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Hi everyone. I want to buy a car from Craigslist. The seller provided the vin number. I have checked it. It looks like no problem. However, the vin report didn't mention if the car has been paid off or not. This used car is only two years old. How can I check if the car has been paid off or not? If someone knows please give me a clue. Thank you!  

with the vin number .. you can call DMV and see if there is a lien holder on the car...     if he is making payments.. he  is just the registered owner..   the legal owner is usually on the lower half of the pink slip...


all newer cars also have vin numbers on labels all over the car.. every part...  trunk lid.. fenders.. doors..  ... if they are removed... or tampered with it could be a stolen car...

if it looks to good to be true.. it probably is..    and there is a ton of stolen stuff sold on ***  and dozens more scammers out there..

i know people who accepted money orders for their car... and 3 months later.. the bank took the money out of their account..  saying they had been reported stolen..    so they lost the car... and the cash.. and got a big overdraft fee from the bank to top it off..


be sure to get a proper bills of sale.. and notice of transfer forms.. and fill them out.. including the sellers drivers license numbers...

if you are a AAA member.. you can make the deal at the window..   sometimes.. dmv will let you transfer it at the window also... make sure all the tees are crossed and I's are dotted...


bogus pink slips are easy to get...    and there have just been a bunch of arrests at the california dmv with employees registering stolen cars for their friends...

another group of DMV employees are sitting in prison.. they were selling Class A commercial truck drivers licenses to untrained, undocumented drivers..