My brother's trying to buy a Geo Tracker. We live in New Hampshire and the guy he's buying it from lives in Rhode Island. The guy said the car's very reliable and mentioned no problems with the car. My brother found the car online, so he sent him the money for the car $650.00, and the guy sent him the title. Apparently, this guy is selling it for a friend because the title was signed by his "best friend" and there was note that said, "I, _____, sell one 1996 Geo Tracker in "AS IS" condition." He put emphasis on, "as is," so I'm assuming there's got to be something wrong with it (plus, it's a Geo.) My brother's only 18 and this is his first time buying a car on his own. I don't like this idea at all. He already drove all the way down to Rhode Island once and when he got to the guy's house he wasn't there (or so he said on the phone, even though his driveway was full of cars.) So, already I feel like these two guys selling the cars are sketchy. What do you think of this?
2006-11-04 04:01:12 · 12 answers · asked by Katlyn ♥ Disney 6 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Buying & Selling
I heard there's a law that car's can't be sold "as is" because people end up in tragic accidents due to sellers not specifying problems with the cars.
2006-11-04 04:01:52 · update #1
Then I searched these guys' names on MySpace. The guy who owned the car is 22 and describes himself as a partier who loves to drink and smoke. I really think my brother's making a bad choice. I mean, why isn't the guy selling it himself? Why is he needing his friend to do it?
2006-11-04 04:03:25 · update #2
"As is" means Caveat Emptor "buyer beware, and if it is a buyer's market why would he settle so quickly - this is called impatience - and we elders know why - patience is a virtue - for we have made those mistakes that your brother is making - you cant save him from everything, and if the deal goes bad - he will learn - forgoing your advise especially.
If it is a particular kind of car he has been searching for and found, being a young male, the chances of penetrating his thought process is limited
and tell him, from me he is acting a fool's part in this car game... I was taken by a car deal when i was 18, i had to pursue it through the state's attorney general in Kansas, and after several months of a walking - i finally got my money back. he might not be so lucky
2006-11-04 04:17:46 · answer #1 · answered by robb k 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would shy away from buying any car for a grand total of $650. You can sell a car (or anything for that matter) and specify that it is being sold "AS IS". It is simply a way for the seller to cover his *** and accept no responsibility for anything that is wrong with the automobile. You as the buyer are totally responsible for understanding the condition of the car, any defects, etc... The seller is providing no warranty, no help, no guarantee, nothing. That is all well and good as long as you and your brother really know what you are buying. I would suggest that before you pay for the car, take ownership, or sign anything, that you have a reputable (not one recommended by the seller) look the vehicle over and give you an honest opinion of what problems might be present. It will cost you a few bucks but will be well worth it in the long run.
2006-11-04 04:08:12 · answer #2 · answered by troythom 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The two guys may be sketchy, however that does not mean the car is. Golden rule never buy a car from someone you don't trust.Second rule you always get what you pay for. Third rule never buy a used car with out driving it first and having it check out mechanically. Finally there is a FEDERAL law that requires all car dealerships to display a FTC sticker on any used vehicle they are offering for sale. This sticker is where the dealer has to display any warranty coverage that comes with the purchase of the car, if no warranty comes with this car the sticker must read AS-IS. This is for the protection of the consumer. Since your guys sent an as-is disclaimer I would bet one of them has been or currently is in the car biz. Hope this helps.
2006-11-04 04:28:30 · answer #3 · answered by Stevie G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This whole deal smells, badly As far as the price, Geo has not been a current brand name for years, so the value of it is strictly dependent on the condition it is in.
If the wrong person signed over the tirle, in most states, you will not be able to.
Partiers tend to be unreliable.
I would never buy a car w/o driving it first, & having it checked out by a mechanic I trist. And on a car that old, I also would not give any kind of a guarantee.
In, short form, I would get out of that deal immediately, if he can get his money back. If he can't, see his state's attorney (or prosecuting attorney) to find out what options he has.
2006-11-04 04:14:51 · answer #4 · answered by bob h 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Check Rhode Island state law. I am a NH resident also. In the State of NH you can sell a car AS IS but in the state of MA you can not. The reason for his friend could be he is not in the area without knowng the party involved I can not answer that. But the price is very good have him bring it to a mechanic before signing the contract also.
Former new and used car sales manager
2006-11-04 04:06:46 · answer #5 · answered by Colin L 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The "as is" clause varies from state to state and i know this for a fact, am not sure of Rhode I. stand on that...however, sounds to me like it is a very bad idea too, on the other hand, when you buy a used car you have (always, any state) to take the car to a trusted auto mechanic and see if there are problems with it, that is what I would do...if the seller objects to that arrangement then you have a lemon on your hands and do not buy the piece of crap!!!!! sounds like you are a nice sibbling...he is lucky to have you.
2006-11-04 04:09:47 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
This does sound strange to me, and being sold "as is" is done to prevent any liability on the sellers behalf for anything wrong with the vehicle. I would have had a mechanic look at the vehicle before I purchased it, or at least looked at it and test drove it myself. Good luck and I hope you brother hasn't been ripped off and not even able to get the vehicle, if there are major problems with the vehicle maybe he can sell it for parts to get his 650 bucks back.
2006-11-04 04:07:43 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wrong. Any car can be sold "as is" and a smart seller will sell it as such. It protects the seller from a buyer who trashes the car and then wants his money back. Never a good idea to buy a car outside of your area.
2006-11-04 05:20:30 · answer #8 · answered by Vinegar Taster 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would almost never buy a car without seeing / driving it in person.
As-is sales are pretty common & usually mean that the seller is not going to offer a warranty. For $650.00 I would expect it to need some repairs and have a lot of miles on it.
2006-11-04 04:10:10 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It can be sold "as is", but I would have asked for the VIN number prior to sending payment so I could run a history check with something like carfax. Another option is to drive it to a mechanic and have it checked out prior to handing over a check. Since the check has been handed over, there isn't much that can be done and it may just equate to an expensive lesson if something major turns out to be wrong with the vehicle.
It's nice that you are looking out for your brother, good luck to you both.
2006-11-04 04:13:17 · answer #10 · answered by always_cookin 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋