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Who has shipped a car and did the deal over the phone ????
So I have been looking for "MY" car over the past few months and finally found it in NY. Problem is I live in CA. I talked with the seller and immediately had a good feeling about the guy. He has been stand up from the gate and has worked with me along the way. Today I gave him the deposit and was planning to fly out to NY, look over car, go to bank and pay off loan, then finally have a driver take it away. The buyer has provided me with every detail of the car and while it has 9K miles it is still under warranty so I am not sure what else I would look at? I wont be able to get out to NY until 12/5. If I just complete the deal online I can have it shipped in the next few days and have it home by then. LOL I am spending way more then I planned but it is what I want.
So heres the questions. How can I safely pay off the loan and get the car shipped to me? I feel like it is absolutely crazy to spend this kind of money on a car sight unseen but pictures do say a lot.
I did a very similar thing in 2009 when I bought mine. I got it from a dealer, so I knew it had no liens on the car. I sent a deposit to hold, then transferred the remaining $$ through a bank transfer from my bank to theirs.
All I had to go by was a ton of pics, from every angle, inside, outside underneath, etc etc.
I flew from Canada, to Akron OH, they picked me up at the airport, and drove the car away some 3 hours later from St Mary's Oh.
The car had factory warranty remaining, so I was not that concerned. Warranty is automatically transferred to Canada from the USA, and the dealers have no say, they have to honor it.
The only thing I'd worry about is that the guy you buy it from pays off that car loan at his bank.
That is why, I'd have his bank involved in this transaction, so they receive the $$, and that loan against the car is paid off, and he gets whatever is left after that loan is paid off.
That way, it will have no lien on the car, and you won't have to worry about Lizard Lick Towing coming to get it from you.
It's a great looking C7. I'm very envious and jealous
WE SOLD A 34 FORD COUPE WE BUILT OVER THE PHONE, WE ACTUALLY NEVER SPOKE TO THE CUSTOMER ONLY HIS ACCOUNTANT, THEY OVER NIGHTED A CHECK, WE CASHED IT & WAITED FOR THE BANK TO GIVE US THE OK, WHEN ALL WAS DONE THEY SENT A CARRIER TO PICK IT UP! OFF TO CALI IT WENT!
Not a Vette but I recently sold my Harley Vrod to a buyer in NJ, I did a walk around with him Via Facetime and showed every inch of the Bike and also started it showed him no check engine lights etc.
So if you really dont want to drive I would suggest using Facetime or Skype as well.
I sent the buyer a bill of sale, I had title in hand though so made it easier He deposited the money in my bank account, he was a little scared, but I think he ended up trusting me. He arranged the shipping and I sent him pics of them loading the bike etc.
I would definitely deal with the bank and they are aware the loan needs to be paid off and you get the title. I would ask them the best way to do it.
Last edited by mcandrew67; 11-19-2015 at 08:23 AM.
I bought a 2005 c6 from photos from New Mexico and then flew out to drive it back. I had zero problems. Then a few months ago I bought a 2011 GS off this forum. I went off of photos as well. The car was in Michigan and I had no time to go look or go get it. The shipper I chose got the car to me almost too fast. (I was getting married that week) NO ISSUES with the car. The transaction went super smooth.
(I don't live far from you, pm if you wish for details)
I flew from TX to IL to buy my C6 and drove it back. I was REALLY close to just sending the guy the money and then having the car picked up and I believed him to be a stand up guy. But in the end I was just scared to send him the cash as he could have done anything. I didn't have a title in hand. He wouldn't accept a CC only a wire. In the end I flew up with a wad a cash, I took a buddy with me to be a bit safer and to make the drive home easier, and everything went perfect. I was up for 30 hours straight doing the deal and getting back home.
I just did this w/my Z06 this summer. Car was in NM. I had it shipped to me in PA.
My CU sent a check, in the seller's CU's name, for the payoff. My CU won't do wire transfers. If they would have wired the $ to his CU, the process would have been completed faster. His CU released the title & I eventually got it.
The biggest pain was waiting for the title. Apparently, CA is very slow with getting the titles out once a lien is satisfied.
Last edited by Never-Enough; 11-19-2015 at 11:06 AM.
i did this with my 08. He sent me a copy of the title verifying the VIN and his address. He then emailed me a copy of the signed bill of sale, once that was done I arranged to have the car picked up and wired him the money. Wire transfer across state lines is a federal crime, and while that doesn't protect your money, their are escrow companies that will hold the money until the car is picked up by a trusted carrier, etc.
I did call my insurance company and insured the car as soon as I paid for it explaining that I wanted it covered for transportation (and my agent said no problem it happens alot)
I bought my 2012 Centennial GS from a dealer in Nebraska, and I'm in New Mexico, sight unseen, other than the pictures online. 3,100 miles on the clock from the original owner that had purchased it new from the same dealership and traded it in for a 2015 Stingray.
I had the car shipped to me and worked out all of those details over the phone. I am an accountant, and my very nature is risk averse, but I had a weak moment and had been waiting for this day for a looooooooooong time. I could not be happier with the car, which I DD. This may not transfer to all situations, but it can be successful.
I'm not familiar with the car but, a friend of mine did buy a new vette from R&R group in Hamburg, Pa. For him to buy; it had to be a good price and I know he had zero problems with his. Wish I had known about this sooner. My son lives in SF and I've not seen his penthouse and not seen him in over a year. I would have driven it out there for you for gas and lodging costs.
I have purchased and shipped 3 cars. They were all 10 -15k project and tuner cars so my risk was minimal. All but 1 worked out the way I wanted. The last one had a clean car fax but it had been in a wreck and the seller was a crooked dealership...got around 9k back from the 12 I spent.....not a fan now of shipping without seeing and test driving it......my risk was minimal as the cars were low cost.
NO WAY I would buy a 60k car without flying in and test driving, searching for wreck and flood damage (dont believe the car fax....many people are not claiming wrecks etc and getting them fixed out of pocket ....) I f you like what you see drive it to your bank in his city cut him a Cashiers check, sign a bill of sale and exchange the title etc. Too many crooks and that is too much money to risk..IMOP
Last edited by Cor430vette; 11-19-2015 at 10:50 PM.
That's a hard pill to swallow, lotta money.
I did it with a 1970 El Camino bought from Wisconsin a few years back. Loan company had paper that I paid off and had to wait almost 2 weeks before it was delivered, I didn't sleep well for the whole time.
I said I would never buy a car unseen again, but it worked out after all but I consider myself lucky.
Tough call, pretty car though
NSF
I wouldn't do it with a private party. Have bought sight unseen from dealers, and with buy back guarantees, just in case that i recieve a pos. With person to person, i would have to get there and kick tires properly.
I wouldn't do it with a private party. Have bought sight unseen from dealers, and with buy back guarantees, just in case that i recieve a pos. With person to person, i would have to get there and kick tires properly.
Agreed private party would concern me, especially with a loan involved. But I found a great '427' Anniv. Roadster at a Classic Car & Jaguar dealer in NJ with 1,000 miles and warranty this past January…I'm in south Florida. It went very smoothly as they do internet deals all of the time as a classic car dealership. It was my first expensive purchase sight unseen, so I was nervous. But it came off without a hitch, and they arranged for a terrific closed car carrier to deliver to my door…well, not quite my door, it was the parking lot at Home Depot down the street.
Just bought my 2013 GS from a classic car dealership in Nebraska and had it shipped to Ohio. No problems. I did ask a lot of questions and looked at over 100 pics first though.
Last edited by beersngars; 11-20-2015 at 07:18 PM.
Reason: pics
Unfortunately, there has to be a certain amount of trust between the two parties. I've sold the last two cars site unseen and each one was close to 6 figures in value. The buyers wired the money to my account and I over-nighted the titles the next day. Both used Intercity for transport. Everything when smoothly.
11-19-2015, 12:17 AM
Who has shipped a car and did the deal over the phone ????
