Do they seem trustworthy, or do they give you the creeps? If the seller is providing their own Carfax, check the date. Some good signs are clear writing, lots of pictures of a relatively clean car (including the engine), a list of recent maintenance, and just a general sense that the seller knows their stuff. As a buyer, you may be asked to go to the seller's house. Cars for sale by owner near me craigslist atlanta. This is one of the most basic tips for buying a used car on Craigslist: The listing itself can tell you a lot about the seller, as well as the car. We suggest taking advantage of Craigslist's built-in filters, which include options such as price, year, color, transmission type, type of seller (owner or dealer), and more. Before you start test driving, it's important to how have an idea how much a car in your area should cost.
Don't force a deal if something feels off. For those who would prefer the peace of mind of a dealer warranty, this filter's for you. If you care at all about full transparency (and with a purchase as big as a car, you should), buying with Shift not only gets you a full Carfax report for free, but also high-res wear-and-tear photos and a complete 200-point inspection report for every car we sell. For example, you can use information gleaned from the inspection to help support your case for a lower price. Craigslist is one of the few places where Americans can still (sometimes) haggle. Cars for sale by owner near me craigslist in texas. It's important to consider the overall vibe that they are giving you. It's easy, it can tell you a lot about the car's history, and it can help you make sure you're not driving off in a car with a bent frame, flood damage, and 17 owners in three years. That said, don't let it ruffle your feathers if they don't want to come down on their price. And at the collector-car website Bring a Trailer, the fee to list a vehicle for sale is $99.
Craigslist already had been charging $5 for vehicles listed by dealers, which of course meant that many dealers were masquerading as private owners, listing their cars in the "By Owner" section in order to avoid the fee. If you're looking for a safer, more straight-forward alternative (that's a heck of a lot of more convenient), check us out. If the seller balks, don't be afraid to walk away. Tip #8: Don't be afraid to negotiate. Tip # 1: Use Craigslist filters. Continue to assess the seller and make sure they are someone you trust.
This will help you narrow your search to what you're looking for and avoid wading through listings of salvaged title, three-wheeled PT Cruisers. If you know exactly the car you want, say a 1979 Pontiac Trans Am with the screaming chicken on the hood and Burt Reynold's scent on the seats, Craigslist is perfect. It's their car and they are not obliged to do so. Sellers often list their cars at a slightly inflated price expecting to negotiate down. It also might reduce the frequency of people clogging the site with multiple postings of the same car. This is, we think, one of the most important tips for buying a used car on Craigslist: do it safely. Buying a used car should be a methodical process, not a quick fix. Buying a car without inspecting it is like buying a house without an appraisal. So pay attention to these red flags: - Low-quality listings. If you see a car posted multiple times over a few days, it's not a good sign. Tip #3: Heed warning signs. The latest Craigslist category to drop the freebie model is "Cars and Trucks" for sale by owner. It's a known Craigslist scam for a seller to kindly provide a Carfax report—from three years ago, prior to extensive post-accident bodywork. Rushing to buy a car is the easiest way to get a healthy dose of buyer's remorse.
Pay attention to how the seller responds. Buying a used car on the private market can be intimidating, which is part of the reason we founded Shift in the first place. Be sure that you feel comfortable doing so, and if you do, it's not a bad idea to bring a friend. When it works like it should, buying a used car on Craigslist can be great. A listing with one blurry, sideways photo isn't worth your time. There are many pricing guides out there, and while one-sized-fits-all pricing guides like KBB won't perfectly capture the fair price for your market, it's a good starting point. If you meet the seller downtown, it'll be tough to get a full sense for how the car drives, so try for something like a mall parking lot. Ask a lot of questions and insist that you drive the car. When negotiating, try not to be too emotional (or rude) and be able to explain your reasoning with facts. Buying a car for someone with very specific tastes but only drives automatic? Multiple listings of the same car.
A seller with nothing to hide should agree to it, so negotiate an appropriate deposit to leave with the seller while you take it to the mechanic. You can learn a lot from a quick chat on the phone. Craigslist, the free classified-ad website that effectively decimated local newspapers by wiping out their classified-ad sales, has slowly begun charging users to post listings is some categories. When you find the right car, you'll probably know it, and it will probably not be the first car you see.
That said, this isn't a rug shop in Marrakesh, so be realistic. Sloppy presentation.