Out of State Purchase - Recommendations and Lessons Learned

[RowdySouth]

Finally found the JL I want over 1k miles away. Leaning towards having it shipped. Interested to hear your recommendations, what to watch for, stay away from and what would you have done differently with the shipping process. Does the group have a preferred and trustworthy vendors for shipping and/or remote inspection? The JL is barely touched, but still concerned there could be something underlying.

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[SH556JL]

I found the shipping was expensive and could be done cheaper on your own. I would make sure the deal is basically done before getting there, I basically bought and paid for it my Jeep before seeing. Did not want any surprises with the numbers after flying in or I would be pissed. I also elected to pay my own taxes, title and registration fees when I got the vehicle back home. Overall was an easy process. My only complain, was this was an extremely high volume low margin middle of no where place. Communication was slow, so be patient and ready to move.

 

[LongTimeListener]

Make sure you've got enough set aside to pay a potentially large sales tax bill when you go to register in your home state. Depends on the state, but here it's around 9%.

 

[viper88]

I bought a lot of cars out of state. I always finalized the deals with the owner, general manager, or sales manager after initially working with a sales person. I have never had a single negative issue.

Clear communication is the key. Get all the terms of your sale in writing. Ask if the deposit is refundable and get that in writing. Pay your deposit with a credit card.

Do a little research on the dealer. See if they have any negative reviews. There are a few dealers on this forum that sell for excellent prices and have proven themselves to be honest.

Shop auto carriers around and get referrals. Many companies are just middlemen or booking agents.

 

[Gee-pah]

Deal with a reputable dealer who is well experienced in processing factory order sales, and is meticulous about checking the vehicle before it gets into your hands (Koons might be an example.)

A dealer with proximity to mass transit (after all, if you are driving the vehicle home you might be getting to the dealer sans vehicle) is helpful. Again, Koons is walkable from the nearest DC Metro station.

 

[aldo98229]

I, too, found my JL on a dealer lot 1,000 miles away.

I wanted to look at it, drive it, kick the tires and meet the dealer team before I handed them my big fat check. I made all the arrangements over the phone and email; flew out and drove it home.

I made a road trip out of my drive from Salt Lake City to NW Washington State. It was the perfect opportunity to enjoy a brand new Jeep on the open road.

I spent $70 in airfare, $70 for one night at a hotel, $150 in gas, and made an unforgettable weekend out of it.

 

[SH556JL]

I, too, found my JL on a dealer lot 1,000 miles away.

I wanted to look at it, drive it, kick the tires and meet the dealer team before I handed them my big fat check. I made all the arrangements over the phone and email; flew out and drove it home.

I made a road trip out of my drive from Salt Lake City to NW Washington State. It was the perfect opportunity to enjoy a brand new Jeep on the open road.

I spent $70 in airfare, $70 for one night at a hotel, $150 in gas, and made an unforgettable weekend out of it.

For me, this was my first new car purchase and wanted to make a memory of it. Not only was I able to get a great deal, it was exactly what I wanted. A base model Rubicon (almost impossible to find in Florida without ordering), cheapest in the country and Laura CDJ honored the price as exactly as written in their ad. Advertised price, minus any rebates you qualify for plus $210 documentation fee. No funny business, straight forward and worked with me on my odd schedule. By odd schedule, I was waiting for weather days and ultimately I gave them hours notice saying I was coming to get it. They sat on it for a couple of weeks after I paid for it. Even reimbursed my Lyft ride from the airport. I absolutely would buy from them again and intend to for a truck (Power Wagon).

I was also able to enjoy my new Jeep on the road while working and had a nice road trip back home... My temporary tags actually expired because I was out so long.

Plus it matched the helicopter I was assigned to on that rotation!

 

[Spank]

Make absolutely sure they calculate the sales tax for your state correctly. Dealerships will intentionally screw this up and pay less and later claim they got it wrong or didn't know, but once the paperwork is signed, you'll be responsible for paying what they didn't.

 

[aldo98229]

^^^ this is a big deal.

My trusted California dealer of 10+ years screwed up the registration papers when I bought a JKUR from him after having relocated to Washington. I couldn’t pay my taxes or register the vehicle in Washington. The dealer titled the Jeep in California in error; it was a nightmare to straighten it out.

The dealer in Salt Lake City was right on the ball. They FedEx-ed title and all related documents to my home after the check cleared. I brought everything to the Washington licensing office, paid my taxes and registered the vehicle. It was a breeze.

 

[Yogi1956]

If you have it shipped take your time inspecting it. If the driver tries to rush you be more cautious. My friend had his Raptor shipped from Ohio to CA. Driver must have dropped a chain on the sunroof. My friend never opened the sunshade until later in the day.

Driver was gone with a signed off check in sheet and my buddy was responsible for the repair.

 

[alksion]

Picking up my 392 in Scottsdale AZ. Trying to think whether I should do taxes and registration myself for CA or “trust” the dealer to do it right for me.

 

[RowdySouth]

Picking up my 392 in Scottsdale AZ. Trying to think whether I should do taxes and registration myself for CA or “trust” the dealer to do it right for me.

Nice, congrats on finding one. The dealer I'm working thinks its too much of hassle for them and agreed to let me handle it. Helps reduce the dealer fees as a bonus.

 

[alksion]

Nice, congrats on finding one. The dealer I'm working thinks its too much of hassle for them and agreed to let me handle it. Helps reduce the dealer fees as a bonus.

I’ll probably have the discussion but ultimately I’ll do it myself.

 

[RowdySouth]

So yesterday they were still working on the contract. Today I yet again have to pursue them after another day of dragging their collective asses to deliver it, the sales lead says whoops looks like we sold it 4 days ago. What in the actual @#$@#$. They just listed it 4 days ago. Yesterday I was preparing to fedex overnight the funds and they pull this shit. I now have a list of dealerships that nobody should work with.

I'm so done with hunting for a specific jeep build and working with dealerships. Is it really that hard for them to close on an all cash or financed deal?

 

[rcadden]

So yesterday they were still working on the contract. Today I yet again have to pursue them after another day of dragging their collective asses to deliver it, the sales lead says whoops looks like we sold it 4 days ago. What in the actual @#$@#$. They just listed it 4 days ago. Yesterday I was preparing to fedex overnight the funds and they pull this shit. I now have a list of dealerships that nobody should work with.

I'm so done with hunting for a specific jeep build and working with dealerships. Is it really that hard for them to close on an all cash or financed deal?

This is why factory orders are so popular. You get *exactly* what you want and you know *exactly* what it's going to cost before you sign the line.

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