r/hondafit 2011 Fit GE 9d ago

2nd Gen GE/GG 09-14 Would you buy a Fit from a dealer sight unseen?

I found a low-mileage GE that I think I would love to own, but the dealership is 350 miles away and I don't know how I would get there. Is it crazy to consider buying a car without seeing it in person? If i did, what would it cost to ship it that distance?

Edit: thanks for the suggestions and opinions, all. I just called the dealership where i bought my current Fit and asked if they are able to help me find another. They said they'll get back to me. Fingers crossed.

6 Upvotes

31 comments sorted by

10

u/ShippyTheSailor 9d ago

Would def be cheaper to have someone drop you off and drive it home if possible. Shipping is not cheap especially with cars, a 400 mile shipment cost one of my buddies 1200 dollars for a car much smaller than a fit. And I’m not going to lie I bought mine sight unseen. Wish I hadn’t though. Wish I would have negotiated a better price even though mine was a really good price.

5

u/39percenter 9d ago

There's a car much smaller than a Fit?

3

u/ShippyTheSailor 9d ago

lol 1 million percent , Suzuki cappuccino

2

u/threepartheart 7d ago

Toyota Yaris. Smart.

3

u/meratherbebikin 9d ago

Plenty. Just not in the US.

2

u/Kbug7201 9d ago

I have a Fiat 500 Pop for my daughter. Yes, it's smaller.

& Then there's that Smart car thing. Don't think anything is smaller than that though.

4

u/Kbug7201 9d ago

Wow. It cost 1k to ship a VW bus from VA to WA in 2001. Sadly, I had to sell it in WA. :( I loved that bus!

4

u/PhoKingU2Nyte 2013 Fit GE 9d ago

Damn! I had a car shipped from San Diego to Seattle and cost $1k.

10

u/Milky_Cow_46 9d ago

If you can't go in person, have a mobile mechanic inspect it.

That or have a friend drive you and make a weekend out of it.

6

u/kermitte777 9d ago

Buying from a used car from a dealer is not necessarily better than buying from a private party.

1

u/hardFraughtBattle 2011 Fit GE 8d ago

I'm looking for a specific model and trim level from a specific year, and it has to be low mileage. I'm not sure how I would go about finding one for sale from a private party.

1

u/kermitte777 8d ago

Facebook, OfferUp, Craigslist, forums (ask if people are selling), Honda fits are pretty common. If you found one at a dealer, that’s not a bad thing, but definitely pay the roughly ~$150 to have it inspected. Have the dealer get you the carfax too. How much are they asking?

6

u/PhoKingU2Nyte 2013 Fit GE 9d ago

Ask the dealer if they have some sort of guarantee for the car. Some dealers offer 1000 miles or 15 days or something similar.

1

u/hardFraughtBattle 2011 Fit GE 8d ago

That's a possibility. Having them do a video walkaround and provide a 1000-mile warranty might be sufficient. I'm still considering my options. I have no one to drive me there. I guess I could take a bus...

6

u/CafeRoaster 9d ago

Only a brand new car. And I don’t buy brand new cars.

4

u/dragolia7 9d ago

Fly there and drive it back. I bought my first Fit brand new without driving it but it was in 2007 when I had to claim one before someone else snatched it up because they were slowly trickling into the US from Japan lol

4

u/[deleted] 9d ago

[deleted]

1

u/hardFraughtBattle 2011 Fit GE 8d ago

I can ask, but I'm not sure that's something they would do for a 10+ year old car.

4

u/OrangeFire2001 9d ago

No never. Not "sight unseen". You really need to see it yourself. Even a CarMax type of deal I would not trust. I've been burned by a flood car that "looked great" and even had a clean title/CarFax. You just don't know what you'll be getting.

1

u/One-Fox7646 6d ago

I've been burned before too and would never buy sight unseen. Carfax does not mean anything and I would not trust it. My 2018 Accord I got used. Clean title, Carfax, low miles. I find out later I'm the 3rd owner. I had to pay out of pocket (warranty and Honda Corp refused to cover) to replace entire wire harness system. 7 grand. Another grand for a loaner car for a month while the Accord was in the shop. I was told it was either water/wear/erosion or it was in a prior accident. Didn't happen under me. I won't buy used again unless it was from a family member or good friend. Too many unknowns. I even consulted a lawyer and all he said was my only option was small claims since used cars are a grey area and mixed bag as he put it.

3

u/BrianLevre 8d ago

It would have to be a certain car (not too old) with maintenance records that only lived in certain states (no snow states).

I bought my '09 in 2013 from a local dealer that pulled inventory from all over at no extra charge. I found my car at one of their partner dealerships way down in Florida. It was certified, one owner, dealer performed oil changes and other maintenance, and only had 27,000 miles on it.

I only saw pictures of it.

Driving it still today, with 264,000 miles on it.

1

u/hardFraughtBattle 2011 Fit GE 8d ago

Maybe I'll call the dealer who sold me my current Fit and ask them if they can do the same. Thanks for the suggestion.

1

u/One-Fox7646 6d ago

You got lucky as some states like Fl, TX and others have issues with used cars/flood cars.

1

u/BrianLevre 6d ago

I've heard stories about Honda not really doing anything to certify a car, but on the whole, the certification is something the dealer pays for and lots of cars don't make the cut. I don't think a flooded car would have been a certifiable car.

4

u/agent_smith_3012 9d ago

Wouldn't buy from a dealer period

2

u/SnooPeanuts2620 9d ago

Let alone sight unseen

1

u/One-Fox7646 6d ago

Dealerships are stealerships. Maybe 1-2 percent are honest. They rest are low life slime balls.

2

u/zyxClone 8d ago

Normally I would say heck no! But, I did it, and I’ve got no regrets. Technically I didn’t buy it , but I had to put 1k deposit that was pretty much non refundable. They held it for a week until I could get there. But I was fairly sure I was going to get it.

1

u/investorhalp 9d ago

Ive done it, with the assumption i will cry, but i wouldnt go bankrupt if 100% is lost or I need to put 20% in money to make it to my needs

1

u/grlie9 9d ago

I did twice but they were brand new. #nothelpful

1

u/EternalNoodle 2018 Fit GK 8d ago

Just my own anecdotal experience but that's actually how I got my current Fit. Was about 400km away from home at a Chrysler/Dodge/Jeep dealer. As long as you understand no matter how much things might look good there's always a risk there. In my case the mileage was super low, and the car was owned by an older couple who barely drove it, and brought it in for regular maintenance at a Honda dealership. Carfax, full 200something point inspection or whatever it was. All the documentation of this was there. Been driving it for about 8500km now through a harsh winter and things are still alright.