bought a car on Ebay, no title

[Jeff Jagusch]

so a friend bought a car from a small used car dealer in Ft Lauderdale on e-bay (about 1000 miles away) dealer arranges shipping, car shows up about two weeks ago
still haven't received the title, no responses to e-mail and phone goes to Voice mail

how to proceed?

Thanks for any suggestions

Jeff

[KevinP73]

Time for your friend to cover his A**. Document everything related to the purchase and contact local authorities to make sure the car is not hot or wanted somewhere. Next, contact ebay and make a claim. If for no other reason than to make official notice that the seller isn't providing the documents.

[mgatepi]

I have experienced this very same thing. I did have the bill of sale that the seller had from where he purchased the car. He never titled the car himself just swapped out license plates from other cars he owned to drive it. Long story short, you are going to need an attorney and a couple of months and a few grand later he will get you a letter from the court allowing you to get a title. That is of course if the car has not been stolen or otherwise tied up.....
Good luck!!

[dad911]

File a claim with ebay immediately,and paypal credit card company as applicable.

[MRM]

In Florida the buyer gets a duplicate title and does a transfer.

Florida Title Transfers - DHSMV Titling & Registration Information Online | DMV.org

From the State of Florida website:

If you're the buyer, you can get the paper title AND complete the DMV title transfer at the same time by:

•Submitting a completed Application for Duplicate or Lost in Transit/Reassignment for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home or Vessel Title Certificate (Form HSMV 82101).
•Paying the $75.25 title transfer fee (electronic title).

Submit the above to your Florida county tax office:
•In person.
OR

•By mail if you're outside of the state.

It doesn't look very complicated. Get the care titled in Florida and then transfer the title to the home state. You'll have to pay the sales tax in Florida but not in the home state.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by MRM

In Florida the buyer gets a duplicate title and does a transfer.

Florida Title Transfers - DHSMV Titling & Registration Information Online | DMV.org

From the State of Florida website:

If you're the buyer, you can get the paper title AND complete the DMV title transfer at the same time by:

•Submitting a completed Application for Duplicate or Lost in Transit/Reassignment for a Motor Vehicle, Mobile Home or Vessel Title Certificate (Form HSMV 82101).
•Paying the $75.25 title transfer fee (electronic title).

Submit the above to your Florida county tax office:
•In person.
OR

•By mail if you're outside of the state.

It doesn't look very complicated. Get the care titled in Florida and then transfer the title to the home state. You'll have to pay the sales tax in Florida but not in the home state.

There ya go again with yer facts and details and information.
Where's the fun in that?

[johnsjmc]

I have a winter home in Florida and have a boat and trailer registered down there I doubt it will be as easy as it appears from the above . The tax collectors office will require the current registered owner to get a replacement title not allow you the buyer to do it.
I would immediately file a claim with ebay They will assist in getting the title for you or give you a refund if a title never appears. Ebay has very specific cut off dates after which they don,t get involved OPEN A CLAIM immediately.

[HardDrive]

Yup, get the ball rolling with E-bay.

[HardDrive]

Not to state the obvious, but he DID do a carfax on this thing before hand, yes?

[fastfredracing]

There are a few companies that can assist you in finding your vehicles title. Greenlight titles was one I had used several times in the past.

[Jeff Jagusch]

Wow, thanks for all the input, Good news to report (hopefully) my friend recieved an email with a tracking number today!
He relook end at the original ebay listing and they stated "allow up to 30 days for the title"
Hopefully all will end well
The car wasn't exactly as described, but that's what you get for buying a car sight unseen!
Fortunately it was a $6,000 car not a 911S
Thanks again for the input, Pelicanites are just the best!

[Arizona_928]

Make sure the title is filled out correctly. I just bought a truck from an oil company, and the gal who signed the back of it wasn't not supposed to on behalf of the Corp.

[techweenie]

The key is to use eBay leverage - I had a seller (Pelicanhead) run out the clock on a car with no title. Be sure your friend has everything he needs before eBay's complaint timeframe closes, because they don't care after that.

[asphaltgambler]

FWIW - I would NEVER buy a vehicle where the title was not in the current owner's hand. Just purchased a '08 528XI out of state. When it was time to pull the trigger, one of the questions was "Do you have the title in your hand with all the required paper work, if so are you prepared to forward copies if I need them?"

The answer is either A) No problem -OR- B) ...............................let me go put my hands on it and then I'll get back with you...............

I had an issue with this some years ago, lesson learned. In Virginia, it's just a yard onrnament w/o a valid title.

[RRico]

Originally Posted by asphaltgambler

FWIW - I would NEVER buy a vehicle where the title was not in the current owner's hand. Just purchased a '08 528XI out of state. When it was time to pull the trigger, one of the questions was "Do you have the title in your hand with all the required paper work, if so are you prepared to forward copies if I need them?"

The answer is either A) No problem -OR- B) ...............................let me go put my hands on it and then I'll get back with you...............

I had an issue with this some years ago, lesson learned. In Virginia, it's just a yard onrnament w/o a valid title.

What if the car is financed thru a bank?
They have the title and wont give it up until the loan is satisfied.
What do people do in this case?

[dad911]

Originally Posted by RRico

What if the car is financed thru a bank?
They have the title and wont give it up until the loan is satisfied.
What do people do in this case?

When I was buying a truck, I spoke to bank holding loan and set upi an account, wired money into my account at that bank. Flew to Ohio, truck was good so we drove to bank, they released loan with my funds, signed over title to me, and gave him balance. I got temp plates in Ohio, and drove it home.

[asphaltgambler]

In that case the owner should have a copy of the original or the bank could provide a copy showing proof

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by RRico

What if the car is financed thru a bank?
They have the title and wont give it up until the loan is satisfied.
What do people do in this case?

Any vehicle that I have owned that had a lien I still had physical title.

You can't register it without a title. At least not in any state I've lived.

It clearly indicated that there was a lien and who the lien holder / bank was.

When selling the car you would get a lien release from the bank that went with the title.

The best way to handle that was give the seller the bank info, they contact bank for payoff and cut two checks, one to the bank for the lien balance and one to you for the remainder. That way they know the lien is satisfied and the release comes straight to them.

When new owner registered the vehicle they presented the title and release to DMV and were issued a new clear title in their name.

[Arizona_928]

^^^
It's little different in Arizona. Bank holds all titles until the loan in payed off... Dad 911, did the actual bank have the title on hand?

[dad911]

Originally Posted by AZ_porschekid

^^^
It's little different in Arizona. Bank holds all titles until the loan in payed off... Dad 911, did the actual bank have the title on hand?

Sorry, now I don't remember. I went right from the bank to an mv office in ohio, left ohio with a title in my name, and temp registration/plates.