Problems buying S2000 out of state
02-17-2016, 11:45 AM
#11
I bought my S2000 on this site. Seller was the son of the owner. We talked, texted and emailed about the car, getting VIN and accurate pics. After cross-referencing against CarFAX, my spouse and I rented a car and made the trek from Ohio to southern Atlanta. The owner and son met me at a local credit union. After doing a physical inspection and test drive, we went into the credit union and had a cashier's check drawn for the amount (shared branching). I drove the car all the way back to Ohio with the top down! What a way to experience an S2000 (and a sunburn!) for the first time!
02-17-2016, 03:16 PM
#12
When I was shopping for my s2000 I didn't limit my search to within state bounds and was determined to get a deal. So in my search (I am from Chicago) I have flown to Oklahoma to look at an s2000, everything sounded good over the phone and owner agreed to an inspection but once I have seen the car in person I already had regrets with flying out there. From pictures I saw that the car had modifications but once he rolled up, like a jackass I just wanted to get things over with. There was no body damage and interior and engine bay looked clean but the owners personality told me that the car was mistreated and once I saw a bone dry dip stick when checking the oil level I happily drove back to the airport. There were other things bad that I cant remember.
A few weeks later I found a great deal in Tennessee and once again everything seemed good. Car was stock, mileage was decent and the price was good and the owner was informative and communicating well so I had a friend tag along and we set off on our journey to check out the car. We left early morning and I informed the guy that we are on our way, then about 6 hours later when we arrive at the address provided and the guy or car was no where to be seen. f@#ker was a no show. I have never left so many hateful voicemails and texts as i have to this guy but I just drove 6 hours and have to drive 6 hours back for nothing.
I have also driven to South Dakota to check out a super cheap one but the owner lied about rust (stupid on my part) and I once again drove for about 5 hours, each way, for nothing.
In the end I managed to find an S2000 just across the border, in Milwaukee, which I ended up buying but I had to be willing to lower my standards a bit and pay a little more in ordee to be done with the search. I have probably spent more than $1000 traveling to look at S2000's which I probably could have paid towards a local s2000. You live and you learn. So I guess you have to draw a line on how much bullshit you want to deal with through the process and cash you want to blow searching.
02-17-2016, 03:48 PM
#13
Registered User
I bought my S2000 on this site. Seller was the son of the owner. We talked, texted and emailed about the car, getting VIN and accurate pics. After cross-referencing against CarFAX, my spouse and I rented a car and made the trek from Ohio to southern Atlanta. The owner and son met me at a local credit union. After doing a physical inspection and test drive, we went into the credit union and had a cashier's check drawn for the amount (shared branching). I drove the car all the way back to Ohio with the top down! What a way to experience an S2000 (and a sunburn!) for the first time!
I flew out to Atlanta, then me and a buddy who lives in Atlanta, drove to the border of South Carolina to pick mine up.
I drove it back to Chicago in one of those snow storms that passed through Tennessee a couple weeks ago (the car is on ventus v12's)
lol, I made it back in about 12 hours.
02-18-2016, 10:09 PM
#14
Seems like there was a misunderstanding and poor communication. You should never purchase a plane ticket until both parties are clear and accepting of how the deal will proceed. I don't see why you didn't just say you'll bring a cashier's check. That is very universally accepted and if the seller won't, then walk away.
02-18-2016, 11:50 PM
#15
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Well, my turn I guess...
I made the mistake of trading my first 02 Suzuka that was in pristine condition for a high hp turbo BB 02, and ended up with not only issues, but I didn't like it as well as my NA prior to it; I decided to sell it, but in the mean time, I needed another NA AP1. My standards for an S are very high and I won't accept anything that's not cosmetically/mechanically mint and oem (again, the turbo S had quality parts and build but broke my "don't buy modified" rule). The search begins:
I find a seemingly spotless yellow 02 in OH, 4 hours from me across the state line. Pics look great, low miles and a fair price. I stopped at the bank, got a cashiers check made out to that dealer, and headed their way. I arrive, and the closer I got, the more I noticed a paint mismatch. The rear half of the car from the doors back had been resprayed, and it didn't match. I asked beforehand, after viewing a clean carfax, if there was damage repaired at any point and was told there wasn't. Turns out the car had RUST repaired and that was the cause of the respray. I looked underneath to find not only a shitload of rust, but also a chopped up and rewelded auto zone turbo muffler and crush bent piping leading to one exhaust cutout; I immediately swallowed my anger and told them to have a good day, left.
I drive all the way back 4 hours to my bank, barely making it on time, and void the check. I added a bit to it and had it remade blank for cash, for me to fill in the seller's name. I went home and searched, found another supposedly clean S in KY, and made plans to go early the next morning to see it, hoping this is the one. It was an 04 Silverstone, advertised "all original" by the dealer. I didn't want nor was I looking for an AP2, but the price was really good (more on that in a moment). I call, they lie too; I arrive the next day, 6 hours and some change on the road, and find the following:
- Small dents on almost every panel
- A hole in the trunk lid where an ANTENNA was mounted!
- All four corners rolled and wrinkled beyond repair (how I missed this in pics I don't know; the hole in the trunk was plugged with a color matched plastic cap).
- Aftermarket bolts in all the a-arms (from it being previously lowered).
- Light curb damage on all 4 wheels
- Exhaust leaked from r&r
- Alignment off, steering off center
- No airbox lid
He now offers to drop the price to 10k; I laugh, tell him what I think about the mess and walk.
Again, 6+ hours wasted.
I stopped for lunch. Me and my buddy are sitting at the place, me pissed off, and he says "why don't you search from here instead of where we live, you may find something different". So I search within 500 miles. One S shows up, 360 miles away. It's exactly what I'm looking for: an 01, 1 owner, on consignment at the dealership, come to find out. I call. I tell the dude: put it on a lift, check the underbody. If the car isn't spotless and unwrenched, I don't want it. He calls me back 10 min later and tells me "I could put it on the showroom floor with my brand new cars. An older gentleman owns it and drove it on weekends locally since new. I have someone actually walking up, looking at it outside now." I freak a bit; I said "I'll give you a 1k deposit by phone on a card right now if you'll hold it, and if the deposit is refundable if I decide against it. I'm 360 miles away." He takes my card info down, runs the transaction, and says "see ya in a few hours." I arrive shortly before dark. Before I got 20 feet from it, I knew it was sold. The rest, and the ~2.5k mile total round trip to get it, is history.
I still sometimes regret trading my first S off. Euphoria from crazy power and speed isn't what the S is all about to me, as I expensively found out...
I made the mistake of trading my first 02 Suzuka that was in pristine condition for a high hp turbo BB 02, and ended up with not only issues, but I didn't like it as well as my NA prior to it; I decided to sell it, but in the mean time, I needed another NA AP1. My standards for an S are very high and I won't accept anything that's not cosmetically/mechanically mint and oem (again, the turbo S had quality parts and build but broke my "don't buy modified" rule). The search begins:
I find a seemingly spotless yellow 02 in OH, 4 hours from me across the state line. Pics look great, low miles and a fair price. I stopped at the bank, got a cashiers check made out to that dealer, and headed their way. I arrive, and the closer I got, the more I noticed a paint mismatch. The rear half of the car from the doors back had been resprayed, and it didn't match. I asked beforehand, after viewing a clean carfax, if there was damage repaired at any point and was told there wasn't. Turns out the car had RUST repaired and that was the cause of the respray. I looked underneath to find not only a shitload of rust, but also a chopped up and rewelded auto zone turbo muffler and crush bent piping leading to one exhaust cutout; I immediately swallowed my anger and told them to have a good day, left.
I drive all the way back 4 hours to my bank, barely making it on time, and void the check. I added a bit to it and had it remade blank for cash, for me to fill in the seller's name. I went home and searched, found another supposedly clean S in KY, and made plans to go early the next morning to see it, hoping this is the one. It was an 04 Silverstone, advertised "all original" by the dealer. I didn't want nor was I looking for an AP2, but the price was really good (more on that in a moment). I call, they lie too; I arrive the next day, 6 hours and some change on the road, and find the following:
- Small dents on almost every panel
- A hole in the trunk lid where an ANTENNA was mounted!
- All four corners rolled and wrinkled beyond repair (how I missed this in pics I don't know; the hole in the trunk was plugged with a color matched plastic cap).
- Aftermarket bolts in all the a-arms (from it being previously lowered).
- Light curb damage on all 4 wheels
- Exhaust leaked from r&r
- Alignment off, steering off center
- No airbox lid
He now offers to drop the price to 10k; I laugh, tell him what I think about the mess and walk.
Again, 6+ hours wasted.
I stopped for lunch. Me and my buddy are sitting at the place, me pissed off, and he says "why don't you search from here instead of where we live, you may find something different". So I search within 500 miles. One S shows up, 360 miles away. It's exactly what I'm looking for: an 01, 1 owner, on consignment at the dealership, come to find out. I call. I tell the dude: put it on a lift, check the underbody. If the car isn't spotless and unwrenched, I don't want it. He calls me back 10 min later and tells me "I could put it on the showroom floor with my brand new cars. An older gentleman owns it and drove it on weekends locally since new. I have someone actually walking up, looking at it outside now." I freak a bit; I said "I'll give you a 1k deposit by phone on a card right now if you'll hold it, and if the deposit is refundable if I decide against it. I'm 360 miles away." He takes my card info down, runs the transaction, and says "see ya in a few hours." I arrive shortly before dark. Before I got 20 feet from it, I knew it was sold. The rest, and the ~2.5k mile total round trip to get it, is history.
I still sometimes regret trading my first S off. Euphoria from crazy power and speed isn't what the S is all about to me, as I expensively found out...
02-19-2016, 12:05 AM
#16
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The thing to note is that it's nearly impossible to find an early S in mint condition now (and this was 2.5-3 years ago), and dealers lie A LOT to get you on their lot, never accounting for the length and cost of the trip if you're coming from multiple states away to get there. Ruthless...
02-19-2016, 04:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Car Analogy
...which is weird, cause used car dealers normally have such an outstanding reputation... Sent from my SM-G920P using IB AutoGroup
02-19-2016, 10:12 AM
#19
i went to Texas from California to buy my S from a private party. the seller lived in the sticks too, literally. fortunately, he was very forthcoming and was extremely patient and accommodating with all my requests for info, including pics, prior to my going out there to check out the car in person. it was definitely a leap of faith, as there is NO surefire way to guarantee that the car is as represented. not much can be done to ensure that the agreed terms and transaction go as planned either. even if you go through a business or escrow company, either party can renege or back out of something or even the whole deal.
that said, here are a few tips from my experience:
make sure to do your due diligence in getting as much info as you can about the car, including getting a rundown of its entire ownership and maintenance history. insist on fresh pics, not ones taken a month or even few weeks ago. if the seller balks and says its too much trouble, then take a pass. even if it's a deal of a lifetime, ultimately, it's not worth it.
you can have the car checked out by an independent third party/shop, but really, their opinion is second hand info too. if anything critical, like collision or major mechanical history isn't clear, again, better to take a pass.
agree on a tentative selling price, but make sure that it's clear that if the car is not as represented, the seller is agreeable to adjusting the price accordingly.
make sure that the title transfer process is clear cut. ideally, the car you're buying is already paid off, and the seller has the title in hand. if there's still a lien on it, that can make things complicated, especially if the lienholder (bank or credit union) is an off the wall company. if it's Honda of North America or a major national bank, that's better, but i would have the seller contact the lienholder to find out EXACTLY how long it will take to get the title. in my case, the car was not paid off, but the seller arranged for us to go to the credit union to pay off the loan and get the title on the spot. that isn't usually their protocol. most lenders take at least a few business days after payoff to get the title to you, but my seller was really cool about things and did a lot of legwork to ensure a smooth transaction for both of us.
i'm at lunch, so there are a bunch of other suggestions i'm omitting. any questions, feel free to ask. this was my first out of state purchase. it wasn't as easy as buying locally, but it went as smoothly as i could've hoped. i wouldn't hesitate to do it again for another car.
that said, here are a few tips from my experience:
make sure to do your due diligence in getting as much info as you can about the car, including getting a rundown of its entire ownership and maintenance history. insist on fresh pics, not ones taken a month or even few weeks ago. if the seller balks and says its too much trouble, then take a pass. even if it's a deal of a lifetime, ultimately, it's not worth it.
you can have the car checked out by an independent third party/shop, but really, their opinion is second hand info too. if anything critical, like collision or major mechanical history isn't clear, again, better to take a pass.
agree on a tentative selling price, but make sure that it's clear that if the car is not as represented, the seller is agreeable to adjusting the price accordingly.
make sure that the title transfer process is clear cut. ideally, the car you're buying is already paid off, and the seller has the title in hand. if there's still a lien on it, that can make things complicated, especially if the lienholder (bank or credit union) is an off the wall company. if it's Honda of North America or a major national bank, that's better, but i would have the seller contact the lienholder to find out EXACTLY how long it will take to get the title. in my case, the car was not paid off, but the seller arranged for us to go to the credit union to pay off the loan and get the title on the spot. that isn't usually their protocol. most lenders take at least a few business days after payoff to get the title to you, but my seller was really cool about things and did a lot of legwork to ensure a smooth transaction for both of us.
i'm at lunch, so there are a bunch of other suggestions i'm omitting. any questions, feel free to ask. this was my first out of state purchase. it wasn't as easy as buying locally, but it went as smoothly as i could've hoped. i wouldn't hesitate to do it again for another car.
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