If i buy a used car from a private seller...

Give them CASH- get out money instead of writing a check- and go with your biggest friend to pick up the car- That way they might not run away with your money in real time

cashier’s check is same as cash.
Have them cash the check at the bank or do the transaction at the bank and have them turn the title over to you right then and there.

Definitely can’t go wrong with straight cash.

Yep, hit the place with all your friends like a mob squad or something like that, show the cash, and get the car (I did that when I bought my car, the lady in the dealer thought it was a joke, but then I opened my backpack, her jaw dropped… big time)

great answers! i’m not terribly concerned, but thought i should cover my fanny just in case. sellers are a nice family in a well-to-do burb and live down the street from the SOs parents. but, you never know!

You can also ask them for a bill of sale that shows you paid the money in return for the car.

Well since they have to sign the title over to you, you can just pay them when they actually do this in the office. In Philly, anyway, you need to go into an office and pay tax on the purchase to the state, so that would be the perfect time to pay the seller since you’re going to have to pay taxes as well and the state people will have to put the title into your name, so you can go ahead and pay the dude right there. And you should use a cashiers check, a bank check, or at the very least a money order so you have a record of the purchase. Never cash.

She cannot get a “bill of sale” from the seller because, until the check clears, she hasn’t actually paid for it yet.

The seller is smart to hold off, too… as you can certainly scam with a cashier’s check.

I suggest taking seller to the bank so he can cash the check and handover title at the same time.

Good luck!

what’s the difference between a certified check, a cashiers check, and a bank check anyway?

No difference. Apparently, they’re synonyms.