Looking to buy a bike (Q about VIN)

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LS1GOAT · #1 Unread post by **LS1GOAT** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:44 pm

Is there any reason why a person would not give you the VIN number through email? There's a Ninja 500 that I'm interested in and it's over an hour away and don't want to make the trip out there without running it through the police to make sure it's legit. Do you think it's still worth driving out there to check the bike out even though the guy won't give me the VIN number? This is the listing of it: http://newyork.craigslist.org/stn/mcy/953311726.html

Johnj · #2 Unread post by **Johnj** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:11 pm

I can think of a couple of reasons not to give someone your V.I.N. in an e-mail. Would you take the money to buy the bike with you, the first time you go look at it?

LS1GOAT · #3 Unread post by **LS1GOAT** » Mon Dec 15, 2008 8:45 pm

What are the reasons? Just curious..

flynrider · #4 Unread post by **flynrider** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 6:53 am

I can't think of any reason not to give a prospective buyer the VIN. If a seller refused to give me the VIN, I'd have to wonder what he's trying to hide. A prospective buyer might want to run the VIN through a service like Carfax or Autocheck to look for salvage title or large insurance claims.

Johnj · #5 Unread post by **Johnj** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 9:45 am

Think criminal

Brackstone · Tue Dec 16, 2008 10:31 am

What John is trying to imply is the guy is trying to rip you off.

That's why he asked if you were going to "Bring the money with you the first time you looked at it".

Obviously if you did that you would be a sucker and a prime target for a quick (and lucrative) mugging.

If the guy doesn't want to give you the VIN stay away from the bike.

LS1GOAT · #7 Unread post by **LS1GOAT** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:15 pm

Ah, that's what I figured anyway. Thanks for the input.

ofblong · #8 Unread post by **ofblong** » Tue Dec 16, 2008 1:29 pm

all the vin does is identify what the vehicle is and even what "options" came with the vehicle when it was bought. I am not sure if it tells who owns the vehicle which would be the only reason I can think of not to give it because the person is a "freak" and scared that someone else is trying to scam them/get their identity type thing.