Buying cross country private party

[just_Dave]

Looking at machines and found one out of my state that even with shipping would be a decent deal.

Part of my is hitch up the trailer and go get it, the other part of me is just have it shipped home... BUT the biggest issue is completing the sale with no party getting shafted.

Unlike a Big dealer that you sort of can trust what if anything can be done for private sales? Anyone know of shippers that can pay when they pickup and charge when the drop off. AKA be an agent? I'm sort of cash and carry type person.

I suspect the answer unless I'm the one picking it up it's all blind trust. Looking for thoughts

 

[hosspuller]

Hard ... NO. Too many scams and hidden problems. Even when examined in person, problems can be hidden with paint, gunk, tape, or baling wire. A stolen machines will leave you hanging out to dry when the rightful owner finds it. Or the bank with a lien on it claims it.

 

[fried1765]

Hard ... NO. Too many scams and hidden problems. Even when examined in person, problems can be hidden with paint, gunk, tape, or baling wire. A stolen machines will leave you hanging out to dry when the rightful owner finds it. Or the bank with a lien on it claims it.

I am not nearly THAT paranoid!
I sent a 20% ($6400) deposit to the seller, 350 miles away.

I did have the good fortune to have a college classmate living near the seller to view the tractor for me.
My friend reported favorably, but it was still just his visual opinion (tractor had only 251 orig. owner hours)

I drove the 350 miles with my 14K trailer, and a cashiers check for the $25,600 balance (seller had already accepted my $6,400 cashiers check for deposit ).
Tractor was as described, and I loaded it up and drove away.

Stolen?
A bank lien?
How would ANYONE ever know were I live .....350 miles away.

Tractor is out of warranty, and I have no dealer contact, except for an occasional UPS shipped part.
NO PROBLEM AT ALL !!!!
Paranoia is not healthy !!!

 

[MoKelly]

Stolen?
A bank lien?
How would ANYONE ever know were I live .....350 miles away.

Tractor is out of warranty, and I have no dealer contact, except for an occasional UPS shipped part.
NO PROBLEM AT ALL !!!!
Paranoia is not healthy !!!

Since you gave a Cashiers Check to the seller that can be traced back to you.

I agree paranoia is not good - but I’m a believer in the “trust but verify” camp.

MoKelly

 

[fried1765]

Since you gave a Cashiers Check to the seller that can be traced back to you.

I agree paranoia is not good - but I’m a believer in the “trust but verify” camp.

MoKelly

In my case, it was particularly meaningful to take the seller situation into consideration.

My seller was a 60's ish, small time custom high end building contractor, with early stage Parkinson's disease, living/working on a seasonally affluent Maine Island (with bridge) community of less than 2,000 year round residents. He had bought the Kubota L48 TLB from a nearby mainland Kubota dealer when new in 2006, so the likelyhood of a loan or lien was extremely remote!

Everyone on the island knows too much about everybody. Though my college friend did not personally know the seller, he knows what everyone else knows, ....about everyone else.
I considered my risk percentage to be at or near absolute ZERO!

To be fearful of making the purchase, would have been the precise definition of pure paranoia on my part!

 

[just_Dave]

Since you gave a Cashiers Check to the seller that can be traced back to you.

I agree paranoia is not good - but I’m a believer in the “trust but verify” camp.

MoKelly

For a chainsaw it's pretty easy to take a leap of faith but when you pass $10k mark on something it's hard to even trust local let alone a distance away. And lien not even sure where to start on that journey CO UCC doesn't seem to scan based on any sort of # only a name.
Talked to my local Kubota dealer and he was like well you bring a machine on trade we trust that you tell us what is up and you have a loan we pay it off but yeah we don't check with anyone to verify you own it... If it's on your trailer it yours. Seems shocking more theft isn't' more wide spread.

So yeah... decisions decisions.

 

[hosspuller]

Just_Dave ... As you said, past $10 K the risk is significant. There is no registration or title with equipment. So, There is no central spot to be sure of cleared liens. I would trace the ownership of the machine, best is back to the selling dealer via serial number.
I'm not paranoid. I've bought big ticket items via private sale... I'm cautious and do my own due diligence.

It's a sad story when someone gets taken for big bucks. It happens. It's tragic when it's your story.

 

[tradosaurus]

I am not nearly THAT paranoid!
I sent a 20% ($6400) deposit to the seller, 350 miles away.

How would ANYONE ever know were I live .....350 miles away.

Tractor is out of warranty, and I have no dealer contact, except for an occasional UPS shipped part.
NO PROBLEM AT ALL !!!!
Paranoia is not healthy !!!

I saw a youtube video where the poster found out his tractor was stolen (after buying at an auction).

 

[fried1765]

I saw a youtube video where the poster found out his tractor was stolen (after buying at an auction).

If a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is!
Why would a 50 hour tractor even be in an auction?
Probably, either because there is a lien against it, or it is stolen!

 

[droptop]

Just because you're Paranoid, doesn't mean that there NOT someone out to get you.