Greg's Corner

Pre-inspect a car before you buy? It makes sense

One of the biggest perks that comes with surfing the online classified marketplace is the ability to shop beyond the area where you live. The Internet powers a widespread marketplace, allowing consumers to buy from anyone, anywhere.

Of course, with that freedom comes some risks and some limitations. How could anyone possibly buy a car, for example, from someone in another part of the country? After all, you need to test drive a car, check it for oil leaks and ripped upholstery and be sure that the VIN number on the car matches the one on the paperwork.

That’s where inspection services like WeGoLook, a Geebo partner, come into play. When you find the car of your dreams on Geebo, you can also reach out to WeGoLook, which has a team of inspectors on-call across the country, ready to test drive that car, check its condition and present you with the red flags or reassurances that you’ll need before handing over your hard-earned cash.

Here’s why it works: WeGoLook isn’t buying or selling the car on your behalf. In fact, beyond its fee to conduct the inspection – which starts at $49 – WeGoLook isn’t in the business to offer advice or form opinions. For all the inspectors know, you’re more than happy to buy a vintage car that has body damage or needs mechanical work. WeGoLook just wants to make sure that you know everything you need to know about that car ahead of the transaction.

Getting a full run-down on the car from WeGoLook is certainly better than trusting the word of a seller you’ve never met, right? And it’s safer, too.

As Geebo’s founder, I have been standing on this soapbox about the importance of safety in the online classified marketplace. Its importance can’t be overstated. There have been far too many instances of innocent people being victimized simply by trying to engage in an online transaction. That’s why a partnership with WeGoLook is such an important piece of the Geebo experience.

Sending a WeGoLook inspector ahead of time tells the seller that you, the potential buyer, won’t be meeting him on a dark street with thousands of dollars in cash in your pocket. It tells him that he won’t be able to rip you off by pulling a bait-and-switch on the car he’s selling. It tells him that he’ll need to advertise elsewhere if he wants to victimize someone.

We don’t let that happen on Geebo.

And remember, the inspection services isn’t just for cars. It would work just as well for jewelry, computers, artwork or even a rare baseball card. For me, an investment of $49 is worth the peace of mind I get from knowing that I won’t be the next victim out there.