Buying car unseen

[wannarun70]

Anyone ever buy a car online and have it shipped without seeing it? Any advice if I do decide to do it. Thanks, Mark

[tom406]

Try to find an appraiser who knows what they're doing to look at it, verify that it meets your expectations, and also to look at the title paperwork and verify untampered VIN on the car. If its a lot money you can use a lawyer to set up an escrow account to verify funds and paperwork for each party. When I appraise things after they've been purchased sight unseen and arrive, I'm more often than not the bearer of bad news. Last month I informed a buyer that his title didn't match his car (registered by the original engine number which was no longer in the car). That was from an established collector car dealer who should've known better than to assume the numbers were fine.

[COPO]

I've done it probably a dozen times and honestly have yet to have a bad experience, so perhaps just lucky as there are loads of horror stories as well. Have purchased from both individuals and dealers. Mostly later model cars, but a few muscle cars as well. Get lots of pictures and ask lots of questions, but always better to have someone put their eyes on it.

[SS427]

I have only done it once and was extremely satisfied but that is a gross exception to the case as you are taking a huge risk anytime you buy sight unseen. For the cost of a seasoned inspector you are doing yourself a huge favor by having it inspected and in most every case a good inspector will be able to get you enough information to at the very least negotiate the price of the car to cover the cost of the inspection. At least then you are breaking even but know what you are getting. Best case scenario that same inspector will prevent you from spending money on junk. You are out the fees but are not stuck with a car you had not bargained on. Over the years I have come to a point that I simply do not trust photos. The photographer can avoid bad areas or can hide so much in a photo that you simply will not see it and if you try and sue those photos are his way out. Hire an inspector. Money WELL spent!

[Zedder]

I have done it numerous times too...but got burned on my last car. Long-term, professional type (engineer and business owner) owner in his late 60's. Seemed as honest as the day is long. Sent him my paint meter to meter the car. His readings came back showing that part of the roof had been repainted, otherwise original paint (it was a 993 Porsche). Paid market for the car based on that and his promise that all was good and it was properly maintained. Metered the car myself on receipt and found that the entire roof, sail panels, left quarter and right fender were repainted. Readings would have been impossible to misread! Left door check strap weld was broken, door speaker broken and just hanging by one screw, dent in front fender and rear quarter with areas on the bumper polished through. None of this showed in the pics. I'll never buy without having someone lay eyes on the car again.

In fact, I lost out on a 67 Camaro this past weekend because I couldn't find anyone close by to look at it for me and someone else scooped it up...

[Jonesy]

I did it once, got burned. Never again. Pics looked great but when I got it it was totaly not what I expected. It was a dark green car. The ebay seller used black spray bomb paint to hide the rust down low in the rear quarters.
The chrome on the dash around the gauges was hand painted with model paint.
Just alot of things that added up. If I would have looked at it in person I would have caught all this. It all showed good in the pics and was listed rust free. Phoenix car but came from Chicago area.

[Damien]

Yes, more than a dozen times due to the fact I'm in Australia.
Two things ring out for me, due diligence- do your homework as best as you can and have someone who actually knows what they are looking at inspect the car for you. Money well spent if you have the right person.
I have also bought a couple of cars through members here and never had an issue.

[L78M22Rag]

I have bought several cars sight unseen, and had one bad experience. As a result, I’m very VERY reluctant to buy from a dealer. They know their business and they rarely get the short end of the stick.

If you contract an appraiser, make sure you find someone that is unbiased. In my one bad experience, I’m certain that the seller knew the appraiser and paid him extra for a glowing report. If you cannot find an appraiser, perhaps the local Chevrolet Dealer or a local repair shop will do an all points inspection (unlike an appraiser, they’re looking for faults where they could do the repairs for you). With all due respect to some good appraisers I know, there are plenty of appraisers simply looking to pump owners up on how good and valuable their car is. As a result, I would view any appraisal report with caution (unless you know the appraiser).

Lastly, the benefit of buying a survivor is that there is little to hide. I can usually assess the condition of a survivor with decent closeup photos, whereas a seller can hide just about anything on a restored car (as in my one bad experience). Ultimately, that one bad experience of buying that “restored” 1967 Chevelle SS 396 convertible clone from a dealer has steered me in the right direction. All’s well that ends well. Good luck!

[Mr70]

I did it once, got burned. Never again. Pics looked great but when I got it it was totaly not what I expected. It was a dark green car. The ebay seller used black spray bomb paint to hide the rust down low in the rear quarters.
The chrome on the dash around the gauges was hand painted with model paint.
Just alot of things that added up. If I would have looked at it in person I would have caught all this. It all showed good in the pics and was listed rust free. Phoenix car but came from Chicago area.

Was this a 1970 SS L-78 Chevelle by chance?

[danachevroletfor1967]

I've only ever done it once, and that worked out fine for me. I bought it from a private owner that was selling it thru a dealership. I trusted the description and photos. It was shipped to me from Illinois out here to California. The only negative that happened was that they had to remove the right front radio antenna for the car to go into the enclosed shipping truck, and when I got the car unloaded the disassembled antenna was missing one piece. I was able to buy that piece from a restoration company and amazingly to myself put the antenna back together. They sent me a CD with probably 100 photos showing the restoration process of the car. I found the car thru an advertisement in Hemmings Motor News.

[marxjunk]

Ive done it so many times i forgot how many....only burned once...not really burned..but not what it was advertised as.....on a 71 Superbee...it hurt too..was my dream car...a Go-Green 4 speed car...was advertised as rust free and it wasnt..

i ask for lots of pics..if they stop or get aggravated by me asking questions and requesting pics..i move on..i always make a phone call..i cant do anything with email or texts back and forth..

most people are good people..i always google their name...i never bought from a dealer..always a private enthusiast..

[Crush]

I have done this a number of times as well. Agreed on private ownership being a better scenario as I can put on my detective hat and research their name, place of employment, google maps etc.. video of car starting and running is vital. Depending on the dollar value of the car will dictate the need to see it in person. I’d rather spend the money on a flight, hotel than get bamboozled. I have purchased 50 year old cars as well as new cars via this method and happy to report I have been treated fairly.

[wannarun70]

Thanks guys for all of your input. My son is lookiing for his first car and can't seem to find anything close to where we live in his price range. He's got the bug and I'd hate to see him get burned. He loves that classic 60s, 70s looking paint job, drag car and everything he's seen in his price range are rollers, which is fine with him. But again not close. Thanks again all. Mark. Ill have him read the posts.

[Jonesy]

Was this a 1970 SS L-78 Chevelle by chance?

No it was a 1972 Chevelle SS 454 Convertible.

[Bill Pritchard]

20 yrs ago I bought a 69 Chevelle convertible out of CA, back when I still lived in IL. It was advertised as a rust free CA car. Hired an inspector who had advertised (and still does to this day) in Hemmings forever. Told him I did not want another rust bucket like the IL cars I had previously restored. Bought the car based on the inspection report he provided me. When the car arrived, I opened the trunk and it was immediately obvious that the lower rear quarters had been spliced. Of course, no mention of that in his report. Sent him Polaroid pics which clearly showed the spliced quarters. His response? "Oh, I guess I missed that." Wouldn't refund even a portion of the money I paid him. He was a total jerk. If you're looking for an inspector/appraiser in the SoCal area, I will gladly tell you who NOT to hire!

[tjs44]

I bought a 63 Lemans from Hastings Nebraska from a Polaroid.Was on a car lot,had to wait for the snow to thaw before it could be shipped.Lucky it was under coated and had no rust.23 years ago a still have it.Tom

[RPOLS3]

Ask Kwhizz….........

[markjohnson]

I’ve learned to ask the question “What am I gonna see on this car that I’m NOT going to like?” and that question has been pretty successful in “issues” suddenly being remembered & disclosed. Still, I’ve been burned before and it does leave a salty taste in your mouth. I’m sure we all know the loooonnng wait when you pay for a car in full and wait to see what shows up!

[markjohnson]

Let me add this other side of the coin: sometimes you receive (or pick up) a car that’s better than expected and that sure makes for a great day!

[A12pilot]

I’ve bought many cars sight unseen, through eBay, Hemmings, CL, etc. I think the whole key to doing this is being as educated as possible, knowing what you’re looking at, and having expectations to understand that there may be a few things overlooked when it shows up at your door that are only minor in the overall package of the car even if you’ve done your homework. Communication with the seller is the key to figuring out whether you want to pursue it further. If this person isn’t willing to answer a few questions, or the biggest thing is providing exact photos you request, then it’s not worth your time or aggravation. :thumbsdown: Me? I trust nobody. :scholar: Not sure if that’s a good thing, but it’s made me steer away from any “salesmen” pitch I hear and as soon as one red flag is flown on anything I ask. Sort of like when I ask Bob if I can bring a car to MCACN and hear a dial tone.:shocked::D

I have some standard stuff I usually ask: Clear, clean title in YOUR name (not twenty sellers ago), bank loan on the car, what’s the history on it? This gives me a good feel for the seller. I’ve heard many times, “Oh, I boutten’ this here factory rare Ectawhoosits and man, can’t seem to find the time, and I bought lake property...investment....kids....wife..Pluto not a planet anymore...”. So, what I’m hearing is the title isn’t in your name, you can’t register it, there’s more issues here than you describe and you want stick some other moron with all your problems just like the last guy did to you.:hmmm: No thanks!:thumbsdown:

Always helps to have someone put eyes on it, but if the seller is up front and answers all your questions without hesitation, there’s no reason to doubt their claim. It’s a small hobby world, and for the most part, I think most selling a car usually want the transaction to go smooth on both ends. I’ve never had a bad experience so far:burnout: GOOD LUCK!!!!!

Cheers:beers:
Dave

[Burd]

A bud bought a 70 Z, LT1 4peed from the Chicago area, somehow it would up at my garage. Lol
Numbers match. Lmao. They took every high dollar part off the car, except the alum intake, the guy told him it was an edelbrock. Well it wasn’t. Steering wheel, orig rad shroud,radio, console lock, dist, carb, thermo housing, jack, spare, shift ball, battery cables. The engine bay got a complete detail, he shit when he saw it the second time, lmao. Hood off, and all the Jeggs chrome crap off, I had a garbage can filled up with rusty chrome stuff, finding the correct Holley and Dist and sheer wheel in green was a pain, but it’s almost done. Just a few things. I’ll look fir the pics, it is sweet, dark Green/ Green / green vinyl top. Actually I need you guys to nit pick my detail, I am a Pontiac guy. Lol

[WILMASBOYL78]

Buying a car sight unseen is certainly a leap of faith and can be a disaster, but not always. If possible find someone from the SYC who lives near the car...or they might know a local car club member who can help. A little extra time spent in the beginning usually saves a lot of time and money down the road.

Measure twice...cut once :scholar:

-wilma

[wannarun70]

Thanks again for everyones input. Didnt buy the car. I worry not so much about the condition because he's looking for something that's in his budget. I worry more about the car having the correct paperwork and tags. I think we'll look for something a little closer to home. Mark