Buying a Car Sight Unseen

Edmunds.com

You've found what seems to be the car of your dreams. Unfortunately, it's on the other side of the country. Conventional wisdom tells you not to buy it until you've driven it and had it inspected. Can you make sure it's not a lemon and get it at the right price without checking it out in person?

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dirk3rdd

So when shipping a bought vehicle would you recommend going through a broker like uship.com or directly to a car shipping co like: www.montway.com? Actually, thinking about a follow up "How To ..." or "Best Companies for ..." post would be pretty helpful.

philip17

We have a story about shipping your car which is quite helpful and has the names of many shipping companies. Check it out: How to Ship a Car you Bought: http://www.edmunds.com/car-buying/how-to-ship-a-car-you-bought-online.html

Philip Reed, Senior Consumer Advice Editor, Edmunds

Seasoned_Buyer

I found the perfect Jeep Cherokee that met all of my specs. I very nearly closed the deal without a visual inspection, but at the last moment had second thoughts and went way out of my way to see it in person. I'm glad I did and declined the offer on the spot. Visually, the Jeep was perfect and I was very comfortable with its condition. After 20 minutes or so being in and around it, I slowly became aware of a subtle, but very distinct odor. I mentioned that odor to the seller, who proceeded to hem and haw and began to cough and so forth. The story was that he was a chicken farmer and he constantly had chicken poop on his boots and with his boots on, of course, he had spent years in and out of that Jeep. Compounding things, he had lost his sense of smell in an auto accident and was not even aware of the presence of an odor. I think he was embarrassed as he had clearly worked hard to clean the vehicle. I said no, I'm sorry, and left.