Safe Car Buying Tips

You have heard enough horror stories of people getting hurt using Craigslist and other sites on the Internet.

Why don't you be safe—and even paranoid—rather than have an unfortunate encounter.

This is a guide to help you stay safe as you go about buying a pre-owned car.

Before Calling or Meeting the Seller

You HAVE narrowed down to a vehicle which looks like a good fit for your situation.

  1. Get the phone number and the address where the person is located using this link.
  2. Use the address obtained above to do a free check to make sure the person is not a sexual predator. Check with the National Sex Offender Registry If the person passes the check, that is good.
  3. Make the call.
    1. Get the VIN number
    2. Study the address to figure how far you have to drive.

(In case you did not get the address in step 1, use the information obtained here to go thru step 2)

Now is the Time to Check the VIN Out
  1. Use the VIN number you obtained to check against known hot or stolen cars. It's Free!
  2. If it passes through step 1 above, use the VIN number to check against totaled or flood-damaged cars at CARFAX®.
Time to Inspect and Test Drive
  1. Meet in daytime hours in a well-populated area, ideally you should take someone else along with you.
  2. Print this checklist and take it with you.