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Edit: Update on page 2! Car's a scam most likely 
So I'm looking into getting a car and I was browsing and saw this:
http://tinyurl.com/26nxwvs
It's a CLK 63 AMG Black Series which went for about $160k when it was released. The issue is that for a car this beastly, at such low mileage, it's for an incredibly cheap price relatively speaking. Other identical cars are going for 80k+ on the same site.
I don't think it's a scam but I am thinking it's probably salvaged or something and just has a bad history. I can probably carfax it but it's my first time buying a used car from a private dealer, so I have a few questions.
1. How reliable would a carfax be? i.e. is it possible that more could've happened to the car, yet was hidden conveniently from the carfax?
2. Is there anything else I should be looking for or asking about? I can actually go see this car IRL if the seller lets me (I fired off an email not too long ago).
3. In case it IS salvaged/has had a major crash or something previously, how heavily should that deter me from buying the car?
Thanks TL, always helpful!
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can i kill you and take it!?!?!? jkjk i dont have that kind of cash
carfax is pretty reliable but check out the car anyway before purchase
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Just look up on the internet or use common sense + friends to find out what data yo uneed. Don't ask general questions only as they could be telling the truth and still you'd have a shitty car.
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If the sellers tries to tell you Jon Voight used to own it then you shouldn't believe it.
Just a word of caution.
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From the best of my knowledge (3 years of practical work in autoshop + 2 years of schooling):
1. Not that reliable but just gives a general idea about the car's history will probably pick-up key information that will help you make an informed choice.
2. Maintenance/Tuneup history/Factory Warranty/Why he wants to sell it. Ask a bunch of questions to see if his facts are straight.
3. You shouldn't even consider if it was wrecked.
Sidenotes:
1. If you are serious about purchasing the car, get a mechanic (pay him $100~) to do a thorough inspection and he will tell you to walk away or if it's okay for purchase
2. Why don't you think it is a scam?
3. The insurance cost of that car may be ridiculously high depending on your driving history.
4. For that money you can get a brand new base C class with a few options.
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What ^^ said. Cars that seem too good to be true are usually too good to be true. Especially cars like mercedes that hold their value better... Plus, it's only 2-3 years old and it doesn't depreciate a car by 60-70% unless it's been in a serious wreck that damaged the frame/engine.
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thedeadhaji
39489 Posts
imo, seriously.
dont buy a car.
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Make sure it is really amg not just a normal clk with a body kit and exhaust ^^ . very nice find if it's legit.
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Thanks Purist, sounds like a good idea. I can just ask any random mechanic? Or would it have to be through like a friend/personal referral?
I don't think it's a scam in the manner of I'll end up forking over 50k via western union for a scanned picture of the car. It MIGHT be a scam in the manner that the car is totally messed up, though, which is what I'm primarily cautious about.
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On August 10 2010 07:35 Dr3w wrote:
What ^^ said. Cars that seem too good to be true are usually too good to be true. Especially cars like mercedes that hold their value better... Plus, it's only 2-3 years old and it doesn't depreciate a car by 60-70% unless it's been in a serious wreck that damaged the frame/engine.
AMGs are probably the worst cars ever when it comes to holding their value, like he said that thing was 160 new and generally goes for 80-90 now. They are super expensive to maintain and break all the time, which is reflected in their rapid depreciation. That said, that car is way too cheap. Might be worth looking in to just for the lolz. Make the seller pay for any inspection though.
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On August 10 2010 07:45 PanoRaMa wrote:
Thanks Purist, sounds like a good idea. I can just ask any random mechanic? Or would it have to be through like a friend/personal referral?
I don't think it's a scam in the manner of I'll end up forking over 50k via western union for a scanned picture of the car. It MIGHT be a scam in the manner that the car is totally messed up, though, which is what I'm primarily cautious about.
Yeah man no problem.
1. Call up the seller, meet up with him, tell him you are serious about purchasing it after an inspection from a 3rd party professional.
2. If he won't allow you to get it inspected, walk away no matter what.
3. Find some local credible shops and explain your situation and if they will do an inspection. It will usually cost around $75~100+ depending on area and such. Proceed with an appointment.
4. Take the car to the shop preferably with the owner, so if there are minor damages (repairable) you can use that as leverage to bargain with.
* Also it would be better if the shop is a specialized benz shop (you can find those pretty easily)
GL
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On August 10 2010 07:58 ThePurist wrote:Show nested quote +On August 10 2010 07:45 PanoRaMa wrote:
Thanks Purist, sounds like a good idea. I can just ask any random mechanic? Or would it have to be through like a friend/personal referral?
I don't think it's a scam in the manner of I'll end up forking over 50k via western union for a scanned picture of the car. It MIGHT be a scam in the manner that the car is totally messed up, though, which is what I'm primarily cautious about. Yeah man no problem. 1. Call up the seller, meet up with him, tell him you are serious about purchasing it after an inspection from a 3rd party professional. 2. If he won't allow you to get it inspected, walk away no matter what 3. Find some local credible shops and explain your situation and if they will do an inspection. It will usually cost around $75~100+ depending on area and such. 4. Take the car to the shop preferably with the owner, so if there are minor damages (repairable) you can use that as leverage to bargain with. GL
This is really the only way to do it. Both of you going to a garage for a full inspection. Its a bit of a cost but not if you consider what's at stake, and assuming both you and and the seller are honest, its a win-win for everyone involved.
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On August 10 2010 07:47 mucker wrote:Show nested quote +On August 10 2010 07:35 Dr3w wrote:
What ^^ said. Cars that seem too good to be true are usually too good to be true. Especially cars like mercedes that hold their value better... Plus, it's only 2-3 years old and it doesn't depreciate a car by 60-70% unless it's been in a serious wreck that damaged the frame/engine. AMGs are probably the worst cars ever when it comes to holding their value, like he said that thing was 160 new and generally goes for 80-90 now. They are super expensive to maintain and break all the time, which is reflected in their rapid depreciation. That said, that car is way too cheap. Might be worth looking in to just for the lolz. Make the seller pay for any inspection though.
Very true. one of my coworkers has an AMG and while he loves the car, it's in the shop like...every other week for two or three days at a time.
Some guy made him pay 300 bucks for a thermostat. fucking LOL. Be careful buying cars that seem too good to be true, because they usually are.
As far as I'm concerned, there's a reason a (very) limited edition AMG is on sale for 50k. It's just a matter of finding it out. Personal experience, I bought a 2002 Pontiac Trans-Am with 11k miles on it in near brand new condition for 9,100. I LOVE Firebirds of all sorts (I have a '76 in my garage!) and I was like OH HELL YEAH and bought that shit. I met with the seller and he said it was in 100% running condition and that he was just selling it because he wanted to buy a new Corvette and didn't have space for the car anymore. Cool, cool. Checked it out, got it inspected, everything checked out 100%. Bought it that same day.
Now, I bought the car in November of 08. I've had to replace so much shit in that car that broke, it's insane. For a car with under 25k miles? I've had to replace the Catalytic converter (three times!!!), head gasket, spark plugs (not so bad), serpentine belt, three pulleys, a warped disc, and my transmission skips. My neighbor is a long time family friend of ours and owns a mechanic here in Lorton VA (G&M Auto, shameless plug. Epic mechanic) and he told me I need to stop drag racing it. So I'm assuming the guy raced it, or something. Because I drive it like it's made of glass. I love this car, but I'm having to sell it because it's just falling apart. I'm spending more fixing it than I did on the car.
Long story short, be careful. It's hard to trust people sometimes. Check it out and if it looks good, take it up if you've got the cash and able to make the payments.
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Excellent info and advice all around, thanks a lot guys.
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For that price, it's probably a salvage. I bought a car about a month ago myself and decided to go with Autocheck over Carfax. They both appeared to offer about the same information, and Autocheck allowed unlimited VIN searches (for around the price of 5 with Carfax), and since I really wanted to look at a lot of cars this was the better deal. Still, Carfax is worth it, but you should take everything said with a grain of salt.
Carfax should be able to catch all the major issues, so it should tell if you if the car is a salvage, but it might miss some minor issues. I was talking with a seller through email and at the time he provided me with the VIN, he told me that someone had backed into his car's driver side and dented the doors pretty good. His insurance company fixed the damage. When I looked up the VIN, there were no reported accidents. Not saying that it happens frequently, but it's possible that things don't appear on a lookup. With that said, I'm pretty sure both companies offer a protection program; if there was a major issue with the car that they didn't have in their report (such as flood damage, salvage title, etc..) they may cover the purchase price of the car.
The best advice though, is to have it looked at by a mechanic. The reports are helpful for making a decision at what cars you want to look at, but they can't tell you about any mechanical problems you may need fixed. I hired a mechanic to look at the car I previously mentioned, he came out to us in a van for $150 and did a pretty thorough inspection. He told me that the car would likely need $600-1000 in work/maintenance, but that there was no major damage. Was actually going to buy the car, but the guy couldn't get financed for the car he was going to replace it with, so the deal fell through. I bought a car from a dealer without having a mechanic look at it, and think I made a mistake; going to be taking it to a mechanic in the next few days to see if there are any problems, but my 30 day warranty has already expired.
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are you the guy the same PaNoRaMa from lp.net?
Would give advice but i'm clueless about car purchase =(
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It says the car was sold? Did you buy it OP?
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Thanks snf, that's precisely what I wanted to know regarding my first question.
Yes I'm LP PanoRaMa
Don't know what you're talking about MetalMarine, the link works for me .
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On August 10 2010 08:54 So no fek wrote:
#1 Shuttle fan - TeamLiquid CJ Entusman #36 -Creepy Old Man of the "Loli is not a crime" Brigade! -
oh hell naw.
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poker does funny things to the brain
like wanting to buy expensive used cars that are huge money pits
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On August 10 2010 07:58 ThePurist wrote:Show nested quote +On August 10 2010 07:45 PanoRaMa wrote:
Thanks Purist, sounds like a good idea. I can just ask any random mechanic? Or would it have to be through like a friend/personal referral?
I don't think it's a scam in the manner of I'll end up forking over 50k via western union for a scanned picture of the car. It MIGHT be a scam in the manner that the car is totally messed up, though, which is what I'm primarily cautious about. Yeah man no problem. 1. Call up the seller, meet up with him, tell him you are serious about purchasing it after an inspection from a 3rd party professional. 2. If he won't allow you to get it inspected, walk away no matter what. 3. Find some local credible shops and explain your situation and if they will do an inspection. It will usually cost around $75~100+ depending on area and such. Proceed with an appointment. 4. Take the car to the shop preferably with the owner, so if there are minor damages (repairable) you can use that as leverage to bargain with. * Also it would be better if the shop is a specialized benz shop (you can find those pretty easily) GL
to 1 up this, if the seller is really trying to sell it to you. have HIM pay for the inspection with the agreement that you will reimburse him if all goes well.
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On August 10 2010 09:22 PanoRaMa wrote:Thanks snf, that's precisely what I wanted to know regarding my first question. Yes I'm LP PanoRaMa Don't know what you're talking about MetalMarine, the link works for me .
heheh oh yea, well if that's the case. It's a sick ride man hope you get it and enjoy it if you plan on getting it.
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One of my coworkers used to own a Boxter. It cost him $150 for an oil change. It had a proprietary dashboard (only the dealership could diagnose). It cost him $900 for snow tires because it couldn't handle in just a little snow. Someone keyed his car just for no reason. His convertible roof had trouble going up and down so he had to get it replaced. Black smoke started coming out of the exhaust pipe and the mechanic convinced him to sell it. He got like 9k trade in and he bought it used at like 22k maybe a year or two before. The only thing I asked myself was why....just why..
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I live in a pretty black heavy neighborhood and I always lol when I see some guy driving an old benz that they probably got for ~ 10-15k and are spending a fortune to maintain it. There's a reason why only rich people buy expensive cars, they can afford to repair them and don't care if they depreciate. If the car ends up being a huge drain on your finances to repair and maintain you can't even sell it off because by then it will have depreciated to ridiculously low prices.
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On August 10 2010 07:58 ThePurist wrote:Show nested quote +On August 10 2010 07:45 PanoRaMa wrote:
Thanks Purist, sounds like a good idea. I can just ask any random mechanic? Or would it have to be through like a friend/personal referral?
I don't think it's a scam in the manner of I'll end up forking over 50k via western union for a scanned picture of the car. It MIGHT be a scam in the manner that the car is totally messed up, though, which is what I'm primarily cautious about. Yeah man no problem. 1. Call up the seller, meet up with him, tell him you are serious about purchasing it after an inspection from a 3rd party professional. 2. If he won't allow you to get it inspected, walk away no matter what. 3. Find some local credible shops and explain your situation and if they will do an inspection. It will usually cost around $75~100+ depending on area and such. Proceed with an appointment. 4. Take the car to the shop preferably with the owner, so if there are minor damages (repairable) you can use that as leverage to bargain with. * Also it would be better if the shop is a specialized benz shop (you can find those pretty easily) GL
follow this, but it reeks of a car that has a salvage title. And those cars dont retain value well
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Hi guys,
Thanks for all your help. As an update, I think the car is actually a scam now. I originally didn't think it was because people told me yeah it costs money to post on autotrader/I could just go check it out IRL, etc. but I e-mailed the seller yesterday (before posting this blog post), and received a reply. It was basically a copy/paste reply that I'm sure he sends a lot of people, and in it he asks for my full name and e-mail address, along with saying he'll be using eBay's protection program to facilitate the deal.
http://reviews.ebay.com/Scam-Warning-Craigslist-AutoTrader-eBay-Motors-Scams_W0QQugidZ10000000011673463
http://theautoprophet.blogspot.com/2008/10/new-ebay-motors-scam.html
So I'm fully convinced that this is a scam like the ones in the links. Just the whole too good to be true deal, the copy/paste e-mail, and the e-mail itself.
edit: typo
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On August 10 2010 14:22 ZeaL. wrote:
I live in a pretty black heavy neighborhood and I always lol when I see some guy driving an old benz that they probably got for ~ 10-15k and are spending a fortune to maintain it. There's a reason why only rich people buy expensive cars, they can afford to repair them and don't care if they depreciate. If the car ends up being a huge drain on your finances to repair and maintain you can't even sell it off because by then it will have depreciated to ridiculously low prices.
In this game called life, this actually makes sense. If you see someone maintaining an old Benz, especially one like an AMG perfectly, then this is proof that they have a steady income.
Ex: I got an old AMG for less than $15000, and have already spent $4000+ in the last year on it for random fixes and such and always put aside a about $350 a month for future upgrades and such I want to do (Evo stage II kit for the C32)...
I mean, with the money I have spent I could just lease a brand new Infinity G37 or something but it's so much more fun to have an AMG (even though it's old) and to maintain it and just to admire it's German engineering.
Panorama you could always go for the top notch SL65 AMG, I think one from about 4 years ago costs like ~$80,000 USD. Pretty good price for a usable, luxurious, super sports-car, since it seems like you're willing to shell out the cash :-D.
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On August 11 2010 04:25 ItsYoungLee wrote:Show nested quote +On August 10 2010 14:22 ZeaL. wrote:
I live in a pretty black heavy neighborhood and I always lol when I see some guy driving an old benz that they probably got for ~ 10-15k and are spending a fortune to maintain it. There's a reason why only rich people buy expensive cars, they can afford to repair them and don't care if they depreciate. If the car ends up being a huge drain on your finances to repair and maintain you can't even sell it off because by then it will have depreciated to ridiculously low prices. In this game called life, this actually makes sense. If you see someone maintaining an old Benz, especially one like an AMG perfectly, then this is proof that they have a steady income.
no... that's not proof of anything at all lol
Never heard of that scam but that's good to know
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I have a fancy automobile and I have to sell it because I am going to school.
BMW Fact: Expect to pay $1000 on average to maintain a BMW 5 series per month. (All I know is the BMW lifestyle(Damn corporate brainwashing)).
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Heh, the car is unlisted now
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On August 10 2010 07:19 I_Love_Bacon wrote:
If the sellers tries to tell you Jon Voight used to own it then you shouldn't believe it.
Just a word of caution.
My dad got a Nissan 350z which was owned by famous Nissan's CEO Carlos Ghosn and then offered as a reward to a good employee. The employee would have prefered cash and sold the almost new car to my dad for half the price.
If Jon Voight owned it, you should definitely buy it, you could find some Angelina's pubes on the passenger's seat.
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EPT
