Fly and Drive
- Thread starter Bob Frame
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #22
Great input. I'm loving hearing from all you Fly-n-Drivers. Here's a question for you...how did your private party inspections turn out? How did you find an inspector in a city you've never even been to? Any lessons learned?
Any dealer or indie will do a PPI you can call and arrange it.
If the vehicle is near a reputable forum sponsor who's a shop, even better.
You can also have a knowledgable Mud guy look it over too.
Tell them to go through it with a fine tooth.
Have them send the report directly to you, not the selling dealer.
Definitely don't have the seller (if it's dealer) do the PPI. They'll cook the books.
If the vehicle is near a reputable forum sponsor who's a shop, even better.
You can also have a knowledgable Mud guy look it over too.
Tell them to go through it with a fine tooth.
Have them send the report directly to you, not the selling dealer.
Definitely don't have the seller (if it's dealer) do the PPI. They'll cook the books.
I bought my ‘13 sight unseen. It was priced to move at a ford dealership in the middle of Texas. I talked to the sales guy a few times and put $500 down when I decided to buy it. I then went and had the credit union send the funds and I arranged for shipping. The shipping was the biggest pain in the ass part, I finally posted the load and location on a website and guys calling from Miami boiler rooms started blowing up my phone the next day. The shipping brokers were shady as could be. They’re the middle men, I paid one $75 bucks and then $700 cash to the driver. Pretty sketchy but the price was right from Texas to Chicagoland. Took almost a week to pick it up at the dealership (I wasn’t expecting that long of a delay) and then it arrived next day. Greasy finger prints on the interior from the semi driver and it was in 4Lo when it came off the hauler but I think that’s because the driver actuated the switch instead of pressing the start button.
Shipping aside, I knew the reputation of the LC (this is my first one) and mine had 23K miles and a perfect CarFax. Southern truck etc... I figured even if it was used as an Uber with that low of miles it would still be rock solid. It was. The only curve ball was that it only came with one key. Basically, if the miles are good, if the CarGax is good and the pics are good, I’d buy sight unseen again no problem.
Shipping aside, I knew the reputation of the LC (this is my first one) and mine had 23K miles and a perfect CarFax. Southern truck etc... I figured even if it was used as an Uber with that low of miles it would still be rock solid. It was. The only curve ball was that it only came with one key. Basically, if the miles are good, if the CarGax is good and the pics are good, I’d buy sight unseen again no problem.
I have purchased every car except my current 200 at a dealership greater than 200 miles away, most over 1000 miles away. It just means I can be very very specific in what I want. I think it comes down to what level of risk you’re willing to accept. Buy a certified 200 from a Toyota dealership is the least “risky”, then a 200 from a non-Toyota dealer that is still under warranty, then no warranty, then a mom/pop dealer, then a private seller, etc etc. Just depends on what you’re willing to deal with. There’s also a limited number of places I believe could do a REALLY good private inspection of the car. I’d trust the folks on this forum more than I would some random Toyota dealer.
I also think you need to be ok with the possibility of buying a ticket to come straight back home. Never was an issue for me because I’d just go back to the airport, list for the jumpseat and go, but I do realize dropping $500 for a one-way ticket back when you got nothing could be painful. It’s a lot less painful than getting a vehicle you don’t want.
I didn’t have to fly back, but I once almost had to drive back in my trade from a dealer that tried to play games in the finance office. The guy started messing around with the numbers and kept “accidentally putting the wrong numbers on the paperwork”. I told him to stop immediately what he was doing, get the keys to my trade, and I’m leaving. The sales manager came out and asked what was wrong and after a discussion with him we got the finance manager to run things the right way and off I went. But I was fully willing to walk from a heck of a deal if there was nonsense.
I also think you need to be ok with the possibility of buying a ticket to come straight back home. Never was an issue for me because I’d just go back to the airport, list for the jumpseat and go, but I do realize dropping $500 for a one-way ticket back when you got nothing could be painful. It’s a lot less painful than getting a vehicle you don’t want.
I didn’t have to fly back, but I once almost had to drive back in my trade from a dealer that tried to play games in the finance office. The guy started messing around with the numbers and kept “accidentally putting the wrong numbers on the paperwork”. I told him to stop immediately what he was doing, get the keys to my trade, and I’m leaving. The sales manager came out and asked what was wrong and after a discussion with him we got the finance manager to run things the right way and off I went. But I was fully willing to walk from a heck of a deal if there was nonsense.