Hi, all. I'm about to ship a car that I am purchasing unseen from across the country.
The arrangement is that the seller is driving the car to the nearest city, to a dealership the shipping company visits weekly.
The seller will drop the car off, possibly off hours using key drop.
The shipping company will pick it up within days and deliver to me.
I'm just hoping the vast knowledge here could help me recognize any pitfalls or potential scams in this arrangement.
Note, I have no concerns with the seller, this arrangement was not his idea, and he is willing to send the car off with only a down payment full payment upon receipt (crazy but confidence inspiring).
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
Jason
something stinks in denmark
a reputable transport company will pick up the vehicle where it lives and deliver it where it needs to go
i have personally used haul match several times in the past great service and on time delivery
the fact that the seller only wants a down payment is a major red flag as in you will never see your money or any car
i always use paypal when buying or selling anything so there is a clear record of transactions
you didnt say how the supposed seller wants to be paid
be very wary just my opinion
glenn
Appreciate the input.
So the reasoning for the dealership is that the current owner is located in BF nowhere, on the other side of the Rockies, and as such has offered to drive it to the closest 'city' as shippers were charging an exorbitant amount to go the extra 4 hours (8 round trip).
I found a shipper that goes to that town regularly to drop cars at a dealership however planning a meet between shipper and owner with accurate scheduling is tough. Hence the drop off.
They WILL get it at the seller's house if I want to wait and pay significantly more.
Initially I was flying out there to pick it up in person, but I couldn't get the plan together.
The seller is open to payment arrangements. Likely the money will be sent branch to branch.
If the shipper is someone the car dealer uses, it should work out fine. But yes other shippers, independent of the dealer could work as well. I only did this once, and the payment was somehow held until the car was received. There was a payment code, once received the payment code was given to the driver and the funds were then released. I paid in advance but I was told the funds were held until the car was received. It does seem easier to have the car at the dealer, when I shipped the car, I had to meet the truck a couple miles from my house at a large parking lot, where there would be more room to load it onto the big truck.
I like that payment code idea!
One problem I've read about is that the shipper often is a broker. Often the broker doesn't pay the actual hauler leaving your car as collateral even having a lein put on it. After reading some questionable reviews on the broker in my case, I might bite the bullet and pay double for an actual shipping company.
This may seem inconsequential , but use an enclosed transport shipper.....the windshield on my V is berked up as a result.
Figured I'd give you the update. Oh boy.
So the car was waiting outside the warehouse. Took a quick look at it, seemed fine though I hadn't noticed the missing side mirror glass.
Car wouldn't start.
Popped the hood, to boost the battery and noticed the piece connecting the carbs to the oil bath cleaner was missing. Weird. Attached by two lengthy bolts, so pretty unlikely that it fell off.
Well the car was still an hour from home so, tried starting it and gas started spraying two feet into the air in a mist.
Long story short. I assume between trucks, or perhaps at final destination the car didn't start. The driver figured the car was a non runner and knew enough to make matters worse. Timing was out 180 degrees, and the plug wires out of order.
The mileage should have been recorded when first loaded. What's the mileage now? Hmmmm,,,,
For future reference, I ship cars all the time__or rather, the car's owners do__for me to work on them. For the last couple of years that I worked out of Ohio, and all 5-1/2 years since being in Florida, I've used Descendant's Transportation. The industry pricing is pretty competitive per mile, and perhaps it's only because the cars are being shipped to me on such a regular basis, but all the feedback I get is that they're giving the lowest quotes.
They do mostly open carrier, but if you have something you only want shipped in a closed carrier, they can do that too. Open carrier is typically 1/3 to 1/2 the cost of enclosed.
Give Deb or Jessica a call: 419 490 4858; they are very conscientious and the drivers say they run a tight ship.
Relying on shipping company is much better than opting other options like driving the car to your locations. But one needs to know is the shipping company worthy relying on. To prevent oneself from possible scams one should have knowledge about the specific shipping company. [Find more canoes] regarding the shipping companies through others review. Recently my neighbour shipped her car through We Will Transport It. They were good enough and gave worthy services.
At first glance it does not look like a scam or something like that. I have particularly used the we will transport it service and it has been very useful for my canoes!
