Buying Sight Unseen

[BrianW]

As Treadco said, put it out there to see if a Forum member is nearby and can look at it on your behalf. I’ve looked at a van for an out of state buyer and was happy to do it.

[arctictraveller]

[QUOTE=treadco;291920][U][B]
Another buyer had the funds and all the interest but had trouble finalizing. Constant schedule changes, stories, etc. I had offered to drive 18 hours for delivery for only a $2,500 deposit. Also offered to meet halfway and fly home to ease their travel time since I can work from anywhere. Two-three weeks of back-forth all the way to a final payment method and they hit me with an "almost believable story" two days before the sale and I am starting over./QUOTE]

I think I dealt with the same guy. What a pain......

As for buying sight un seen, personally I wouldn’t do it, think of the price of a plane ticket as buyers insurance. Others feel differently, but there could even be issues the seller isn’t aware of. Best of luck.......

[Grampswrx]

I’ve bought at least 4 vans sight unseen but always picked up in person. That gives you one last chance to back out. Prepare for some disappointment if you don’t see it until the transport truck drops it off. All vehicles have imperfections that can only be seen in person.

Give how hot and small the SMB market is, I would look at everything you can local then buy whatever fits your needs and budget.

[Mitch]

Make sure an RV company goes over in addition to vehicle. We thought how much can you screw up the RV part and had planned to have RV inspection but vehicle showed issues that took time to fix snd were going to miss shipping pickup and skipped RV: $10K later, it was liveable! Owner was a PIG and everything RV related was broken.

[NWestie]

We bought ours sight unseen - the owner posted a meticulous description of the vehicle along with good photos, and like a previous poster mentioned, was straightforward and knowledgeable. He also sent me the carfax as well as service records. The market is so competitive at this time, and the price and mileage were low. We had spoken to many sellers before had had a lot of run-around, so were willing to take a chance with this one.

[austineats]

I’ve bought my SMB sight unseen and been happy
Since Thanksgiving 2008. I’ve also bought a ticket home after a Mercedes wagon was not as advertised. Just be honest with yourself and don’t let emotions take over.

Spend the time to flip every switch and look for mold in the pop top. You’ve got the model you want
Figured out and that is half the battle. If they don’t have all the service records, you probably don’t want it.