Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Buy Your Used Car Off of Craigslist

It may seem tempting to hop on your craigslist app and browse the cheap cars near you, especially when money is tight. Going to a dealership can be exhausting and having to hurdle the anxiety of sales men might make some people want to just ride a bike instead. We get it. That being said, purchasing a car from a Craigslist posting may not be the best decision, either. We have 6 reasons why you should rethink your decision to purchase your car from Craigslist.

1. It’s a gamble. When you buy a used car from a random guy in Kansas, you don’t fully know what you’re going to get. The description and photos of the vehicle can be extremely misleading. The fact is, you don’t know what issues come along with the car until you hand over the money and the car is yours. And by that point, those problems are yours to solve, and spend money on. When it comes to dealerships, you can trust that they have taken all used cars through thorough inspection, assuring you the quality of your vehicle.
2. It’s a scam artists playing ground. It’s easy to get blown away by the new 2018 4Runner at only $12,000 – but don’t be fooled. Reports from Scam Statistics showed that over a million dollars has been lost already in 2019 by scam artists. Scam artists know what do to do trick you – it’s a profession. Websites like Craigslist are littered with them. When it comes to purchasing a car, you want to make sure your in reliable hands.
3. Stranger Danger. Do we need to expound on this? Reality is, you don’t know who is on the other end of the phone or email. If you do decide to go and test drive a car you found from a used website, bring a buddy. Or three.
4. No dealer perks. When you buy from websites like Craigslist, it’s rare to find an owner who goes above and beyond with making sure the car is in tip-top shape before you buy it. At dealerships, they want to make sure the car is in the best shape before you drive it off the lots. No bald tires, check engine lights, stains on the carpets. Even though it’s used, a dealership will make sure basic maintenance is done.
5. No financing option. When you buy used, this is a cash-only transaction. Meaning, the options of cars you can buy decrease significantly.

Think before you craigslist

We get it, buying used cars on Craigslist can seem like a good deal and less hassle than the dealerships. Keep in mind, there are many used-car dealerships that have a higher standard of selling than an independent owner. Not only that, but most of the time you can negotiate pricing like you would on Craigslist. Anyone can scam you – so we aren’t saying all used car dealerships are perfect. But you can avoid a lot of sketchy-ness by staying off of sites like Craigslist when it comes to big purchases like cars.

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