Curbstoners are unethical car dealers posing as private sellers. Curbstoners will sell used cars out of their home or on the side of the road. Curbstoners may also recruit other people to help sell used vehicles.
Curbstoners generally sell vehicles with questionable histories, including rolled-back odometers, hidden mechanical problems, or wrecked cars and salvaged vehicles that "cosmetically" look good. Curbstoners will sell vehicles below book value and give the buyer a hard-luck story of why they must sell the vehicle. Buyers are taken in by the lure of a low price and the attitude of "his loss, my gain." In many cases, buyers are led to believe that they are dealing with either the vehicle's owner or relative and may let their guard down.
When you are buying a used car from an individual, ask these questions before you spend time traveling to take a test drive:
If you feel comfortable with the seller's answers, schedule to test drive and remember the 1-2-3 Steps of buying a used vehicle.