With the modern age of electronics and digital technology we now have quicker and more access to nearly everything. While this gives us a world that feels and seems smaller because we can more easily connect across continents it’s also opened the doors for new ways to be deceitful in business dealings. Like it or not, there are now more hackers than ever looking to take advantage online. Those who lack the talent to perform online hacks are presenting themselves to you in a way that seems legitimate, but really isn’t.
While most of us aren’t going to fall for the “prince in a foreign land needs money” scheme or the “you have prize you can claim if you send an amount of money” we are likely to fall for the purchase of vehicles or other merchandise online without actually checking out the item. This is fine when you purchase an item from a store that has built a longstanding reputation for excellence but it doesn’t do any good when you are buying something from another individual.
Some online forums such as eBay offer you some protection when you buy from another seller and they even post reputational results for you, but the reality is buying a car is still something you should only do in person.
There have been many reports of people who bought cars from another seller online, either through a site such as Craigslist or simply by contacting someone who was advertising a car for sale. The problem some of these people have run into is the car being damaged in a way that wasn’t disclosed in the original pictures, finding hidden damage that should have been presented or receiving a car that isn’t even the car in the description at all. All three of these issues can be avoided by simply test driving and inspecting the car yourself.
Unfortunately, with the exception of the wrong car, there isn’t much you can do when you buy a car as-is. When it’s the wrong car entirely, you do have some recourse, but otherwise you’re stuck with the car and no longer have any way to get your money back. For this reason, your car buying world should only extend to the limits of where you’re willing to travel to inspect, test drive and purchase a vehicle.
If you do find a car that you desperately want, wouldn’t some of the fun be driving it back from where it is? Most of us don’t have a large collection of cars and this may be your next favorite car to drive when you want to go out and play on the weekends. If you absolutely can’t go to the car and check it out, you should either forget that car and not buy it or have someone you trust in the area inspect it for you before you spend the money to buy the car as-is and have it shipped to wherever you happen to be.
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