I bought my RS on the internet Denis, I was just smart enough to go look at it person by buying an airline ticket.

You can do the same thing on BaT, it's no different from any other online format in that regard.

Agreed, I was commenting on the folks that bid and don’t see them in person. Lots of folks do though, crazy in my mind but it’s their money.

That's insane.

Hell, years ago, I went to look at a car and asked to start it. I was told "no".

"It was running when we parked it, but it's been sitting a while and we don't want to suck a bunch of garbage up the fuel lines. But we guaranty that it was running when it was parked."

Buh-bye.

I respect your opinion, (it's your money), but I've seen cars on BaT that I felt perfectly comfortable bidding on based on extensive photos, service records, Carfax and the quality of responses and general "vibe" of the seller. As rattlsnak correctly points out, people hiding something generally reveal themselves in their reluctance to answer direct questions or they get huffy, etc...

I have bid on cars there, (never won one yet, though), and failed to bid on cars that I really regret not taking a swing at. The most glaring and recent example is this, a 996 turbo that I'd bet anything was accurately described:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-porsche-911-turbo-54/

It was an absolute bargain compared to other recent sales. A mint car w a verifiable history, records and an engaging, enthusiast seller. It was equipped w Moton suspension, a nice aftermarket exhaust and a mild tune. I've looked at quite a few of these cars on CL in various locations and gone to see a few in person, suffice it to say that I've never seen anything remotely of this quality in local searches. That goes for my buddy's GT3 as well; the local ones were all garbage once we went to see them. He bought one long distance, sight unseen w lots of pictures and due diligence and it's a mint, garage queen car.

As for the 996tt above, I've NEVER seen anyone sell a 911 or any street car w Motons. This guy still had all the stock suspension and mufflers and included them in the sale. 99.999% of people would remove the Motons and put it back to stock to sell, or want an extra $7-8k for the suspension. This car went for the same as a bone stock one w same mlles and color, (both in Fla.), one week earlier. :eek:

The selection of great cars w great owners is unmatched on that site. I hate that the competition for good cars is so high and prices follow most of the time and I hate that I can't drive 20 minutes and see the cars and make a face-to-face offer but there is nothing remotely similar in local shopping. Not even close. :(

Everyone who has ever hunted cars has some weird stories about strange sellers, etc. It's part of the game and doesn't have any relevance, in aggregate.

How would you do that for a BaT car?
Buy an airline ticket, fly out and see cars, even though you might not end up being the high budder?

Or get someone to look at it for you, or maybe pay for a PPI? Life is all about taking calculated risks and trying to stack the odds in your favor. You can’t control everything.

You can also play it as safe as possible and only buy new Toyotas w full warranty, for the other extreme. I’m totally comfortable about the bids I’ve placed on BaT.

You can also fly out to see a car that isn't an auction, and have it bought out from under you.

This car goes in 3 hours. It is one of those if I didn't have a full garage I might have taken it more seriously.
Fun to watch it sell though, and unlike browsing for sale adds, I get to know the final sell price.
Listing for vs selling for is valuable information.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2001-porsche-911-carrera-40/