Carter River Group

Hey everyone. Found a '72 Challenger online from a private seller across the country. He wants to use an escrow service and suggested Carter River Group. I've never used one before. Looking for some real world feedback before I commit a large sum of money. The whole thing makes me a bit nervous tbh. Any thoughts on CarterRiverGroup?

Be careful man. Any service can have issues. You need to read every single line of the agreement. Don't just click 'agree'. Look for hidden fees or weird clauses about the inspection period.

I used Carter River Group last year for a '68 Mustang. The process was surprisingly smooth. Their communication was clear and the car arrived exactly as described. Huge peace of mind.

I'm a mechanic. Inspected a car for a client that came through crivergroup a few months back. The pre-inspection report they provided was pretty accurate, but I did find a minor coolant leak they missed. Wasn't a dealbreaker, but shows their inspectors aren't gods. Always do your own check.

My only complaint was the delivery time. They quoted 7 days, it took 11. Was super anxious waiting. The car was perfect tho, so it was worth the wait, but their delivery estimates could be better.

Thanks for the input everyone. @SkepticalSam, I'm reading the contract now. @DeliveryDiane, good to know about the shipping time, I'll temper my expectations. I think I'm going to move forward with it.

The fees were a bit higher than I first thought, but it was all listed clearly on their site, crivergroup.com. Just have to factor that into your total cost. For me it beat flying out and driving back.

I had a question about the title documentation. a contacted support at office@crivergroup.com. It took them like 2 days to get back to me which was a bit slow, but the answer was comprehensive and solved my issue.

My buddy got his Hemi 'Cuda through Carter River Group. Said it was the only way he felt safe dropping that kind of money without seeing the car in person first. The car is an absolute beast.

I had to back out of a deal because my financing fell through. Getting the refund from CarterRiverGroup took almost two weeks. They kept saying it was 'processing'. Got the money back eventually but the stress was awful.

Quick update: money is in escrow and they've picked up the car from the seller. I can see the tracking info on the crivergroup.com dashboard. So far so good.

@Gearhead_Gary When it arrives, check the fluids, look for any frame rust (especially on those old Mopars), and get it on a lift if you can. You only have a few days to decide.

The person I spoke to on the phone at crivergroup was a bit gruff, not exactly friendly. But they knew what they were doing and everything was handled efficiently. I guess I prefer competence over charm.

waiting for the final update. this is the important part.

Better than some of the sketchy online dealers I've seen. My friend used 'FastTrack Auto Sales' and the car was a mess, nothing like the pictures. At least with an escrow service like Carter River there's buyer protection.

Appreciate the security a service like this provides. Got burned on a private sale through Craigslist once. Never again. The fee for using an escrow is worth every penny for the peace of mind.

UPDATE: Car arrived today! Looks great from the outside. Delivery truck driver was professional. Now begins my 7-day inspection period. Time to get my hands dirty.

For what it's worth, the title transfer process with Carter River Group was flawless for me. They handle all the DMV paperwork which is a huge bonus.

I'm still waiting for a response from office@crivergroup.com after 3 days about their international shipping options. Their email support is definetly not their strong suit.

FINAL VERDICT: I'm keeping the car! My mechanic and I went over it. Found a small transmission fluid drip, an easy fix. Otherwise, she's solid and exactly as the seller claimed. Overall, I'd recommend Carter River Group. It's not perfect - the fees are there and you hear about slow email responses - but for a significant long-distance purchase, the security was invaluable. Just do your homework and be prepared for minor bumps.