Buying a vehicle from a private party - advice needed

[rockhound]

If you are going to finance the car why not go to a reputable dealer, the car will be checked, many of them have a 3-5 day satisfaction clause now, bring the car back if you dont like it, they will make sure it passes emissions,

i have bought many both ways, the truck i replaced my diesel with was at phil long, was great deal, way cheaper than private sales on this particular truck it is a very rare package, they repaired a couple items for free cause they were safety items, gave me two years free oil changes even on a used car, 3 days to return it if i did not like the deal.

[SouthPaw]

I will NOT make a private car purchase unless the seller agrees to have the car checked, BEFORE the sale, by my mechanic, whom I'll give the heads-up that it's a potential purchase. This has saved me grief through the discovery of hidden problems. I've negotiated lower price, and I've also walked away, as a result of this. I didn't do it once, when I was young, and got screwed.

It is a wise decision and I am sure you have sellers decline doing so. I recently sold my cummins and a potential buyer wanted all kinds of tests done (leak down, scan, alignment check, etc) to make sure he was not buying a lemon. I was not willing to let "his mechanic" tear down my truck to check things that it did not need. I had so much interest in the truck that I declined his offer and told him if it did not sell by the weekend I would call him and we could arrange that. It sold the next day.

It was not worth it to me to miss half a day of work to sell my truck. On top of all this, the guy wanted me to pay for a second emissions test so that he could see it would pass. He even went as far as telling me it was illegal to sell a vehicle in Colorado that does not pass emissions and that I am 100% reliable if it doesn't. He wanted a BOS that stated if he found anything wrong with it he could bring it back and get all his money back, no questions asked. It was a 14 year old truck with 194k on it. At this point I declined his cash offer and told him if I did not sell it within a couple of weeks I would call him.

Getting a little off topic but this is some of the stuff you deal with private parties. Sometimes you just get plain weirdo's. I was not hiding anything with my truck but I wasn't willing to miss a half day or full days worth of work to get an emissions test and take it to his mechanic so he could molest the sh*t out of it and they say it wasn't what he was looking for. Just be considerate of others people's time and be polite. Good deals can be had if you look. What kind of vehicle are you looking for?

[funkymonkey1111]

As the buyer, you'll pay for the inspection--do it. but, not being a loon is going to put you ahead of half the buyers out there. when you've got something listed in CL you'd be surprised at the level of kooky offers you'll get, sob stories, the works. someone that appears to be a run-of-the-mill buyer is almost a rarity.

[Monky]

What are you looking to spend? I'm wanting to rid myself of my 04 f150. Only 81k on it. Barely gets driven... I just have no need for a truck anymore want something a little smaller.


Sent by a free-range electronic weasel, with no sense of personal space.

[tmleadr03]

You are not allowed to sell a car in CO that doesn't pass emissions.

Get it inspected at a shop. Seriously post purchase inspections will make a grown man cry.

[SouthPaw]

You are not allowed to sell a car in CO that doesn't pass emissions.

Do you have a source for this? The reason I ask is because my last buyer was trying to get me to pay for a second emissions test even though it was done less than 6 months ago. The person that actually bought it did not live in a emissions regulated area. Now when he goes to sell it does and the new buyer lives in an emissions regulated how is he supposed to know if it passes or not?

Found this while searching around:
https://www.ar-15.co/threads/41550-I...Colorado/page2

[MED]

I am looking at buying a truck in the nearfuture and am thinking about a private sale (Craigslist, etc). How do you handle a private party autopurchase with only a minimal chance of being screwed? Interested in transfer of title, receipt offunds and all that. I haven’t bought aprivate sale vehicle in over 20 years so just want to get a refresher on the currentbest practices. Hopefully I will be onthe sell side with a 2001 F-150 4x4 soon as well.

Title! Make sure this is 100% correct, and make sure everything is spelled exactly as it appears on the title. If there are any differences in first, middle, last; then expect hell in getting it resolved.


The most important thing is the transfer of title when a lien is involved. This needs to be coordinated by the banks, which they will do. I wouldn't make a transaction with the promise their bank will get the title to you. If you financed through your bank, have them request the title from their bank. I coordinated three sells through my bank...not a big deal.


If there is no lien involved, expect a cash deal. I don't particularly enjoy carrying thousands in cash so if the deal is big, I ask to meet at my bank where the seller can be funded.


I can generally tell what is good and not good with a vehicle upon my own inspection. If not, get a general inspection and your expectation should be relative to what you are buying. In other words, expect wear in accordance with years and mileage. If it is a late model under five years, then it should be in perfect order. If you are buying a 10-15 year old truck, be reasonable. I never asked for an emissions test, but I always provide one when I am the seller; it is a great selling point.


Finally, I have never been screwed in a private sale. If it doesn't feel right, walk; seriously, observe, and profile the owner and determine if you want them driving your car. Find out if they are a long time owner or if they are flipping it. Question short duration owners and determine why they are flipping the car. I have been screwed buying from a dealer and that is my expectation every time I walk on their lot.

[husky390]

I will not purchase a car from a private seller that does not have real license plates on it. I've been trolling craigslist a lot lately and I've noticed a ton of cars that have temp tags or no plates which makes me wonder why? With the floods we had last year, I'm very suspicious of any used car right now. Also, besides checking the names on the title, pay attention to the dates and this is where carfax comes in handy with the title search. If there is a long time span from when the vehicle was titled and then registered, that should be a red flag for something has happened to the car and the owner has spent the time jerryrigging it enough to get a sucker to buy it. Happened to my Uncle with a bearing in the engine of his Camry.

Also, don't be surprised when you go to title and register it and have to pay sales tax on a private party purchase. Total rip off B.S. move by the gov so it's almost worth buying used from a stealership. Good luck.

[ray1970]

I'm too lazy to deal with private party sales. I may end up paying a bit more but I'll buy a used one from a local dealer. They typically check the vehicles out before they hit the lot and fix the small stuff. They have a reputation to uphold so they typically aren't going to pass a total hunk of shit off on someone. Plus, if you do have issues, it is typically way easier to get them resolved with a large, reputable dealership who doesn't want the bad publicity than it is with Joe Blow or Jose Cuervo or whoever.

I'm sure most of you will disagree with my logic. My last car lot purchase lasted me twelve years with pretty much zero issues. (I think I did have to put a starter on it about three years after I bought it.) I'm hoping to have similar luck with my latest used vehicle purchase as well. Looking good so far.

[jerrymrc]

Title! Make sure this is 100% correct, and make sure everything is spelled exactly as it appears on the title. If there are any differences in first, middle, last; then expect hell in getting it resolved.

Also make sure it is correct AFTER the DMV hands you a new one. When I was handed my new title on the TA the vin was wrong. Having had it happen 30 years ago makes me check everything before I leave the window. When I pointed it out the gal went "WHAT?" she looked and told me I was very lucky because most never look at them and getting it changed after you walk out the door IE 5 years later when you try and sell it......