Online House Hunting

How to buy a used car from owner?

I have found a car listed for sale on Craigslist and am going to take a look at the car tomorrow. So far, the car looks perfect - 3 years old, clean title, low mileage, no accidents, good working condition. It is also has an extremely affordable price. I'm 16 years old, and this will be my first car, so I have no idea what to do.. and frankly, my mom doesn't either (she does not want to get involved - she is only there to sign the check). My dad will be busy tomorrow and cannot come to help me; he wants this to be a learning experience on how to be responsible and handle things myself Since it's at an extremely cheap price, if the car has been proven to be in good working condition and has no problems, I want to be able to buy the car ASAP before another buyer comes and snatches it up. So my mom and I are going to take a look at the car tomorrow.. If we like it, I am going to call my uncle who is a mechanic to come look at it. If he says it's okay, then the owner and I will handle the bill of sale and my mom will sign the check. What I would like to know: - What questions should I ask the owner? How should I handle myself? - Should I negotiate on the price (even if I can totally afford the $6000), perhaps bargain down the price, in case the owner thinks he's selling the car way too cheap (which he is) and realizes he can ask for more (which he can)? - Any other tips? Thank you!

Public Comments

1. Post the ad, that would help a lot. Would be nice to know what car it is.. Also ,no one is going to steal your car, cars really don't sell that fast.
2. Have a trusted mechanic to test drive and inspect the vehicle. Also ask for service receipts. If seller does not have any available go to the dealership he got it service from and they will have a copy of the vehicle history.
3. "why are you selling it"... Has it been wrecked ? Is it previous salvage ? It it has, you should probably pass. But, you should also take someone who knows something about cars. $6000 for a 3 year old car sounds cheap. Are you sure its not a scam ?
4. Before you go see the car, check the carfax report for the history of the car, you'll need to get the VIN from the owner. When you go see the car, make sure to test drive it thoroughly, take it on highway. Talk to the seller, ask him if he is the original owner and why is he selling the car. Definitely, have it inspected by a mechanic. And, always negotiate, regardless of the asking price. But don't jump into buying it right away because if you buy it, you'll be stuck with it and won't have any recourse against the seller. Don't forget to inspect the title to see if the name on the title matches the owner's name. I heard that there are many scams going on Craigslist so don't become a victim. It would have been nice to know what kind of car this was and the mileage.