Has anyone used either CARCHEX or Lemon Squad to get a pre purchase inspection done for a car purchased out of state. Would you consider this necessary if the car is a CPO dealer car with less then 10,000 miles. I see a few dealers that have experience with out of state buys and that they will provide/arrange shipment to your door. How comfortable are the folks here on buying out of state sight unseen. Just trying to line up my options. Thanks

 

I've bought 3 cars sight unseen; never did a PPI. All the cars were as advertised. If I had felt inclined, I would've had a PPI done, but did not feel the need. I would be more concerned about body work than mechanical issue on a newish car with full service history. Look up a good auto body shop near where the car is for sale and work out an inspection with the shop. Put a deposit on the car and ask someone to drive the car to hired shop for inspection.

 

I had a PPI done when I bought this car two years ago.

I bought it from a private seller locally. The car had 34K on the clock and had seven months of CPO left. Probably the best 150 bucks I've ever spent as the report showed a basically flawless car.

While I was negotiating for this one I had another at a Chicago dealer that I was interested in. I asked the dealer if I could have an independent service look at the car on their lot. Their reply was "absolutely." That gave me a lot of confidence in the dealer as I would have purchased the car sight unseen.

If one is looking to spend any serious money on a used car I would even suggest having multiple services look a the car.

Penny wise and pound foolish? This is a British phrase, correct?

Best to all,

 

Bought 3 cars sight unseen all from dealers out of state. All as advertised and no reported problems what so ever. Mostly Florida dealers.

Auto transport was quite easy and no reported problems.

Every dealer has a contact with an auto transport to provide shipping.

I HIGHLY suggest to AVOID a auto transport broker when possible.

The transport brokers make lots of promises, usually charges $250 just to put your request on the Central Dispatch System. They bill you immediately and put your car out to bid. Many times the broker will provide a quote, then call back and state they can't do it for that price and the price goes up. There are literally tons of auto transports, transporting across the USA to major cities.

As far as outside indy inspectors, other members here have used the Lemon Squad at a cost of $150.00 to $175.00 for a detailed inspection.

If your buying from an authorized Jag dealer and car has under 10,000 miles and is under warranty, I would not sweat any mechancial issues. I would be more concerned about dings, scraps, scratches, paint problems etc. Those are usually NOT covered by Jaguar warranty and is usually the result of poor ownership. If the car is black, check for swirl and other paint correction problems that might exist.

Try to find reviews of the dealership for ratings when possible. Trust the dealership when possible and consult with the General Manager of the dealership, not the salesman.

I always error to the side of honesty and have never had any problems buying sight unseen. My only concern was always body condition as mentioned above.

I always did alot of research and due diligence with the dealer before making the final deal and wiring funds for a cash payment. I don't finance cars, so I have no input on financing.

Sounds like your getting very close to a deal. I am sure others here will have their opinions also about out of state purchasing. Opinions and individual experiences do matter. The feedback here will be honest and straighforward, that's one of the major pluses about Jaguar Forums and the moderators who run this website.

Hope this helps.

 

Happened to me on the XK.

My other advice is look for a good PDR service and have them ready once your car is delivered. There's always some kind of dent or ripple that they can fix to like it never happened. A buddy of mine has a dealership. so I get it done cheap. Bringing both my cars there in a month or two for whatever the PDR guy can find.

 

I just bought an 'S' from out of State, and since I couldn't inspect it myself I had it taken to the nearest Jag dealer and they did a full, multi point inspection for about $150. I wouldn't have done that if I was buying CPO from a dealer, I would have just asked lots of questions over email (any body damage, scratches, interior wear, tire condition, etc) and requested a copy of the CPO inspection.