When selling cars, how do you get paid safely, anyway?

[Black]

The last was a general approach to life not specifically internet sales transaction.
Also I made no mention of brandishing or threatening anyone with a firearm. Just because one has a gun does not mean others see it or even have a clue it is there.

 

[Shabadoo]

Not that I have ever used these for car buying but just something to think about. You may be able to use services such as Zelle, Paypal, Venmo, or MoneyGram to send money online. The buyer can send from their phone and you can see it right there before ever handing over the keys. The downsides are that both parties need an account with the service usually and some have caps on how much you can send. Might be worth looking into if scammers are a big worry and you want convenience though

 

[TobyU]

Oh yeah

Rifle gonna be SUPER useful against potential craigslist scammers, especially at handshake/testdrive range


And if they ain't scammers but actual paying customers? Two rednecks with rifles gonna be a great sales pitch for a vehicle


....downside? It might be construed as extortion or armed robbery

Oh yeah

Rifle gonna be SUPER useful against potential craigslist scammers, especially at handshake/testdrive range


And if they ain't scammers but actual paying customers? Two rednecks with rifles gonna be a great sales pitch for a vehicle


....downside? It might be construed as extortion or armed robbery

That kind of sounds like it's spoken by someone who is fairly anti-gun or not familiar with them.
Handguns happen to be very convenient at close range handshake ranges. That's the range that people try to strong-arm or carjacked and rob people.
I think it was more of a joke about the rifles as I see no purpose for them in a situation we are talking about. Of course you would never want to have any weapons visibly present because that just makes too many people uncomfortable. The last vehicle I purchased I had my concealed carry weapon inside my waistband holster with my shirt over it the entire time and I'm quite certain the seller never knew I was carrying. I was underneath the vehicle with a bright flashlight looking at everything and checking it out for probably an hour plus then we went to the bank and did the deal and I'm quite certain no one was aware I had a firearm. That's the way it's supposed to be.
People who feel the need to have them displayed all the time have some sort of ego or chip on their shoulder or want to be Billy badass. They actually put themselves an extra Jeopardy because a firearm it's supposed to be a backup, just in case means of defense that no one should really know about.

 

[rjdelp7]

Know your buyer. No emails only, actually speak to them. If they text you, answer 'call me'. I knew someone, who had a rental property. He only called people back that left a message. That way he could weed out, people with accents or spoke ebonics. I always take a cash deposit of at least $500. If they offer less, tell them no and to walk. A serious buyer always has deposit money. Give a receipt and ask for driver license, for address and #. A honest person, will not care. Only an official certified bank check should be taken and immediately cashed. Cash can be a problem...at your bank. Apparently it raises a red flag.

 

[1955moose]

Anything over $10,000, a bank has to report to IRS. You could always deposit in 2-3 deposits, or have different accounts at different banks. You can tell a lot about an individual, by their voice on phone, and their demeanor when they show up. My larger stature throughout life has probably deterred a few individuals. That and I've been told I look like a big motorcycle cop.

Sent from my N9131 using Tapatalk

 

[Old Guy]

I would close the deal at their bank using a bank officer. Moreover, they have a notary or 2 in there and they can notarize the paperwork. Most banks will not charge the customer for this service.
Then either have the cashiers check verified, or have them do a wire transfer.

 

[Trainmaster]

Anyone who regularly deals in large amounts of cash should be armed.

Meet in a visible and safe place. Speak before meeting. Follow your instincts. Don't deal with dirtbags or people from dirtbag neighborhoods.

 

[Mackenzie Gans]

In March I flew to a suburb of San Francisco to buy my 2011 EL. I had $15,000 cash on me. I showed up at his house at 10pm, gave him the cash and he signed the title over to me. Easy as pie. I found the ad through Craiglist.

 

[TobyU]

In March I flew to a suburb of San Francisco to buy my 2011 EL. I had $15,000 cash on me. I showed up at his house at 10pm, gave him the cash and he signed the title over to me. Easy as pie. I found the ad through Craiglist.

That's how most of my purchases go also. But you still have to be aware because things could go badly in and if you do this enough eventually you're going to have a bad experience.
I bought a car in Phoenix Arizona that I drove back home to Dayton Ohio back 1 month and 1 day after September 11th terrorist attacks. It was October 12th when I flew to Phoenix with $14,700 cash to pay for the car plus some spending and expense money. I had to call the airline and airport before and ask them if there were any restrictions on flying with a sizable amount of money. They asked me how much are you talking about. I said well over 10,000 but less than 50k.The first question they asked me is if I would have the money on my person. I was like, duh, well yes. Certainly and set all times.
They said there were no issues I flew there and he picked me up at the airport. We went to his local bank who held the title with a small lien on it. I had a bill of sale and we did it all there in front of the bank officer. He paid off then line and they cancelled the lien and notarized him signing the title and I just had him leave me back to the interstate and I headed home. 19 hours later and 1520 miles, I was home. I much prefer a driving though so I can have a firearm. I think there is a way to check in firearms and transport them when you fly somewhere but I'm not really sure.
But I figured one month after September 11th was not the time to start asking questions about guns in airports and planes.
I bought one in Denver Colorado in 2001, 1230 miles away and wasted a trip to Stillwater OK, and one to Hollywood Florida that we drove to but didn't end up buying a vehicle.
That damn eBay and Craigslist has had me all over this country to buying "good deals" and crazy, weird, outlandish crap.
Bought a hovercraft at 11:00 at night from a guy in Indiana somewhere. It popped on Craigslist about 8:30 and I called him and said we're on our way.
One an eBay auction on a 77 Baja Bug from a shop teacher at in Kansas and drove out there and towed it back with the built-in bull bar on the front of it with a Buddies S10 truck.
Crazy fun times!

 

[Plati]

How about buying a vehicle? How do you know the seller actually owns it or all the paperwork is real or he/she will actually sign it over once you hand them cash? I guess one has to be paranoid about everything these days?

Or not