Buying a car without a car


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annother is offline annother Post #1  August 1,2010, 9:15am
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I'm going to California for a couple of weeks this summer and will be spending winters there. In the past I have driven down from Alberta, but because this is going to be a short visit, I'm flying.

I would like to buy a used car that I can leave there for when I return, but I won't have a car to get about in. So, my choices are to either buy something within walking distance or rent a car to go car shopping.

I've also been looking at used cars online and am wondering if there is some way to buy a car without actually driving to see it. (I could use CarFax or some other background check).

Any thoughts on this?
 
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raerae178 is offline raerae178 Post #2  August 1,2010, 9:53am
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You can for sure buy a car without driving it or even seeing it in person first. I don't know if I'd be comfortable doing that but you can.
My one friend bought his current car used on ebay. He only saw pictures of it and never drove it. They made the transaction and he had it shipped(not sure of the details of this part) from Dallas to Pittsburgh and it all worked out great. He loves it. It'd for sure not do anything like that without carfax.
Anyway, GOOD LUCK!!
 
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D_Lion is offline D_Lion Post #3  August 1,2010, 10:06am
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Do you have a home where you can store this vehicle?

I'd be concerned about leaving a vehicle unattended for months if outdoors(vandalism / theft.)

If indoors, where you can keep the battery charged, and add air to the tires when you arrive, this makes more sense.

It is absolutely possible to buy a car online. I would generally trust a major franchise dealer, or if you have anyone you know in the area, see if they will check it for you.

If this is a relatively short trip, I think the rental is a better option. Between the lost investment income, tax, and insurance, I think you're likely to pay more than just renting - and have attendant maintenance headaches from leaving the vehicle to sit going forward.
 
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Sassafras54 is online now Sassafras54 — Advice Official Moderator Post #4  August 1,2010, 10:09am
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You can buy cars online through dealerships too, I believe. Contact the dealer of the car you want and ask what they can do for you.

Try carmax com. They have a lot of dealers down here and carry all models.

You're sure you're ok buying a car you haven't test-driven??

Enjoy CA!
 
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annother is offline annother Post #5  August 1,2010, 10:18am
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D_Lion wrote :
Do you have a home where you can store this vehicle?

I'd be concerned about leaving a vehicle unattended for months if outdoors(vandalism / theft.)

If indoors, where you can keep the battery charged, and add air to the tires when you arrive, this makes more sense.

It is absolutely possible to buy a car online. I would generally trust a major franchise dealer, or if you have anyone you know in the area, see if they will check it for you.

If this is a relatively short trip, I think the rental is a better option.
Between the lost investment income, tax, and insurance, I think you're likely to pay more than just renting - and have attendant maintenance headaches from leaving the vehicle to sit going forward.
Yes, DL, I have a condo with underground parking.

I guess it makes sense to rent a car this trip and buy something when I go down again in January. I hadn't thought about the headaches of leaving it sit.
 
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annother is offline annother Post #6  August 1,2010, 10:20am
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raerae178 wrote :
You can for sure buy a car without driving it or even seeing it in person first. I don't know if I'd be comfortable doing that but you can.
My one friend bought his current car used on ebay. He only saw pictures of it and never drove it. They made the transaction and he had it shipped(not sure of the details of this part) from Dallas to Pittsburgh and it all worked out great. He loves it. It'd for sure not do anything like that without carfax.
Anyway, GOOD LUCK!!
Thanks raerae. I hadn't thought about ebay, but I'll look into it.
 
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annother is offline annother Post #7  August 1,2010, 10:22am
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Sassafras54 wrote :
You can buy cars online through dealerships too, I believe. Contact the dealer of the car you want and ask what they can do for you.

Try carmax com. They have a lot of dealers down here and carry all models.

You're sure you're ok buying a car you haven't test-driven??

Enjoy CA!
I'll look into dealerships, too. Thanks Sassafras.

No, I'm not really ok about buying a car I haven't test-driven, but buying a car is always a bit of a gamble for me whether I test drive it or not! Whatever is going to go wrong with it, will happen after I drive off the lot

I will enjoy CA. That I do know.
 
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TheThinker is offline TheThinker Post #8  August 1,2010, 10:39am
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annother wrote :
I'll look into dealerships, too. Thanks Sassafras.

No, I'm not really ok about buying a car I haven't test-driven, but buying a car is always a bit of a gamble for me whether I test drive it or not! Whatever is going to go wrong with it, will happen after I drive off the lot

I will enjoy CA. That I do know.
One of the things you can look into is buying an off lease vehicle, it's usually a better option than buying a typical used car, where the maintenance hasn't been sufficiently documented. Dealers have then come in all the time, and if you know what make & model you are looking for, they can call you when one comes in. Most have extended warranties, too.
IMO, people tend to take better care of leases, as they know they'll get nailed for things when they go to turn them in.

I've been doing this for years now, and have been very pleased. The last real, new car I bought was over 25 years ago.

Keep in mind, also, you can have vehicles delivered to your house, to test drive, for a small surcharge...dealers around here have been doing this for a year or so, now.

Another option is buying a used vehicle from a place like Hertz or Avis, as most of these are relatively low mileage and have all the creature comforts people look for. And they also have reasonably thorough maintenance records. You can go online and see what they are renting, rent that car for a few days(where you live now)...see if you like it, then buy the same model...it's fairly painless.

Good luck in your quest.
Last edited by TheThinker; August 1,2010 at 10:45am.
 
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annother is offline annother Post #9  August 1,2010, 11:34am
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TheThinker wrote :
One of the things you can look into is buying an off lease vehicle, ...
Keep in mind, also, you can have vehicles delivered to your house, to test drive, for a small surcharge...dealers around here have been doing this for a year or so, now.

Another option is buying a used vehicle from a place like Hertz or Avis, as most of these are relatively low mileage and have all the creature comforts people look for. .
Thank you! More ideas I hadn't considered. This is very helpful.
 
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D_Lion is offline D_Lion Post #10  August 1,2010, 12:45pm
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Under the assumption you leave the car to sit for six months, I would expect the tires to be getting low, and the battery to need charging. If there is electrical power in the garage, this seems manageable. Or, you may be able to find a neighbor who will look after it as needed.

If you find an honest seller, buying unseen is not that bad (the wholesale automobile market works this way all the time.) I also bought my truck, a BMW, and two motorcycles without a test drive (all were new, however.)

A test drive doesn't tell most people much, since many mechanical problems will go undetected anyway.

The lower the value of the car, the more important a personal check is.
 
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