Buying a car online?

So have you guys ever done it? Bought a car on eBay without seeing it in person?
Today we got our new car and yes it was bought on eBay. In fact, I have bought 2 of the 3 cars I've ever owned on eBay and I am here to share my success stories.

Back in 2006, I was shopping around for my first car. I had a teeny tiny budget and my dad was an eBay king at the time. I told him what I wanted and how much I could spend and he went to town.

After a couple months, he tells me one morning to go to the bank because he had won a bid on a '96 Jetta for only $1450. The next day we drove the couple hours away to pick it up and that's how Josie and I met.

For my close friends back then, they well know the history of Josie. You see I like to call VWs "quirky." In my experience with them, there are a few facts that exist around them...

• If it has a sunroof, it will go off track
• 2002 was a very bad year of manufacturing
• Jettas have a tendency to not like being unlocked on the driver's side
• They will never leave you stranded

I am not a VW expert but these are the observations I have made over the years. And the list goes on with the quirks Josie had. Over the 2.5 years I owned her the trunk stopped opening, 2 windows stopped going down (one wouldn't go all the way up either), the speakers blew out, she shimmied under 60mph, there were funny noises, and she may or may not have been in a "water incident" post Hurricane Dolly.

But she never once stopped running on me. The only times I was stranded were because of blown tires. There weren't even sensor issues. And when I went to sell her, someone actually paid $50 more than my original purchase price.

I loved that car and up until a couple years ago, she was still being spotted driving around town (I know it was her because of a "custom" paint job my dad added to the bottom trim).

So experience #1 with a blind car purchase = success!

My 2nd car purchase (and current vehicle), Darlene ('99 Saturn SL2), was also a blind purchase but not online. A friend's mom bought her at auction for me and despite the notorious "Saturn's burning oil" problem and a few minor sensor/water pump issues over the years. Again I've totally gotten my money's worth on her! In fact, she just rolled over 210,000 miles and I put 80k of those on in the last 3.5 years. So at $2000 = another win!

That brings me to the here and now. For the last 6 months or so, we have been a 1 car family to save on gas since Luke's truck is a fuel hog. It's been tight but doable with his 3-day-a-week work schedule. Next semester that jumps up to 4-days and we figured it was time to add to the family. We did our research, I made charts, crunched numbers and finances, and we arrived at a decision.

A '04-'06 VW Jetta TDI with under 200,000 miles for under $7k including registration and everything. Despite my experience with the quirks, there wasn't a more reliable vehicle that met all our criteria.

We scoured local dealerships, AutoTrader, Craigslist, and every google search possible. I was also regularly checking the trusty old eBay as well.

And that's when we found her. She fit the bill exactly and the price was right. So we bought her on Thanksgiving Day.

Meet Gretta

We have spent the last 2 weeks coordinating with the seller and shipper to get her down from Alabama and we finally were able to go pick her up in San Antonio on Friday. Luke made the drive back in his new baby and fell in love. Plus at less than half a tank to go 210 miles, we are averaging 45mpg already. That means over a year we will still save at least $1500 by opting for a diesel engine.

It's still early to say, but those 210 miles did give us a good "test drive" and I'm pretty sure blind car purchase #3 is going to be a "win" as well!

So here are a few tips if you are considering buying a car online yourself:

• Check the Carfax! - It's amazing what sellers will try to lie about. I was able to spot a major scam car on eBay while we were hunting by noticing that the Carfax didn't match the seller's description. After watching for a couple weeks, I also noticed that while claiming no reserve and getting 20+ bids by auction end, they kept canceling and relisting it as having mistakes in the listing.
• Check the Seller's Feedback - We bought from a guy with 100% positive feedback from 415 reviewers. That definitely gave us confidence in buying.
• Calculate Shipping or Pick-up Costs before you buy - We were able to determine that shipping was cheaper than flying and driving back from AL but the same wasn't true if we bought in PA. Also, we agreed to meet the delivery driver part way which saved us over $50 after factoring the amount we spent in fuel both ways.
• Use a trusted Shipping Company - We had never shipped a car like this before. When I moved from NH, Josie was shipped but she was hauled by my truck-driving uncle. So we were groping in the dark for a shipping company. We decided to spend a bit more by using the seller's recommended company. And he was definitely worth it. We had almost daily communication and that definitely adds peace of mind when you are buying blind.
• Consider where the car has mostly been driven - Humid climates come with a rust factor as do cold wintry climates with all the salt and sand they use. Consider this when shopping out of state.
• Go with your gut feeling - We almost bought a different car because it was local. But the mileage was higher and from Day 1 that gave me a bad feeling. Then when we really started talking with the seller he confessed there was a transmission "sensor issue" when you tried to reverse "3/10 times". Well we did our research and there was no such sensor but it was actually a sign of a soon to be gone transmission. If we had gone with our gut feeling from the beginning it would have saved us that research time.

Which brings me to...

• Do Your Research - This is the most important step in any big purchase. You will never regret it and it only makes you a better buyer!

So would you ever consider buying a car blindly online?

I am not a car expect nor was I compensated by anyone for this post. This is 100% based on my own opinions and experiences.