have you ever bought a car without looking at it first?

Bought a used Kawasaki Vulcan 750 off of EBay auction about 20 years ago. Drove to NY to pay seller and pick it up. Seller threw in a helmet and off season battery charger for no cost. It was a great deal.
 
Almost...
I had seen it, and driven it a few miles to the local Walmart and back.
When I bought the 2005 neon from my brother in TX, flew down with a buddy, and we drove the 1100 MI back to OH.( it was 5 yrs old w/ 50k mi for $4k)
But it was all in the family, and I sent him a personal check...
 
In 2008 I won the auction for a 2002 on eBay. It was pretty much as described. I fixed a few issues and upgraded the heater, cooling system, seating and the audio system; it ended up being my son's first car. I sold it to a friend in 2015 .
 
eljefino said:
OP your friend is getting roped into a scam! Tell him in the strongest possible words!

-- The cashiers check will look genuine.

-- Friend's bank will take it, and post the money. They legally have to, it's a federal banking rule.

-- The check will bounce in ten business days. Buyer will be gone with the car.

-- THere will usually be a "misunderstanding" where the check is written for too much money. Might be $1000 over, but if your friend gives the guy $300 he can "keep the rest." There'll be a cock & bull story about how they threw money in for sales tax or whatever.

Have the buyer convert the check to cash with their own ID at a local bank if he wants the car. BTW, the bank will be some banana republic bank, not something like Chase or BofA you can find a local branch of. If he insists on a check for whatever reason, tell him it can be on a national bank you have a local branch at, and the buyer is still cashing it at the teller window, where you can give him the keys and title. Gauge his response, it's likely to be playing super dumb.

Stop and ask yourself, what bank would finance a car if they don't get the title when they cut the check? Banks hate private sales, BTW, because of scams on the seller end of things, like two friends "selling" each other a totalled wreck for blue book value. They prefer licensed dealers because there's a bond to go after.

If it's a personal loan, the bank can make the check out in the buyer's name. Buyer will frantically insist that the seller has to be the one to cash the check.

RUN!
Click to expand...
Holy paranoia Batman. You have zero info to suggest this is a scam at this point.

Getting a used car loan check from the bank blank with a not-to-exceed value is pretty normal...done it many times over the last 25 years. Fill out for the final negotiated value. Can always ask to see a picture of the check ahead.

Clearly there are indicators if things are shady that most folks with a brain should be able to spot quickly.
 
I've bought two vehicles off Bring a Trailer, an '95 Ferrari 308 and a 2011 Range Rover. Both ended up being very nice. Of course, with BaT, you get a lot of photos and such (usually) so it's not _quite_ sight unseen.

Anyhow, I agree with others, this is likely a scam. Cashiers checks are faked all the time. I'm honestly not sure how I would conduct the transaction, but I wouldn't take a check and let them leave.
 
I bought my Passat from Cars and Bids and had it delivered sight unseen beyond pictures. Paid with a credit card. Got the title a month or so later. It was a dealer.
 
Astro14 said:
In seeing all the comments that “your friend is about to get scammed!” - I can’t help but wonder why the owner of the V70R trusted me.

After all, I did exactly what folks are warning your friend about - cashier’s check. Fly in. Drive off.

I promise that the check was good, and it cleared. I was just a bit annoyed that I had to fill out the form for transactions over $10,000 at the bank and state my reason for wanting that much.
Click to expand...

Check fraud happens, I've witnessed it a few times even with an ex-employee who still hasnt been prosecuted yet. A normal joe doesnt have a POS pay system to validate.
 
Astro14 said:
In seeing all the comments that “your friend is about to get scammed!” - I can’t help but wonder why the owner of the V70R trusted me.

After all, I did exactly what folks are warning your friend about - cashier’s check. Fly in. Drive off.

I promise that the check was good, and it cleared. I was just a bit annoyed that I had to fill out the form for transactions over $10,000 at the bank and state my reason for wanting that much.
Click to expand...
One other way to handle it is an intermediary/escrow company. They act as the middle man to ensure title/money are handled appropriately. I've bought and sold many vehicles privately and just used my "spidy sense" about fraud.
 
cptbarkey said:
A normal joe doesnt have a POS pay system to validate.
Click to expand...
Even the thing Walmart uses doesn't guarantee money, it just runs it through ChexSystems (tm), which is sort of like a credit bureau for checking accounts.

OPs friend needs to not be blinded by flattery, of someone some distance away "loving the car" and "paying asking price" etc etc. Is their car REALLY that special, rust free, well maintained that someone will know just from the pictures?
 
In January 2003 I bought a 2002 Buick Century on EBay unseen. I flew from NY to Ft. Lauderdale to pick it up.
It had 16K IIRC but it might have been 12K. The Carfax said it was a GM corporate car (never sold but driven by a GM employee for 6 months since new). It was a very good car and I sold it at 130K and I'm sure it ran a long time afterwards due to my maintaining it well. Mobil1 ATF changes @ 30K, 60K and 100K and oil changes regularly with highway commuting miles accounting for the majority of miles. I did replace the IM gasket with the Felpro Problem Solver at about 75K due to slight races of coolant in UOAs.
 
RedSpider said:
If you bought a '95 Ferrari 308, you definitely got scammed.

If you bought an '85 308 on the other hand, now I'm jealous.....
Click to expand...

LOL. Typo! It's an '85:
1708131173862.jpg
 
update . Went with him today and met the guy. he flew in and picked him up at the airport . Dude had all the paperwork needed and check ready. Called and verified funds and was told its good . Guess the guys been looking for this model BMW for a while and is a big BMW fanatic . we all talked a while about cars and he showed us his garage full of BMW's .

If this guy was a con man he is pretty good . check was deposited same day . i doubt there will be any issue .
 
What type of questions did the buyer ask? Did he ask for more pictures? Did he seem to know common issues on this vehicle and inquired about them? That’s what I’ve done few times when looking at vehicles/motorcycles that were several hour away.

If the guy simply messaged that he’s coming over with a check, then it’s probably a scam.
 
I researched online and then made an online offer to the local dealer for my 2010 Genesis Coupe. Specifically wanted certain color and option package. Didn't even see one in person until I went to pick it up.
 
Yes. My 1972 GMC 1500. I flew out to Oregon, paid the guy with a bank draft that I took out in his town, and drove it 2200 miles back to Michigan over four days.
 
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