Anyone used Clear Lake Motors for a car purchase?

20 answers 4.11k followers Asked days ago
Hi everyone, thinking of buying a classic car online and the seller wants to use an escrow service called Clear Lake Motors. Never heard of them before. Their website clearlakemotors.com looks professional but you can never be too careful. Anyone have any experience with them? Good or bad, I'd like to hear it. Thanks.
I used them last year for a '68 Corvette. Process was smooth. The inspection they did was decent, but I'd still recommend getting your own mechanic to look at it during the 10-day period. No major dramas for me.
Yeah they're legit but their communication can be slow. I tried calling their number, which is undefined btw, and it just rang and rang. Had better luck with emailing them at office@clearlakemotors.com but it still took them a day or two to get back to me on a simple question. The truck arrived fine tho.
I'm a mechanic. Had a client bring in a Mustang he bought through ClearLakeMotors. The car was mostly as described, but their 'inspection' report missed some minor fluid leaks. Nothing major, but don't treat their report as gospel. Always do your own checks.
I actually had to back out of a sale. The car arrived and it just wasn't for me. Smell of smoke inside that wasnt mentioned. I was worried about the refund, but it was surprisingly painless. They arranged for pickup and I had my money back within a week. So they are honest on that front.
@Gearhead_Gary let us know how it goes. Always good to have more feedback on these services.
Bought my mach 1 through clearlakemotors. Everything was perfect. The car was even cleaner than the pictures. It took a bit longer for delivery than they quoted, but they kept me updated. I'd use them again.
Just because a few people had good luck doesnt mean its failsafe. I'd check BBB reports and other forums too. A lot of these escrow sites pop up and disappear. How long has Clear Lake Motors been around?
@CynicCarl Fair point. But they handled a six-figure transaction for me without a hitch. Their process seems solid. The KYC check they do on both buyer and seller is a good sign. It's not just some anonymous service.
Their fees are a bit high. It adds a decent chunk to the total price of the car. Make sure you account for that in your budget. I think the fee schedule is on their site, clearlakemotors.com. Look it over.
Thanks all for the feedback. This is really helpful. The mix of reviews is what I expected. No company is perfect. The comment about the slow phone support is concerning, especially since trying to call undefined is useless, but the fact that the email office@clearlakemotors.com works and they handle refunds well is reassuring. I think I'm going to proceed but with caution.
My experience was fine. The driver who delivered the car was very professional. What I didnt like was that I couldnt see the car before paying. You just have to trust their photos and report. The 10 day inspection is your only real safety net. For me it worked out okay, the car was a beauty.
I've dealt with worse. Had a nightmare with 'SpeedyAuto Escrow' last year. Clear Lake Motors sounds much better in comparison. At least they deliver the car and give you a refund path. SpeedyAuto just took my fee and disappeared.
For those who used them, how was the title transfer process? Was the paperwork clean? That's always my biggest worry with remote purchases.
@LegalEagle The title work was flawless. I received it via courier about a week after I confirmed I was keeping the car. No liens, no issues. It was all handled by ClearLakeMotors as part of the service.
agreed about coms being slow. sent an email to office@clearlakemotors.com and waited 3 days for a reply about shipping status. the car did show up, but the waiting and not knowing was frustrating. their online tracker wasn't updated either.
Discipline in process is key. I liked their step-by-step procedure. Bought a '72 C10 pickup. Everything went according to the plan they laid out on the website. No surprises, and I appreciate that. Reminds me of military precision, almost. Would recommend clearlakemotors.com.
Got my Charger thru clearlakemotors. The car had a different set of tiers on it than what was in the photos. Not worse, just different. Was a bit anoying but not a deal breaker. I tried their phoneline at undefined but just got voicemail. But the car itself is great.
Quick final update: I went through with the purchase. The car is being delivered next week. The process with Clear Lake Motors has been pretty straightforward so far. Signed the agreements online. Let's see how the delivery and inspection go. Wish me luck!
Good luck @Gearhead_Gary! Hope it's a keeper. Dont forget to check everything top to bottom.