Would it be stupid to buy a car without viewing it?

vibrantcolour

Sorry to re-open this:

I'm looking at a 1.25 2009 Fiesta.

I'm living between uni in North-East, and home in Lincolnshire. The car in question is at a Ford Dealer in the west midlands, and i cant get there for 2 weeks.

I've already driven an identical vehicle (same colour, spec, size, engine, everything) and know this is the car i want.

Would it be fair or not advised to ring the dealer, state my interest, leave a deposit under the terms that i am wishing to buy the car unless there is a reason for me not to buy when i view, ie damage, or some other less evident mechanical fault?

At the end of the day, it still has 11 months Ford warranty and it's from a proper ford Dealer.

Any views?

vibrantcolour

vibrantcolour wrote: »

Sorry to re-open this:



Any views?

They've sold it

Kilty_2

There's plenty of 2009 Fiestas around.....

I have in the past bought an un-viewed car but it was stated very clearly on the order form that it was subject to a satisfactory test drive and that if I didn't like any single aspect of the car I could get my deposit back.

funkycoldribena

Kilty wrote: »

There's plenty of 2009 Fiestas around....

Agreed.Theres eleventythousand Fiestas about,why you would need to buy one unseen is beyond me,theres probably about 100 within a 10 mile radius of most people.

Outpost

For every one Fiesta that you miss out on you'll find another fifty of the things to take its place!

Kilty_2

There's 14 2010 Fiestas in this car park, coming to a motor auction near you in a couple of years time

rev_henry

Bought my new (used) car a few weeks ago without viewing. It was on ebay - the seller provided a very detailed description, and I asked him several questions before bidding. He actually said on the listing something like 'If you win come and look, if its not right walk away, I am that confident.' Turned out it was immaculate as he said and all was fine. I did test drive the same car at a dealers the day before though. I'd rather look first but I was foolishly in a bit of a hurry to buy.

Outpost

That said the current model is a fantastic-looking car.

Kilty_2

Outpost wrote: »

That said the current model is a fantastic-looking car.

Good looking but a bit lacklustre for what it costs. Ours are the "our fleet manager is a tight b:mad:tard spec, though

Wig

vibrantcolour wrote: »

They've sold it

They wouldn't have accepted your terms anyway. And it was a bad idea in that it would have been a verbal agreement which I'm sure they will have conveniently forgotten about when it came to you saying "I don't want it, can I have my deposit back".

I would never put a deposit on a car before viewing, it's just madness. There's plenty of fish in the sea so you will find a car that you like and that is still there when you go to view it. After you have viewed it and test driven then fine leave a deposit but you don't have to deposit what they ask for you can negotiate on the deposit down to a more reasonable £100 - £200 especially if they are not going to do anything/much to the car in preparation for you.