Craigslist Used Cars Listings And Actual Dealers

Posted by admin in Used Cars on August 3, 2011

More and more people are selling their used cars on Craigslist. However, dealers are also cashing in on this “individual-selling” aspect so they don’t need to comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s rules about used cars and used car dealers.

How The Grey Process Works

You won’t know until after the sale is done that you have purchased a used vehicle from a used car dealer. Here’s what happens in these kinds of cases:

  1. You see a Craigslist ad about a vehicle you like and call to check it out.
  2. You meet the “owner” at a private residence where the seller tells you the reasons why the vehicle is for sale. They don’t mention that they are a dealer.
  3. The used car history report will give rest to any suspicions you have about the vehicle.
  4. You’re not dumb when it comes to buying used cars and decide to get an independent inspection. The “dealer” is fine with this since it doesn’t report who the present-day owner of the vehicle is.
  5. While the used car history report is not a fraud, it’s likely to have been pulled before the dealer purchased the vehicle. That means the sales transaction between the previous owner and dealer is not going to be listed.
  6. You decide to buy the vehicle, make a deal and the dealer helps you out by getting the car registered in your name. It’s only until you get that final paperwork that you see the seller was actually a dealer.

Why Dealers Go This Route To Sell A Vehicle

Why would a dealer go through this much trouble? According to the Federal Trade Commission website, the Used Car Rule calls for dealers to have a Buyer’s Guide on all used vehicles they are selling. This Buyer’s Guide offers a good deal of information such as:

  1. If the vehicle is being sold “as is” or has a warranty.
  2. What percentage of any repair costs the dealer pays for under the warranty.
  3. The fact that verbal promises are harder to enforce.
  4. The vehicle’s major mechanical and electrical systems including the big problems to watch out for. Read the rest of this entry »

, , ,

No Comments

Revival Of A Classic

Posted by admin in Classic Cars on July 14, 2011

When asked what his dream car would be, my father has always answered in exactly the same way, without fail; the Jaguar E-Type. Not just any old Jaguar E-Type though, it would have to be in the classic British Racing Green, with a beige leather interior and wire spoke wheels. Developed in the 1960′s the E-Type is undoubtedly a thing of beauty, ranking first place in the March 2008 list of the one hundred most beautiful cars, produced by the Daily Telegraph. It is also, however, an extremely powerful car ranging from a 3.8 litre engine in the Series 1 up to a 5.3 litre V12 in the Series three. The Jaguar E-type was a real life beauty and the beast and the model was a huge success for Jaguar, selling over seventy thousand of them during its lifespan.

As it happens, we live just down the road from a prestige car garage and my dad is often poking around up there, looking for ‘his car’, but he has never been able to find an E-type up there that fits his set parameters, though they have had some lovely models from time to time. However, there is a new kid on the block that will make any car fan, not just the E-type fans, get a bit hot under the collar.

The Eagle Speedster is a brand new development, designed to bring new life into the old classic and at 1008kg with 340ft/lb of torque, it certainly has a whole lot of life. The Eagle Speedster ‘Black Cognac’ is based on the old “Lightweight” model that Jaguar produced out of Aluminium with the sole purpose of being a racing car whereas ‘Number 1′ is more like an updated version of the 1960′s original, with details and finishing that have stayed faithful to the design. The power delivery on this machine is absolutely amazing and the handling, which is often the let down of cars of this class, is immaculately precise. Read the rest of this entry »

No Comments