Kick The Tires Before Buying A Car Online

Buying a used car can be risky business. The risk can increase significantly when you buy that used car online.

The Internet transaction isn't necessarily the risky part. The problems occur because the car is probably outside of your local area, making it harder for you to get all the information you need to evaluate it. Too many consumers buy a car without ever seeing it with their own eyes, instead relying on photographs and descriptions.

Denise of Sparks, Nev., said she purchased a used car from Auto World USA earlier this year. The car was located about 2,000 miles from her home, so she relied on website photos and descriptions. After all, the price seemed like a bargain.

When weeks passed and the car had not been delivered, she began to worry what kind of shape the car would be in once it did arrive. Finally, she decided she was never going to get it unless she took direct action.

Not what she expected

"I flew out and picked it up and drove it home," Denise told ConsumerAffairs.com. "It should never have passed a safety inspection as the rear-end had a leak and is rusted and corroded. It needs a new rear-end now, and this estimate is in the $1500 to $2000 range."

Denise said the dealer offered no help, basically referring her to its "buyer beware" policy. 

"I would feel differently if the repair was minor or something that could easily have a problem, but this should never have left the dealership in this condition," Denise said. "My mechanic told me we were lucky to make it home at all."

Painful lesson

The lesson Denise painfully learned is you never buy a used car without thoroughly inspecting it first. You should treat an Internet sale no different than a purchase from a local car dealer.

There are still thousands of flooded cars from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita out there, and if you are just relying on a photograph, you can't know if an unscrupulous seller is trying to unload one.

If you find a car on Autotrader.com, eBay, or some other site, negotiating a price is only part of the equation. First, you must travel to meet the seller and inspect the car. Road test it and, if possible, take it to an auto repair shop for an inspection. If anything doesn't seem quite right, it may be best to keep looking.

That way you can avoid being an unhappy consumer like Denise, who has learned her lesson.

"Even though the pictures and condition of the vehicles they sell for the price seem like a good deal, in the end they are not," she said.