IW Auto Sales Blog

Everyone has had the experience of selling their car to a private party.  The process is simple enough.  Simply create an ad on Craigslist, stuff it with lots of pictures and provide your contact information (phone, email, or both) and wait for calls.  I agree the process is not difficult and in a perfect world, this is the best way to sell your car to a private party. The problem is that the Internet world is changing rapidly, and I am sorry to say that the number of scams is increasing at a terrific rate.  Crooks can scan Craigslist and get your phone number and email and then contact you with any number of scams.  For example, see the previous email for the "Car Title Check" scam.  More importantly, potential buyers will come to your home to see the car.  Do you want strangers to know where you live?  A quick tip:  if you are selling a car always meet at a public place like a shopping center and bring a second person with you.  One last scam is a fake cashier check .

As an independent car dealer in California, I use Social Media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, others) as part of my advertising and I expect to receive lots of "junk" mail.  But last week, something happened that raised the bar so-to-speak and I thought I would share my story with you..... I received an email for one of my cars.  Simple enough, she said that her Uncle was interested in my car and if it was still available, she would have him contact me.  Sure enough, a day later I get an email from a guy named "Nick" who asked me questions about the car like its ownership, pictures, last service, etc.  After answering his questions, his next email caught me by surprise.  Here is the email: Thanks for the answer! I will buy for sure your vehicle if everything is as you said! I am taking a personal loan and to get the money I need to share with my loan officer the vehicle history report from  https://www.titlecheckcar.com  . I don't want to get

Car buying can be a very fun experience, unless of course you make one of 3 key mistakes. Here is a quick description of each mistake and how to avoid. 1. Use the Internet to find the car of your dreams. In other words, do your research before you go physically shopping at a car dealer. Narrow down the make and model and also the year. Manufacturers make major and minor changes to models and you need to understand how this impacts your dec ision (and budget). US News Car Reports ( https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks ) is an excellent website to learn about different makes and models and how they compare. 2. Go and physically see the car. There is no better way to determine the condition of the car without a physical visit and test drive. Check the exterior for scratches and dents. Review the CARFAX report for any history of accidents or damage. Do not necessarily decline a car because it was in a accident or rear end "bump". Have your local mechanic inspect the