Craigslist.org, Craigslist home page, used cars on Craigslist, Craigslist car find, search tool
Craigslist.org is an online classified website that is mostly known for the buying, selling, and trading of things locally. One of those items includes used cars. If you are looking for a good deal on a quality, yet affordable used car, you should checkout the website. But what questions should you ask sellers before agreeing to make a purchase?
Question: Does the car need any upgrades or repairs?
This question is important because a seller is only thinking about getting their car to sell when listing it on Craigslist.org. They don’t want to send interested buyers running with an overload of information, so they tend to leave the bad stuff out. That is why you should ask.
Question: When was the car last repaired and what was fixed or upgraded?
Once again, most Craigslist sellers are focused solely on getting their cars to sell. Many mistakenly believe that highlighting recent repairs would leave you to think it is a poor quality car, but upgrades and repairs can work in their favor. You may be more willing to buy a used car from Craigslist that just had new brakes put on, just got new tires, or one that recently underwent an oil change. After all, this is less money you need to invest in the vehicle.
Question: What was the car used for?
This question and the answer can give you great insight into the overall condition of a vehicle. Of course, it is also important to ask for pictures and to see the car in person too. All car sellers will take steps to clean up their cars, but you can know what to expect. Just because a car was driven 2 hours to and from work everyday, it doesn’t mean that it is a bad car, but it may have more signs of wear and tear.
Question: Can I see the car?
The answer to this question should always be yes. Even if you only spend $500 on a used vehicle, it is still money. A vehicle is an important purchase. Be cautious of a seller who won’t let you see the car before agreeing to buy it. If you are unfamiliar with cars, take someone along with you who is to look under the hood. Take the car, van, truck, or jeep for a test drive.
Question: Are you willing to accept X amount of dollars less?
Buying a car from Craigslist is different than buying a used car at a local dealership, but some practices should still stay the same. You are likely to haggle for a lower price at a dealership, so do the same here. The worst that will happen is that the seller will say no. Even if you can get them to lower the price by $100, that is still $100 more in your pocket.
The above mentioned questions are just a few of the many that you will want to ask when buying a new car. To search for a car with ease, download a Craigslist search tool. In fact, some tools also enable you to search eBay.com too. EBay is another popular website where cars are bought and sold.