It started when my son crashed our car. He's okay, but the car was totaled.
So I began the hunt for another inexpensive car for the kids.
On Craigslist, four of the five ads I chose were later flagged as scams
The other was a dealer posing as an individual owner.
If you buy used or sell a car:
- Never buy unseen or have the vehicle shipped
- Don't wire money or accept checks
- Meet face to face
- Complete the transaction at a bank or police station
Make these demands and scammers will likely run.
With no luck online, I called dealers
Some dealers wouldn't give me vehicle identification numbers to check the car's past.
Others only had salvaged cars in my low price range.
I visited a few lots and found some wouldn't even let me take the car to a mechanic to check out before buying.
Make sure to:
- Have the car inspected
- Arrange to finance before and compare to dealer offer
- Never accept spot delivery (taking the car off the lot with no financing in place)
- Get a written contract that must include all prices and financing details
You should also get a Carfax or comparable vehicle history report to see the car's past. I eventually bought from a dealer who provided me with that report.
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Need my help? Call the Assistance League of Phoenix volunteers at 1-855-323-1515. You can also send me an email or a video email where you attach a video explaining the problem.
And you can reach me on Twitter , "like" the Let Joe Know Facebook page and tell me about it there.
AND WE NEED YOUR HELP! If you want to be a volunteer and help other consumers, let me know.
