. EVERY seller lies. Some lie because they are dishonest and want to sell their car for the most money possible, so they hide any flaws and lie about the rest. Some lie because they disclose an issue but either minimize it or think they know what's wrong (and it's always a cheap/easy fix) and give you the wrong diagnosis. Some lie (and granted this isn't a 'lie' in the true sense of the word) because there are problems they just don't know are there. A leak that has not hit the ground and puddled yet, A/C that has not been used in a while but no longer works, etc.

There is one seller in a million that not only accurately discloses flaws, but gets an inspection done on their own car and either fixes what's found or discloses what's found. I am one of the few idiots that does that, and I many times lose a sale as a result of disclosing what's found. I am in that exact sitaution now....sold a gorgeous 2003 S600 with 84K miles, told buyer it was at Benz dealer for inspection, dislosed what was found and offered to fix it, and buyer got cold feet because car 'was supposed to be like new and need nothing' and backed out. Oh well.

2. So that brings me to the inspection. GET A PRE-PURCHASE INSPECTION ON EVERY CAR YOU CONSIDER BUYING. I don't care how nice the pics are, or how good you are at looking over cars (OK, unless you're Hef or someone professional), or if the seller shows you records of routine maintenance. In the world of buying cars, this is the cheapest insurance you can ever get. I mean, who would not spend $150 or so to find out if that creampuff they're considering is actually a *****box or not? You can't even argue it's not worth it on cheap cars......if the car is $1500, it's not worth $150 to prevent you from throwing away $1500?

The PPI must be from an authorized dealer or independent mechanic that specializes in the marque or knows it well. YOU HAVE TO FIND AND HIRE THE SHOP. You can not let the seller go to his mechanic, or take it to the shop the seller recommends. Too risky. The shop has to work for you and you only, and not have a cozy relationship with the seller, especially if buying long-distance. I don't even offer to have my mechanic do the inspection, it just is so ripe for a conflict of interest even if I told him to make sure to be extra careful...I pay him every week, the buyer does not, you know?

The PPI must be done with the seller in a nice way. Speaking as a seller, it is kind of a pain in the neck to do this, and if everyone wants one, and most people are not serious when they say they want to buy a car, all I'd be doing is going back and forth to dealers. So make sure you've worked out the price and terms, and that you're going to buy the car as long as it gets a decent inspection report. You have to be realistic as a buyer too; no 10+ year old car is going to get a perfect report. There will always be things to do, you just want to rule out major stuff. Let the seller know he can drop it at his convenience at the shop you've chosen (pick the closest/best place to the seller) and you will pay for it of course. I even offer to pay the shops $25 or whatever rental car fee while the inspection is getting done. I can't expect someone to sit around for 4 hours for an inspection.

Of course, if you're nice about it and the seller refuses to get a PPI done, or only wants his mechanic to do it, you should start asking yourself why that is.

3. Get a cosmetic opinion during the PPI (assuming it's not a project car or rolling chassis or something). Most shops do not want to do this; cosmetics are subjective and too open to dispute. But ask nicely, ask (if it's a car dealership and not just a repair shop) if the used car manager could come by while the car is in the shop and take a look, with a paint meter preferably to check for original paint. Tell them you won't quote them or hold them to anything, you just want to know, since they are your eyes on a long distance purchase, if the car is reasonably nice and as represented by the seller, or if it looks like it fell off a cliff. Offer to pay a little extra for this, it's worth it, especially on a car you're considering for its excellent condition or that is high priced. You also want the shop to check frame and unibody for any signs of previous repairs.

4. Protect yourself when buying...get a copy of title front and back, verify seller's address/DL#/home phone, pay by a trackable method, etc. The car being dropped off for PPI (verify the VIN# and run carfax while it's there, if not before) is a good sign too, at least the seller has physical possession of the car. Just be careful, this is usually thousands of dollars, long distance, to someone you do not know. Be smart!

Good luck!

Bruce
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  #18  
Old 01-07-2010, 12:22 PM
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All 13 Mercedes I've purchased have fit your definition of deceptive sellers. I do not think it takes a pro to do a proper PPI on an older benz, definitely for newer ones though.
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  #19  
Old 04-18-2010, 11:56 AM
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suggestion regarding photo hosting site-- for convenience and consistency

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomguy View Post
Agreed. Maybe I'll make a script to assist members who are looking to sell their cars on this forum, which they can use to upload to my space... I do have a 15gb hosting package that I'm not really using
Sounds good.

It would be a help if everyone could send their photos, high-res or not, to the same place for review by prospective buyers. It just makes things simpler.

And if someone has special pics that don't fit the format, they can be sent to people by e-mail request to individuals.
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  #20  
Old 07-21-2013, 06:05 PM
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Bump, because we need it.
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  #21  
Old 04-11-2014, 03:24 PM
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So I just edited the first post, since people still point out the forum issues with posting pictures, to suggest using Imgur. imgur: the simple image sharer is awesome for albums, and easy enough for even my mom to learn.
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  #22  
Old 07-20-2014, 11:59 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tomguy View Post
So I just edited the first post, since people still point out the forum issues with posting pictures, to suggest using Imgur. imgur: the simple image sharer is awesome for albums, and easy enough for even my mom to learn.

Photobucket is another option, works for me.
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  #23  
Old 07-20-2014, 04:00 PM
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Exclamation Liars

It's amazing ~ I usually buy my vehicles as junk because I'm a Journeyman Mechanic as well as a cheapskate....

They STILL lie through their teeth .
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  #24  
Old 07-20-2014, 04:37 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vwnate1 View Post
It's amazing ~ I usually buy my vehicles as junk because I'm a Journeyman Mechanic as well as a cheapskate....

They STILL lie through their teeth .
Does this mean there's a dip - you can go so low the car is actually better than described?
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I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!
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  #25  
Old 07-21-2014, 12:11 AM
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Post

That's not what I meant but yes , when I answer a specific typ of advert , I am often well pleased by what I find Vs. what I was told to expect .
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1982 240D 408,XXX miles
Ignorance is the mother of suspicion and fear is the father

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  #26  
Old 11-24-2015, 05:00 AM
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This is an excellent thread. On the flip side, I've heard some weird "stories" / excuses from people who "needed me to deliver the car and or parts" to vanish when I arrive at the agreed upon location. My favorite moment of this was someone on another thread who "couldn't find the restaurant" I provided the exact address to. He was from WV and I met him in NJ. Who drives from WV to NJ to turn around without even looking at the car load of parts I had packed for him? LUNATIC.
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  #27  
Old 11-24-2015, 09:51 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Stretch View Post
Does this mean there's a dip - you can go so low the car is actually better than described?
Paid $350 for a car I figured would be a "Parts car" that had a mysterious overheating issue per the seller. Looked trashed in pics. Got there and it looked better than expected, ran great. Drove home 45+ minutes away (expected to need to use my AAA). Problem, the elec fans were both shot, so in traffic it overheats. It was fine on the highway at 70+ the whole way home. It isn't a perfect car by any means but it's worth way more than what I paid, that's for sure.

So yes, if you know what you're doing, what you want, and go in with reasonable expectations, you can actually wind up ahead of what you were expecting.
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  #28  
Old 09-30-2016, 08:19 AM
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I hate how they list AMG,when all it has is wheels.
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  #29  
Old 09-30-2016, 11:07 AM
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Cool ! AMG !

Quote:
Originally Posted by oldsinner111 View Post
I hate how they list AMG,when all it has is wheels.
Or some stickers .

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