Buying a Car Through Craigslist

Craigslist is the world's classifieds and is available at the touch of your fingertips on the computer keyboard. I've found plenty of awesome deals with this swell website, however you have to watch out for obvious scammers and frauds or else you are apt to get burned out of your money. This is especially important when dealing with car and truck sales. When purchasing or thinking about purchasing a car through Craigslist, never forget to ask for the following items of information. They'll save you a lot of trouble in the long run!

VIN

The VIN, or Vehicle Identification Number is a set of letters and numbers, unique to each vehicle. It's usually located on the front driver side window of each vehicle, although older models may have it located in a different area. It's common for good car sellers to give out their VIN in their Craigslist ad, although you often will have to call the seller to find it out. No seller should refuse to give out the VIN, it's very basic information for every car, and it is what people use to get a Carfax report on a car. If a seller refuses to give out the VIN, be suspicious! It probably means that they either have no idea what a VIN is (and thus may know very little about their car overall) or that they have something to hide. A Carfax report is important to get for each car, but remember it is not a complete record of the vehicle history, it is usually just one piece of the puzzle. Still, always try and get a VIN, it's important to have to reference.

Mileage

Often, a seller will neglect to list the cars mileage. This is extremely important and usually a phone call or email will clear this up. Always find out a vehicles mileage ahead of time, don't waste your time test driving a car or truck without knowing the mileage. Again, this is basic information, no seller should refuse to give out.

Clean Title/Salvage Title

While some people have no qualms with purchasing a vehicle with a salvage title, most people do not want such a car. Thus, always ask the seller about this. It can be a big indicator of the quality of the car, especially for issues not discernible right away (accidents can damage interior areas not easily accessible).

These are just a few of the basic things you should ask for when dealing with sellers of vehicles on Craigslist. Be polite and understanding, but immediately be suspicious if they refuse to give out the above info. Happy shopping!