Still searching for a van - scams everywhere!

[TinaTomato]

Hey all, I'm new to the forum and haven't yet entered into van dwelling proper, as I'm still searching for a van - I got scammed once from a craigslist predator and nearly again yesterday :s . I hope to make it to the RTR in January, though, and thought I might find some guidance here among the experts.

I know common sense goes a long way, and I wasn't exercising it the first time I got scammed. I was just so anxious to have a van so that I could get started setting it up to hit the road, that I ignored my gut instincts, and before I knew it, I had turned over a handful of cash for a title that was bogus and a vehicle that I couldn't drive.

Yesterday, I nearly fell for an internet phishing scam, but a quick Google search of some of the details turned up the ugly truth before the scammer(s) separated me from my funds. They baited me with a sweet 2004 Ford E-Series conversion for $2000 (my dollar threshold). Alas.

Any advice on where to look (I'm in the Midwest, presently) and/or how to avoid getting duped? Thank you all!

 

[Neal]

If it sounds to good to be true it probably is. I'm in Ohio and I was lucky enough to find a van local. A lot of people in this forum will travel many miles to find their rig. You can always run ask for a vin number so you can check the history of the van. If they won't give you one walk away. Also do you have a friend or relative that can help you? Good luck in your search, you'll find a van! There are many people in the forum here that can give you some great advice.

 

[John61CT]

Never hand over any cash until a trusted mechanic has signed off on it and the title checks out, ideally go down to the DMV together.

 

[MrNoodly]

My unproven theory is that the lower the price range, the higher the change of a scam or of the van just being crap. Also, Craigslist is probably the least reliable/safe place to look for a vehicle.

 

[jonsun]

you interested in a minivan for cheap? its in cincinnati and well under your budget.

 

[John61CT]

I find that vehicles parked by the side of the road with a sign on them are often great bargains.

 

[urbanhermit70]

TinaTomato,

Thanks for sharing your buying tip .I'm a girly girl still learning and I won't be buying my van or RV until 2020/2021

 

[rvwandering]

Welcome to the CRVL forums Tina!

To help you learn the ins and outs of these forums, this "Tips & Tricks" post lists some helpful information to get you started. We look forward to hearing more from you.

 

[user 37446]

Well sorry that you've already lost funds on the first scam, but you learned from try #2, thankfully.

So there's a lot of ways to get scammed or prevent it:

Believing the "too good to be true" or "sob stories" or "military person being deployed" stories ranks right up there. 

So is the single photo (right click and search it and you will often find it for sale elsewhere...
 
The "curber"/middleman who doesn't actually have title is another, or the bill of sale he has is not the same name as the title.

This is where the used car lot can actually be a better deal for you, as long as you have that knowledgeable friend to look it over. If they sell a bad title vehicle you have recourse against the business. You have nothing against a private party.

Then of course try to stay away (geographically) from the flood title areas, like Tx and Fl right now, unless you have done your due diligence.

As previously posted, run the VIN.  Also check the forum Trading Post, some members offer their vehicle up for sale. 

Best is to see the vehicle in person with your friend, and run an AutoCheck or a Carfax on it. These reports aren't perfect but they do eliminate a lot of uncertainty, show licensing information (by state) and sometimes accidents. Yes you often have to pay for them however consider it cheap insurance. Some dealers and private party sellers offer the report for free, kinda like home sellers are offering home warranties now as a way to differentiate themselves from the masses and to inspire buyer confidence.

AutoCheck costs $24.99 for a single report, multiple reports (25 in 21 days) is $49.99). I'd think the latter is a much better deal, however Carfax seems to be more user friendly and reports maintenance.

Edmunds says that Carfax "is the most well-known provider of vehicle history reports, dating back to the late 1980s, when it actually faxed the reports to its customers. However, it is also the most expensive. A single Carfax report costs $39.99. Three will cost you $79.99, and five sell for $99.99. AutoCheck sells 300 reports for that price." 

So all in all, it's always best to be leery/careful of any online shopping unless it is a major car dealer, take a friend and get a car report nevertheless. Ebay Motors and Craigslist can have lots of scams/misrepresentations, so be especially careful there. The more photos of the vehicle the better, some Ebay sellers (the dealers) take up to 60+ in order to allow you to feel better about the vehicle. Not too many scammers will do that. Spend a little more in verification costs, mechanics and the car-checking services so that you don't end up with "buyers remorse" or worse.

 

[GotSmart]

I recently sold my van on CL. As is, where is. $1,000 including solar and many new parts. It went to the first caller.  

Good deals are out there. It just takes time and speed to get one

 

[jonsun]

Running a vin on a $2k vehicle is like doing yelp reviews for dollar store brand crackers....of course they're terrible. Plus that stuff is mostly a scam. It reports only what was worked on by a dealer or maybe, sometimes, insurance claims. It in no way tells you the real story. if it runs and drives and doesn't appear that it will fall apart a mile down the road, then that's all you cant expect.

or maybe Its like buying a "solar generator" with 500 watt hours! For only $1899!

 

[John61CT]

That is such total BS!

Over my lifetime I have owned well over 30 vehicles, and only two have cost more than $2000 in today's dollars.

Even the ones I bought strictly for parts were fantastic value, and all the others ran for many years, some I know the current owner 10-20 years later still has them running fine!

If that is your budget, and you need to find a reliable vehicle, you just need to invest more time and energy in the search to find the diamonds among the pebbles. And be ready to move very fast when you do find them.

That level of value is far beyond just getting scammed of course.

 

[Urban Fisher]

Yeah there are a lot of scammers out there, but simple tips may help. It won't avoid them all, but common sense plays a big factor in it too. Main thing I noticed, if they have their contact email or phone information imbedded in the picture, odds are it's a scammer (like example below). They do this because if they have been deemed a scammer in the past, the CL robots will pickup the number and flag them for removal. However, when they imbed the contact info in the picture, as I understand, the robots can't catch it as if it were in the body/description of the ad. Also avoid any that tell you..."My husband just died and I can't bear to look at the vehicle anymore...that's why I'm selling it so cheap." Scammer!

$1513 for that Jeep (assuming it's in running shape)...I don't think so! That is a scammer right there.

https://sanantonio.craigslist.org/cto/d/clean-record-grand-cherokee/6366568145.html

 

[urbanhermit70]

John61CT,

Your post is VERY true and good point.

 

[urbanhermit70]

Urban Fisher.

Thanks for the "avoid scammer tip"

 

[drysailor]

Hey all, I'm new to the forum and haven't yet entered into van dwelling proper, as I'm still searching for a van - I got scammed once from a craigslist predator and nearly again yesterday :s . I hope to make it to the RTR in January, though, and thought I might find some guidance here among the experts.

Hi Tina - A few yrs ago, I sold a 14-yr old GMC Safari SLT 8-pass for $2500. Wife & I had bought it new, had all service done by the orig dealer. Had 110K mi on it, looked & ran great, no issues. Sure, the book value was higher, but I just didn't want to deal with tire kickers & lookie loos. The first buyer that came with cash and not a load of drama got himself a great deal. I still see it around town once in a while, still looks good, even with 12 farmworkers crammed into it.
My suggestion would be to keep looking diligently at local ads, watching for individual owners who've owned the vehicle for a while. Service records not only verify that service was kept up, they also usually verify mileage over time. You want to find the vehicles that come up 'not too often', but move quickly when you do find one. I think that in today's market, if you can get to $5k as a price, you get far more in value / choice than below that.
Unfortunately, you're right about CL being full of trash, but there's still a few gems hidden in with all the crap.

 

[MrNoodly]

I find that vehicles parked by the side of the road with a sign on them are often great bargains.

Especially if you know how to hot wire them.

 

[accrete]

i decided a while ago that when our van is put up for sale in a couple months i would not place any ad on CL. I'm hoping that all the networking between here and a couple other van-related forums would hook me up with an honest-quality buyer from an honest seller.

Reading about the CL peeps give me the willies.

Thom

 

[Campor99]

$2000 dependable vans is a tough nut to crack!  Unfortunately, most junk vehicles fall in that category.

This forum might be your answer, lots of people read it, and are looking to upgrade to something bigger or 
desire a different ride.  Put out the word.

Last RTR several vehicles changed hands.  Idea!

I found my latest on Auto Trader . com  At a Chevy Dealer and got a good deal on a great SUV.

All of above advice is good, SOOOOO  

Good Luck and Do Well 

Campor99

 

[TinaTomato]

you interested in a minivan for cheap? its in cincinnati and well under your budget.

Bardo, I'm in Madison, WI, and I may have finally found a suitable vehicle - thanks for being on the lookout - wish me luck!