Efficient way to earn points buying a used car?
Nov 15, 2012 | 8:56 am
#16
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 1,689
There has been considerable cashier's check fraud over the past decade so, no, I never advise this and haven't accepted these for years. It's a friend/family member. If you have the cash, go to the bank with the friend/family member. Get the cash. They must be going to meet at the DMV anyway to change the titles and plates on the car. Forget trying to hit up the family member for miles as well as for the car, which you are probably already getting cheaper than the random off the street buyer...
+1^
with your statement on fraud.
I agree. If it were my children I would probably take a cashiers check, outside of immediately family, I would meet them at the bank for cash, pull the plates, and then they could head off for the DMV as needed (also making sure they have their insurance in place).
I would skip the points/miles on this transaction (unless it's immediate family and you can figure something else out).
and, yes I am aware that you should not trust immediate family either, but every situation deserves its 'once look over' for authenticity.
Nov 15, 2012 | 2:59 pm
#17
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 411
OP: ignore the people above trying to shy you away from this. I believe you can purchase Vanilla reload cards at your local CVS, and load them onto a permanent Bluebird card. Then, log into your Bluebird account and request a check be sent from there to the seller of the car. Just be sure you follow the rules and understand the maximum daily dollar amount limits when doing this.
Nov 15, 2012 | 4:25 pm
#18
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Dirty Jersey
Programs: United 1K
Posts: 148
I've never accepted a check for a used car, and I've never heard of anyone other than a dealer who does.
If you want a step by step for loading cards, there's a clear explanation at Million Mile Secrets, but in my experience as a car owner for way too many decades...don't expect a private individual to accept check for a used car. Maybe it's a regional thing but there's no way I'd take a piece of scribbled on paper in exchange for a car. If the guy has check, hey, I have the car, we can go to the bank right there and he can pull out the cash. You know? It's too much money to risk being scammed. Maybe if you're buying the car from a relative, this would work, but otherwise...I'm not seeing it.
If you want a step by step for loading cards, there's a clear explanation at Million Mile Secrets, but in my experience as a car owner for way too many decades...don't expect a private individual to accept check for a used car. Maybe it's a regional thing but there's no way I'd take a piece of scribbled on paper in exchange for a car. If the guy has check, hey, I have the car, we can go to the bank right there and he can pull out the cash. You know? It's too much money to risk being scammed. Maybe if you're buying the car from a relative, this would work, but otherwise...I'm not seeing it.
When I bought that car from the dealer, I paid for it with a personal check. It was fine
But the last dealer i bought a vehicle from, we made a deal on the phone. I came down and asked for total and started writing a check. The saleperson asked if I had a cashier check. I told him how could I, when we did not have a total. They reluctantly took my personal check and ran my credit just in case it bounced, they were putting me on credit.
Nov 15, 2012 | 10:27 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2011
Location: MSP
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 342
OP: ignore the people above trying to shy you away from this. I believe you can purchase Vanilla reload cards at your local CVS, and load them onto a permanent Bluebird card. Then, log into your Bluebird account and request a check be sent from there to the seller of the car. Just be sure you follow the rules and understand the maximum daily dollar amount limits when doing this.
This. Thank you. I didn't mean for this to turn into a tangent where someone takes all morning telling us about their bad experiences with bounced checks and shady family members and gives us an aspie play-by-play rundown of how they would go about doing a used car transaction. I know my family member and he is perfectly okay with any legit method of payment as he knows I'm good for it and can find me in a matter of minutes if anything goes awry.
I am pushing forward with Bluebird and will report back when I have any success.
Nov 16, 2012 | 6:19 am
#20
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 33
I bought our Honda Odyssey from friends this spring when they were transferred to China. At the time, I considered Amazon Payments for some of the cost, and they were amenable to multiple payments. In the end, I just wrote them two checks - one to the husband, one to the wife - for various reasons. I just wanted to get it over with and not add any complications because they are my friends. Too bad we didn't have BB in April or I could have sent them checks!