A curbstoner is a person who poses as a private seller, but who buys and sells vehicles at volumes that require a dealer license. Perhaps there is a street or parking lot near your residence where there are several cars up for sale. Many of these cars are placed in public view by “curbstoners.” This name originated and came into use since curbstoners mostly park the cars along the curb. The majority of curbstoned vehicles are most likely lemons or junk cars that car dealers could not sell on their lots to make a decent profit.
To avoid dealer tricks, try to follow the bellow mentioned tips.
• Have the car inspected by a mechanic that you trust. A good car mechanic is like a house inspector. He can spot problems with the product that others would normally not detect.
• Check that the name on the driver license of the seller is consistent with that of the title of the car. If you are purchasing a car on the internet, ask that the dealer to provide clear scanned images of both documents. If the names do not match, do not buy the car!
• Avoid buying cars on the internet. It is better to test drive the car in person before you make the decision to buy instead of reading up on the seller’s good points about the car. If you do make the decision to buy a car online, try to pick it up on person and request the seller to allow you to nullify the deal if you are dissatisfied with the car’s condition when you see it in actuality.
• Use vehicle history reports. There are services all over the web that allows you to run a vehicle history report. These reports will identify any vehicles that have been in major accidents or salvaged, etc. They will also show title transfers. If you see that the number of title transfers exceeds 2, then avoid this car.
• Buy a car from a reputable car dealer. Identifying a reputable car dealer can be bothersome, but it is really necessary. Dealers who have been in business for quite some time and have certified used car programs are a good bet. They are a much better chose crooked sellers whom you will not be able to contact in case the deal goes bad.
