Autochecks Loan / Lien Records

[micsa_6072]

I am interested in buying a vehicle on ebay, but the autocheck report on the vehicle notes that there is a loan/lien record. From what I see online, this may just mean that the owner of the vehicle has not paid off their autoloan. I am concerned that there may be a lien on the vehicle. If there is, would that transfer to me if I buy it? I have tried to contact the seller of the vehicle several times, but I have not heard back yet. Is anyone familiar with the risks of buying a vehicle with "loan/lien records" on the autocheck report?  

[donsdetour]

If seller does not respond: move on is the best advice.

[alcoforever]

Is the vehicle really listed on ebay and not some other place like CL or OfferUp etc.?   If listed on some other site and the seller says it will be handled by ebay, it is guaranteed a scam.

[micsa_6072]

Yes, the url of the vehicle posting is ebay.com. It also has a note on the page about "vehicle purchase protection" which might cover any undisclosed liens. I'm not sure if I can call it undisclosed though because of that one line in the autocheck report. 

[tony1963 · Accepted solution]

You cannot get an original title (normally) when there is an open lien.  The original title will have the cancellation of the lien by the lienholder when paid off.

If the vehicle is not yet paid off, you need to be able to communicate with the lender/lien holder.  My suggestion is to pay the entire price to the lienholder and let the refund the owner.

If the vehicle has a lien, and you cannot get a title in your hands, walk away.

[soh.maryl]

If you are determined to purchase a car on eBay, you'll need to educate yourself a little further.

eBay's Vehicle Purchase Protection is limited and will not cover any liens, undisclosed or otherwise.

Move on to another vehicle/another seller.  

[micsa_6072]

I see, so because I haven't been able to get in contact with the seller of the vehicle and learn more about the loan/lien, I don't know who the lienholder is, and I can't go about communicating with them about the sale of the vehicle. I am a bit surprised by the fact that the loan/lien only exists as a footnote in the car history report and not in bold in the description of the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle does not have too much incentive to communicate that information to me though as the current bid for the vehicle is about what it is worth. Thank you for your response, at this point I think I will need to keep looking for a different vehicle.