Best way to handle out of town transactions....

[daveydad]

Hoping to buy a car that is not local. Never done that. What are some of the best/safer ways to handle the exchange of money and getting the title? My thought is send a down payment, get the title and then pay the balance...hoping the car gets delivered as promised.

[TDCTDI]

I wouldn’t send a title without being paid in full, suggesting that someone does is a big red flag.
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Everybody born before 1975 has a story, good, bad, or indifferent, about a VW.


GOFUNDYOURSELF, quit asking everyone to do it for you!


An air cooled VW will make you a hoarder.


Do something, anything, to your project every day, and you will eventually complete it.

[Glenn]

Take a trip.

I would not buy a car without seeing it in person
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Glenn
74 Beetle Specs | 74 Beetle Restoration | 2180cc Engine
"You may not get what you pay for, but you always pay for what you get"

Member #1009

#BlueSquare

[jeffrey8164]

^^^^
What he said.
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Volkswagen!
Turning owners into mechanics since 1938.

“Let he that is without oil throw the first rod”
(Compression 8.7:1)

[daveydad]

I paid a VW mechanic to go check it out for me.

[skills@eurocarsplus]

the only way stuff like this works out is with a trusted 3rd party, basically a broker.

any other way opens you or the seller up to a bunch of b/s.
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[dodger tom]

how much money is involved?

if it’s a small amount (to you), it’s easier to take a chance.

if it’s a lot (to you), i’m with glenn and jeffrey,

take a trip.
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1978 Champaign Edition 2 Westfalia
Would never find the time to keep up another classic air-cooled.

[kingkarmann]

I'm actually am just wrapping up an out of state transaction.
I sent the deposit to an escrow company.
I will release the funds once it passes my inspection.
Very reasonable fees and the buyer is in total control.

Escrow.com
https://www.escrow.com/
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"Depression is a malfunction of the instrument we use to determine reality.”

Mike Gerson

What is your "Bespoke Reality"?

[finster]

have you checked:-
that the person you're dealing with is the registered owner?
that they don't show up on a google search as a scammer?
done an image search for the car - in case it's being sold elsewhere by another person?
that a vw club member in the area could go see it for you?

moneywise some transport companies (here in uk) will transfer the money when they have the car and paperwork on the trailer. ie you pay them and they pay the seller.
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"we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut

nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect...

[SevenOaks]

I used escrow.com when I purchased my out-of-state Beetle last year. It’s the easiest and safest way for both buyer and seller.
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David
1974 9-passenger bus
1969 Single cab
1966 Beetle

[Manfred58sc]

Buy through the samba and look at feedback. I've sold many vehicles to out of state and out of country buyers with only e-mails. Escrow is good. Good communication is the key, and if the transaction is more than $10 K a trip is warranted in my book . No sane seller will take paypal on a car sale. Its cash in hand or bank transfer.
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Fat chick owner/operator

[CanStan]

It depends on the value of the car in my opinion. I once had someone contact me about a project car they were looking at in my city. Not someone I knew, but I knew of him through the forums. He paid 1/2 of the money to the seller, and as an unbiased third party, he sent me the other half ($2000). I went and checked that the car was in fact real, the VIN matched the paperwork etc, and handed over the rest of the payment. I made it clear I wasn't on the hook to check for rust issues, included parts, etc.
The truck came to pick it up an hour later.
I guess the buyer risked me ripping him off too. Or maybe just losing half of his money if one of us was greasy.
I got a bottle of whisky for my effort, and got to see a cool car and meet another VW guy. Win win.

That said, on a car with a high dollar value, I'd be doing a lot more due diligence before parting with the cash.

The last car I bought from far away, I cross-referenced Google Street View images with photos the seller sent from their driveway and the address on the title. I internet stalked him to confirm his employer matched what he told me, found community groups he is involved in, and basically anything else I could find about him. I also called him on FaceTime for a unplanned quick look at the vehicle so he could prove it was actually in his possession. Combined with about 300 photos of everything I asked to see, we made a deal.
It was still a gamble, but I felt good about it. If there were any red flags at all, I would have pulled the pin on the deal.
It worked out great for me in the end. Not everyone is so lucky though.

[SLO-N-LO-69]

I requested a bunch of pictures multiple different times. Some random weird spots to ensure they had the car and the pictures were up to date. Once I was comfortable I committed to the purchase and drive 14 hours to pick it up. Paid upon pickup. Not sure I would be comfortable any other way, the escrow website is a nice idea though.

If you have to do it as a wire because of the amount do it in a bank where both parties can see it is legit. They also usually have notaries on staff if a notarized bill of sale is requested by one of the parties.

[nsracing]

Make sure it is not stolen -

I will have to pick it up and do the money exchange for the title and a bill of sale.

VWs are stolen all the time -

Unless you are buying from someone you already know, safest to just go and get it.

And try not to get robbed of your cash when do you do go- people are becoming more desperate these days.

STay safe -

[dgsaz]

Escrow.com
Simple and effective.
Works good.

dgsaz

[oprn]

The first thing I ask for is the VIN number and take it to the nearest vehicle registry office for a search. That tells me who the current owner is, if it is listed as stolen, if any financial institution has interest in it and if it is listed as salvage. Well worth the $10 charge.

Many years ago I saw an Audi Fox in a back yard, went to the house and asked if it was for sale. Yes it was but the engine was blown so I offered them $250 for it (accepted) and took the VIN to check it out. Turned out that an owner previous to these folks had run up $21,000 worth of leans against the car at 3 different banks!

Banks by the way, when they decide to call an unpaid credit can lawfully take the property used as collateral no matter who claims possession!

To make a long story short the present owners had no idea and were totally blind sided. We got it all cleared up with the banks, I bought the car and drove it for several more years.

A work mate bought a Monte Carlo with minor accident damage and found he was in the same position when officials from the bank came to view it at the shop. They left in anticipation that he would fix it before they repossessed it. Fortunately the Boss recognized them and warned him. He parted the car out to get his money back.
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We had the stone age, the bronze age, the industrial age and now we are in the age of mass deception and mind control for corporate profit. (The mass media age)