paying for cars in the field.

[handmedownreatta]

im going to look at a car saturday if its still available.its 3500.how is the payment handled?im not carrying 3500 dollars around.

[EmTee]

Why not?  Actually, the last car I bought I was able to meet the seller at his bank and they processed a 'point-of-sale' payment from my checking account using my debit card.  It was surprisingly easy...

[handmedownreatta]

that works well on week days.

[2seater]

Paypal, Venmo or another cash app transfer?

[60FlatTop]

20s in stacks of 5 fit across the surface of a hood just fine. I have been doing cash deals with strangers since I was in my teens. In my instance the person to watch out for is myself. If I think I am getting away with something, like buying an $8000-10000 car with the $3500 the red flag should and will go up. These stories about people getting hit over the head and money stolen are usually about someone who is trying to get away with more than they wanted to pay for.

 

In 1993 I made a trip out to the Pomona Swap Meet and SolCal. I was tempted to go into places that might have been dangerous. I didn't because I was carrying quite a bit of cash. Internalizing that on the trip home I realized I should always carry enough extra money to make me prudent in the places I chose to go. Turned out yo be a good decision. In 30 years I have stayed away from places I might get hit over the head. Where I have gone was pretty safe. I took $9,000  out to Youngstown, Ohio for a cash deal a couple years ago. Smooth exchange. Stacks of 204 a thousand at a time.

[DAVES89]

When I bought my first Reatta 16 years ago I flew from Wisconsin to Fort Lauderdale with $4500.00 in my pocket. Trip went fine without a hitch. did the same again about 7-8 years later to buy a Miata for my daughter from a private party in Phoenix. 20 years ago bought a Roadmaster from Liberty Buick in Phoenix but had a cashiers check so that doesn't really count. 

[B Jake Moran]

I see both sides.  $3500 cash should be doable but I have seen cars for sale on facebook marketplace where the seller is asking, say $13,000 and they say something like "no test drives without cash in hand."  Stupid in my opinion.  So I am serious about a car - I am going to go to my bank and say I want 13 large, put it in this duffle bag.  1st, they probably (and have for me) place a hold on that for drug reasons.  In higher price exchanges, I would say take $1,000 cash deposit but not $13,000. (In my example)  

 

But for $3,500 you can either take a substantial down payment - because you still don't know if you want it - or the entire $3,500.  And remember, bringing cash creates urgency for the seller and allows you to negotiate.