I wanted to get some advice on buying a trailer in a different state. We found the trailer we want and could not find it locally. We negotiated the price and the dealer worked out the financing to match what we had found online. The next step was receiving a packet from the dealer two weeks prior to our pickup date requesting signatures on the loan and purchase agreement! We already submitted a $1000 deposit via credit card to them. Is this standard? I find it a little troubling signing on the dotted line for something that I've never visually inspected. I've seen pictures online of the new trailer that it's supposed to be, but that's no guarantee of what's waiting for us in the other state. It's a 2007 model and new, but you just never know the true condition of the said unit until you show up to tow it away. Anybody else buy out of state? How did you handle the deal?
I've traded trucks and cars quite a bit over the last 10 years and have "never" signed a loan prior to driving and looking over the vehicle.
I purchased my trailer in another state. I ordered it. I put down a deposit and the reamining when picked up. Is it an Airstream dealer? You seemingly do not trust them?
We bought our new 2005 Safari 25FB 300 miles from home, but in the same state. We also made a credit card deposit over the phone to hold the unit. It was understood that if we didn't like it when we got there that the deposit would be refunded. It turned out that we did in fact buy the unit. We found out that the dealer never did process the credit card deposit transaction.
__________________ SuEllyn & Brian McCabe WBCCI #3628 --- AIR #14872 2005 25' Safari FB (Lucy) with HAHA 2005 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Olivia) & 2004 Suburban 2500 Quadrasteer (Daisy)
We've bough two trailers several hundred miles away. Both times we did a Credit Card deposit over the phone and did the loan paperwork etc. after we arrived and inspected the trailer.
If you are uncomfortable doing the loan paperwork in advance. Don't do it.
I trust my Airstream dealership. They have always been honest and above board in the past. I still would not sign the loan docs on a trrailer I have not seen. Too big of a price tag involved.
I could see providing evidence of financing and intent to purchase pending inspection, but not closing the deal two weeks before you have seen the unit. Unless they are shady, I cant see them demanding all that if pressed.
__________________ "If a man does not have an ideal and try to live up to it, then he becomes a mean, base and sordid creature, no matter how successful." Letter to his son Kermit, quoted in Theodore Roosevelt by Joseph Bucklin Bishop, 1915
We've bough two trailers several hundred miles away. Both times we did a Credit Card deposit over the phone and did the loan paperwork etc. after we arrived and inspected the trailer.
If you are uncomfortable doing the loan paperwork in advance. Don't do it.
I trust my Airstream dealership. They have always been honest and above board in the past. I still would not sign the loan docs on a trrailer I have not seen. Too big of a price tag involved.
We followed the same procedure. I really don't understand the reason for
signing all the paperwork before you have had a chance to inspect the rig.
You might mention to them that you have brought this up on our Forum, be
We're in our 3rd AS and bought all 3 out of town site unseen. The first 2 were ordered over the phone with a $500.00 credit card deposit, balance due on delivery. We arranged the finances ourselves. The third we ordered and since it was during a season we were not using ours we agreed to leave our trade while the new was on order. We held the title to our trade until delivery of the new unit. All 3 of these we purchased were 500 miles away. There were three factors that caused us to purchace this way. $$$$$$ was the first. All were several thousand dollars less, all had good reputations, and I knew I was willing and capable of making any repairs so long as they didn't involve expensive replacement parts. With each repair I compared my cost of repair to the cost of traveling to the dealer. I would have liked to purchased closer to home and gave the dealer there the offers I had all 3 times and was willing to trade with them but they were not interested in matching prices. My advise would be, research the dealer your working with---think about the little things that will come up that are warranty--can you do minor repairs --are you willing to drive the distance for small warranty items---keep the option of backing out of the deal shoud the trailer come damaged or with things wrong with it that your not satisfied with. ----pieman
If I were doing a deal like that, I would hold the loan papers, take them with me when I went to get the trailer, and if the trailer was OK, then I would sign the papers. But, that's just me.
We purchased ours in your state, 600 miles from home. A credit card deposit secured it for us, but was refundable if the trailer was not to our liking. I'd recommend a friendly discussion with your salesman or dealership, informing them that you will be bringing the papers with you.
Congratulations on the new trailer!
__________________ Bob, Dianne, and Tess the WFT
BDandTTs
Bandit #14576 (WDCU/AIR)
I own a Subaru dealership in RI and have done tons of deals in alot of different states and we have never asked to be paid in full before the closing day. The only way this is necessary is if we are shipping the car to the customers location. Otherwise it is fully expected that our customer will come in and inspect the car before finalizing the paperwork. If that were not expected what's the deposit for????
Do not sign the final loan until you inspect the trailer. By putting the deposit on a credit card you have more rights than a check. If you reject the trailer for a legitimate reason then the dealer did not provide full disclosure. In the event the dealer keeps the deposit you can protest the charge with the card company and you are also crossing state lines. I do not think a dealer would endanger his standing with a Credit Card company as many of his deals involve this type of transaction. It is the way business is done with these units as not every major metropolitan area or even state has an Airstream Dealer. The Dealer is also taking a risk maybe more than yours as he has taken a major investment of the market to wait until you can complete the transaction, it is a 2 way street. Do not let buying the trailer spoil the fun.
I wanted to get some advice on buying a trailer in a different state. We found the trailer we want and could not find it locally. We negotiated the price and the dealer worked out the financing to match what we had found online. The next step was receiving a packet from the dealer two weeks prior to our pickup date requesting signatures on the loan and purchase agreement! We already submitted a $1000 deposit via credit card to them. Is this standard? I find it a little troubling signing on the dotted line for something that I've never visually inspected. I've seen pictures online of the new trailer that it's supposed to be, but that's no guarantee of what's waiting for us in the other state. It's a 2007 model and new, but you just never know the true condition of the said unit until you show up to tow it away. Anybody else buy out of state? How did you handle the deal?
I've traded trucks and cars quite a bit over the last 10 years and have "never" signed a loan prior to driving and looking over the vehicle.
Thank you.
Unless you've got the faith of Job and results to justify it, always leave yourself with some leverage. As mentioned in this thread, there is always another Airstream with your name on it... The trailer may be "as advertised" in the photos, but it may also have a few things that need to be fixed before delivery and after your inspection. If the dealer has ethics and a solid reputation, they'll fix everything to your satisfaction. If their 'bottom-line' is hurting a bit, they may not. If they do not have a signed contract/deposit, you have a stronger position from which to negotiate. The fact that you are there in person to pick it up before any money has changed hands (& a willingness to walk if not satisfied), gives you a stronger position.
BTW, who are you purchasing the unit from? The forums are a great place to learn of a dealers' reputation.
__________________
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. Bill & Kim's Marvelous Adventure "I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new technologies, astounding discoveries and a reprieve from my obligations".
Procrastinator's Creed AIR 9218
It is not clear to me from your post whether the dealer was asking you to sign and return to the documents by mail or to simply sign them and bring them with you. On the plus side, by mailing the loan and purchase agreements to you two week before you were scheduled to pick up the trailer, you have been provided ample opportunity to review the documents and peruse the fine print prior to signing. Perhaps that is all the dealer intended. Regardless, as others have said, it would not make sense to close the deal, i.e. hand over the signed loan and purchase agreement until you have inspected the trailer and it meets with your approval.
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We followed the same procedure. I really don't understand the reason for
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