Buying from private 3rd party in USA - safety - "caveat emptor"

[flyingv]

Hello everyone - sorry to bombard the forum with posts.....but....I'm about to by ANOTHER sl - (this is turning into an addiction) - yes a 1966 230sl - ivory/tan BUT from a private individual in Arizona - Im in the UK............my concerns are

1) Are there any measures I can take to safeguard from simply being ripped off ie sending $ and not receiving a car! Should I use Paypal? Escrow accounts - do they exist for this type of transaction?

2) What documentation should I ask to see in advance - i do not know the US terminology - in the UK we say log book or V5 showing the ID of the owner - is it normal to ask for a passport copy?

3) Any other tips would be welcomed

Thanks to all.......

ps My family is Austrian/german - i mentioned to my father that I was in the process of buying two sl's only for him to say "Oh yes your uncle (his brother) worked on the aerodynamics for MB 1958 through 1970"............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! wow....i never knew....

[Larry & Norma]

That's cool, could he be responsible for the beautiful style of 113's and maybe 190's or even 'gullwings'. Great

[SteveK]

Flyingv, the document you need to ask for is the cars "title".  He should be willing to e-mail or fax a copy of it to you and it will identify any liens against the car.  I would then do some internet searching on his name to see if anything funny shows up. Lots of times in the US people flip cars and do not have their names on the title.  If that's the case, I would probably look elsewhere.  Also many in the US do not have passports so you might just want to see a copy of his Arizona drivers license which will give his current address. 

The money is a little more difficult when dealing with a private individual and I have never figured out a really safe way to do it from afar unless your dealing through something like e-bay.  Hope others can jump in.

[gzmavian]

There used to be a web site called Escrow.com where you could purchase their services as an agent for such transactions.  They would hold the funds for purchase of an item until the purchaser was satisfied with the item.  The funds would then be released to the seller once the buyer accepted the condtion of the item.  If there was any dissatisfaction with the item, the potential buyer could return the item at his expense and the funds would be returned to the buyer. Good luck.

[RickM]

There used to be a web site called Escrow.com where you could purchase their services as an agent for such transactions.  They would hold the funds for purchase of an item until the purchaser was satisfied with the item.  The funds would then be released to the seller once the buyer accepted the condtion of the item.  If there was any dissatisfaction with the item, the potential buyer could return the item at his expense and the funds would be returned to the buyer. Good luck.

Escrow.com is the service Ebay recommends and seems to have partnered with quite a few years ago. I also think it's a great idea fro added protection. Beware of other Escrow services as there are many fly-by-night fraudsters. Here's a great description of the process: http://pages.ebay.com/help/pay/escrow.html and Ebay approved international Escrow Service: http://www.escrow-europa.com/

I would also recommend appealing to your US SL113.com brethren for assistance in an in-person inspection of the car, arranging a local & impartial PPI (Pre Purchase Inspection) with a qualified mechanic/body shop and to help verify critical info.  This was done regularly on other forums with considerable reach. After all we're here to help each other out.

Good luck.

[Douglas]

Know that whether or not there's a "title" depends on the state. In NY, a car of this age does not have a title; instead, you just use the registration card. Regardless of the state, the car should have a registration card. This is a wallet-sized card that shows the name, address, VIN, etc.  It also has to be renewed every year or two.

[flyingv]

That's cool, could he be responsible for the beautiful style of 113's and maybe 190's or even 'gullwings'. Great

.....maybe!!

[flyingv]

Flyingv, the document you need to ask for is the cars "title".  He should be willing to e-mail or fax a copy of it to you and it will identify any liens against the car.  I would then do some internet searching on his name to see if anything funny shows up. Lots of times in the US people flip cars and do not have their names on the title.  If that's the case, I would probably look elsewhere.  Also many in the US do not have passports so you might just want to see a copy of his Arizona drivers license which will give his current address.  

..this is great - thx steve