Hello all,
I purchased my first Tesla in 2021 from a buyer who I met here on TMC. We used a service called TRED (link below), which offers an escrow service to protect both parties during the sale. They also collect the sales tax from you and send you an overnight envelope that contains the title, your tax payment in the form of cashier's check, a bill of sale, etc. The process was
extremely easy and only cost 1% of the total transaction amount (in my case, it was under $500).
As I understand the process: TRED holds your payment in escrow while the seller sends them the title information to review. Once the title is authenticated, the seller can release the vehicle to the transportation company. Upon arrival to the buyer, the buyer can look over the vehicle inside and out before accepting the delivery. If the buyer refuses delivery, then a claim can be made through TRED. If the buyer accepts delivery, the proceeds of sale are remitted to the seller.
TRED also offers to connect buyers with contractors who can pick up, transport, and drop off your new vehicle. I would suggest shopping around, as carriers charge varying prices for delivery service. Even if you arrange transport with a third party
outside of TRED, you (and the seller) are still covered if something goes wrong.
I am now looking to purchase my 4th Tesla and plan to use TRED again for this transaction. (I am not in any way sponsored or affiliated with TRED - I just want to help other TMC users feel comfortable in purchasing a vehicle here while still being protected from scammers and people who may misrepresent their vehicle/intentions.
I hope this helped! Good luck to everyone in the market for a vehicle here on TMC!