<HR style="COLOR: #999999" SIZE=1>I have been trying to sell my 2003 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer for a couple of months now, and a potential buyer wants to bring it to his mechanic for inspection in Billerica, MA. We live in Boston, the Expedition is down in Marshfield but getting it back and forth isnt the problem. I don't know much about what kind of neighborhood is Billerica, but I kinda feel uncomfortable letting a mechanic I don't know go through it. I'm worried that some parts might go missing or my navigation might walk away. The potential buyer said he would obviously pay for the inspection. Maybe I'm being paranoid but I gotta sell this truck. I'm not worried about anything being wrong with it, it does need new front brakes but thats cake. What would you do? I was thinking of having him bring it to a Ford dealer but I don't know any dealers around to trust and I don't want them trying to sell us on un-needed repairs.

 

Are they asking that you leave it with the mechanic for more than an hour or so? A good inspection shouldn't take longer than a good test drive, a visual inspection and hooking it up to a diagnostic machine. This isn't something that should take overnight. Agree to see the buyers mechanic, but say you have commitments later in the day and can only make the car available for a two or three hour period. You can sit in the waiting room...take your laptop or a good magazine.

I'd pass on the dealership inspection. Your bound to get them salivating over performing every TSB on a car out of warranty. I'm yet to take an out of warranty car to a dealership where they don't come up with a list of things the car "needs".

 

I agree. I would offer to take it to their mechanic for a couple of hours and wait for it. And if it is a bad neighborhood, or you get the feeling somethings not right, then you are there to address it.
It may be that he trusts his mechanic and wants him to look at it. Kind of like all of us would

 

Just tell the guy to leave a cash deposit in the full amount you're asking for the truck and he can do whatever he wants with it. If it comes back minus some stuff, deduct it from his deposit.

 

hi peter. it's jon. i was gonna buy that truck from you in september off of craigslist, but we couldn't make numbers match. glad to see you finally found a buyer. i bought an 03 expy eddie bauer with ALL the bells and whistles for $15,200. same color as yours too. still waiting for my lincoln ls to sell, but i have a viewer later today.

 

oh, and to answer your question...let him have it inspected. shows you have nothing to hide.

 

oh, and to answer your question...let him have it inspected. shows you have nothing to hide.