Can we talk about buying a used car from a private seller versus a small lot?

I needed a cheap car and looked at a 2012 Civic from a guy on Facebook Marketplace for $4,500 and a similar one from a local corner lot for $5,200. The private seller's car had a clean Carfax, but the lot car had a hidden accident report I only found after paying for a separate check. What's the best way to check a car's history without getting tricked?

3 comments

3 Comments

jones.nancy12d ago

Laura's right about getting your own report. I'd also call the insurance company listed on the old registration and ask if they have any claims history. It's a weird trick but it WORKS.

laurag7912d ago

My cousin bought a car from a corner lot last year and it was a total mess... I used to trust those small places more than a random person. Now I'm all for private sellers if you do the homework. For checking history, I always pay for my own report from a couple different sites, never just take the one they show you. It's worth the extra fifty bucks to avoid a huge mistake.

jana_scott8d ago

Laura's story about the corner lot car is exactly why I'm scared of those places now. They slapped a fresh coat of paint on a rust bucket my friend bought and the transmission died a month later. Calling the old insurance company is a genius move I never would have thought of. Do you think most private sellers would get weird if you asked for that kind of info upfront?