maxcosity

Guys, I am planning on getting my maxima.. I know, I know - FINALLY.. Anywho, in order to get THE ONE I want, I will need to purchase it from a place further than I would like..

That said, I have a couple concerns purchasing w/out seeing the car in person and/or test driving it beforehand. FYI it will probably be from one of those used car dealerships, not a true Nissan dealership and not a private party..

1) What if there are dings, marks, etc.. on the or in the car that the seller does not tell me about..

2) I understand I may need to pay as much as $1200 to ship it cross-country, but what happens if it is damaged (or even dinged) during shipping? Who is responsible and how could I enforce responsibility?

3) What if its a lemon? What if it has all of these problems - am I protected under the lemon law?

4) Is it worth it to just spend the dough and fly out there to test drive/inspect and then drive it or ship it back?



What do you guys think about this idea.. I was thinking of asking someone from my car club (clubsi.com currently - but perhaps a maxima.org member would help out) to go and inspect/test drive, photo-document the car for me and let me know if it's worth it or not...

What do you all think? I don't know if I could convince a Nissan dealer here to get it for me.. and even if I could, they would probably make me sign something ahead of time saying that I must purchase it no matter what..

Thanks,
Kevin

2k2kev

it's not going to cost $1200 to fly there and drive it back, so why not do that? It'd give peace of mind, make sure you get what you're paying for, and we all know if it has dings/scratches/imperfections and you take delivery, you'll never get restitution for it no matter how hard you try.

Buy a one-way ticket and if you end up not buying the car, fly standby on the way back and it won't cost that much.

Or ask a max.org member, but even then what if s/he doesn't have an eye for detail like you?

serin

iTrader: (2)

it would help if you told us what area the car is located in.

and i agree with 2k2wannabe, def get the ticket and move it yourself. i personally wouldn't buy a used car sight unseen.

limsandy

iTrader: (1)

If I were you, I would try to buy an used car from a private party. Dealers make as much as $2000 from an used car. If you buy your car from a private party, you can somehow eliminate this cost. But then again, it's just me.


~limsandy

maxcosity

But it's REALLY HARD to find private party Maxima SE 6-Speeds, ya know?? Autotrader.com is about the only option and even then to find the one I want (02 or 03 white or gray 6-speed SE), it is a LONG way away.. I guess my only option is to road trip it or fly there and cruise back.. oh well..

I guess getting exactly what you want these days isn't easy... and they say it's a "buyer's market" LOL!!

K

UCF_94lude

I managed to find a 02 gray 6 speed SE a month ago. It was about 3.5 hours from where I lived though. Fortunetely the guy kept the car in great shape and low mileage. I would just keep trying autotrader, and you'll find one eventually.

maxcosity

Well that's no fair, you live in Florida!

Yeah, I'll keep on keepin' on.. if at first I don't succeed, I will buy an AUTO.. I've got my pick on those - last time I looked: 40+ within 300 miles..

K

Uconn411

Well, doing an advanced search on cars.com in CA (that's is where your profile says you're from), I came up with the following:

http://www.cars.com/search/used/cc/s...onal&src=&cid=
2002 Nissan Maxima SE
Compare Vehicles Black Book Value

Add to Compare CARFAX Report

Mileage 8,985 Engine V6
Body Style Sedan Transmission MANUAL 6SPD
Wheelbase Drive Train FWD
Doors 4 Stock # CSV72166
Exterior Color Silver VIN JN1CA31A32T315127
Standard Features: FWD, Air Conditioning, Cruise Control, Remote Power Door Locks, Power Steering, 4-Wheel ABS, Ventilated Front Disc / Solid Rear Disc Brakes, All Season Tires, Alloy Rims, AM/FM Cassette In-Dash Single CD Player, Power Windows, 8-Way Power Front Seat, Tilt-Adjustable Steering Wheel
Seller's Notes: PLEASE EMAIL US FOR SPECIAL INTERNET PRICE ON THIS VEHICLE


More Information About This Dealer
Future Ford
650 Auto Mall Dr.
Roseville CA
Toll-Free 866-235-5959 More about Future Ford:
• Print this listing and bring it with you to the dealer
• Visit this dealer's Web site
• Get a map to Future Ford
• Look at this dealer's other inventory

BTW, its still on their website:

http://futureford.futureautomotivegr...acrossleft.cfm

TimW

iTrader: (6)

this is simple.. there are members in every part of the country..

Lets say the car is in Little Rock, you tell me where, I go take high rez pics and email them to you, check the paint, drive it and look for glaring problems. You decide you like it, send them a deposit (assuming its a dealer) and get a SW Airlines ticket for $150, get an oil change in town, have a decent meal and have a great roadtrip back.

I did this for a member who was looking for a low mileage Supra. I found out a doctor had let his kid drive it on occasion and where the top had been dropped. The member passed on it, the abuse didnt warrant the high price.

Uconn411

There is also this one in Scottsdale, AZ:

http://www.cars.com/search/used/cc/s...onal&src=&cid=

Its $31,995 from the dealer, but loaded.

E55AMG2

iTrader: (4)

Fly there, inspect it yourself, and enjoy the drive back

Rgamfn1

iTrader: (1)

1. Have an .org member check it out first. This is the cheapest and he can check out the car dealer to make sure it's not a shady used car dealer (ucd).

2. If you ship it, it won't cost $1200, and most shippers carry ins. to cover damage to your vehicle. You have to make sure the ucd mentions any damage and fills out the paperwork correctly for the shipper. Then if anything is damaged when you inspect it, they have to compare it to the dealer's original record.

3. Flying out and driving back will be the most fun, make sure you take it to a local mechanic BEFORE you leave with it, in case there is something major. By driving it back you get a true feel for any problems and issues, which you won't get while it's being shipped. Also if the car doesn't meet your expectations then you can just hang out in the city on vacation and fly back.
p.s. If you buy a roundtrip, depending on the airline, you might be able to get a credit for the unused portion of your ticket for your return trip.