The Internet can be a great help finding a used vehicle. It gives you access to more ads, as well as to ads on a national/regional level and not just in your particular area. However, buying a vehicle online involves a different set of risks, too. Here are some tips that'll help keep you out of trouble:

* It's hard to take a test drive from 500 (or 1,500) miles away. You should give serious thought to physically inspecting the car prior to purchase - even if it means a plane trip. It's a hassle - and expense - but much less so (and more temporary) than ending up with a lemon.

* If you can't physically check the vehicle out for yourself, ask the seller if it'd be ok if you had a friend who is in the area come by to check the car out for you. If the seller backpedals at that, so should you. It doesn't matter if your "friend" is entirely fictitious and you don't know actually anyone within 500 miles of the seller's location. You're trying to find out whether the seller is trying to hide something. If he's open and agreeable to a test drive/physical inspection of the car, it's usually a good sign.

* Be absolutely 100 percent certain the seller has a clear title for the vehicle before any money changes hands. Ask, specifically, whether the title is in the seller's name - and whether it has any liens attached. Title issues are a huge headache you want no part of.

* If you are using eBay to shop, pay close attention to seller feedback before you bid. All eBayers have a record of their past transactions and how they went; it's one of the nicest features of online bidding using eBay. Be wary of newly created accounts (less than six months old) with minimal feedback posted - and obviously,negative feedback. If a seller has 30 or 40 positive feedbacks and no negatives, it's a pretty solid bet the seller is reputable.

* Do NOT send/wire a large deposit. Scams exist where would-be buyers are roped into bidding on a nonexistent vehicle, then wiring money to the "seller" as a deposit. The "seller" then vanishes - along with your cash. Go with your gut and common sense on this one. If the seller is a dealership/established business, you can safely use a credit card to send them a few hundred bucks. But be very wary of individuals who demand large deposits prior to title transfer or the buyer actually getting his hands on the vehicle.

* Get the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and run a $25 CarFax report (www.carfax.com) before you buy to reduce the chances of getting suckered into a rebuilt wreck, flood or otherwise damaged vehicle that was slapped back together and resprayed to make it look like a peach. While CarFax isn't infallible, it can help screen out some of the bad apples. The small cost involved is well worth it.

* Finally, consider how you will conclude the transaction. Most sellers will want a bank check (or cash) before signing over the title/allowing the vehicle to be put onto a truck or handing you the keys. Don't forget to factor in the cost of shipping/transporting the vehicle from where it is to where you are. It can cost $1,000 or more to have a vehicle trucked from one region of the country to another.

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www.ericpetersautos.com or EPeters952@aol.com for comments.