The old adage, “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” should be foremost in your mind when you’re buying a new car from someone other than a “reputable” car dealer. In this day and age, simply put, it is just too easy to have the wool pulled over one’s eyes. If you are buying a car from someone other than a dealer, here are some tips that will help prevent just that.

View the car on the owner’s turf, i.e. his home, during the day. Yes, it’s often convenient to have the car brought to a central location or even to your house, but how can you be sure that the address on the registration and title is really the seller’s house? You can’t. You also want the owner’s home phone number, not just the cell. If the owner hems and haws or won’t permit you to come to his house, or claims he doesn’t use a land line phone, walk away.

Check the VIN on the title against the car, and not just in the “normal” spots, such as the dashboard and the driver’s door panel. The VIN is also etched on the firewall, the engine block itself, on the radiator bracket and the driver’s side wheel arch. It’s also imprinted on the car’s warranty or maintenance booklet, so if the driver says, “Oh, I lost that…” consider that it’s either a stolen vehicle, or a carelessly maintained one. Either way, you don’t want it.

Look for signs that the car was stolen. Has it been repainted, have the door locks been replaced, is the VIN sticker missing from the door frame? All of these are possible indications of theft.

Read the ownership papers carefully. Is the license plate listed on the registration the same? Do the registration papers bear the same VIN number as what is showing in the windshield? Does the seller’s picture ID identify him as the car’s registered owner? Does the owner have insurance coverage, and does the VIN on the declaration page match the car’s VIN? Call to verify the coverage with the 800# number for the insurance company, not the name of his agent who may be in on the scheme. No insurance? Why the heck not?

A “great deal that you can’t pass up” should be sending up a red flag. Why? Is the owner an already rich eccentric millionaire who originally bought the car for his soon-to-be ex-wife? Be suspicious of a “great deal.” There’s got to be some reason why the car is such a steal (if you’ll pardon the pun).

Finally, trust your gut feeling. If you’re uncomfortable in any way with the sale, just say no and put your checkbook away. Better to be a cautious (albeit carless) consumer than a poor unlucky S.O.B.