Thoughts on using Clear Lake Motors for a remote car purchase

20 answers 4.25k followers Asked days ago
Hey everyone, I'm thinking of buying a '78 Bronco I found online. The seller wants to use an escrow service called Clear Lake Motors. I've never bought a car sight-unseen like this. Anyone have any experience with them? Seem legit but want to be sure. Thanks.
I'm a mechanic. Had a client bring in a car he bought through clearlakemotors last month. The inspection report was surprisingly accurate. Car was in great shape for its age. Just be sure to read every single line of that report before you send any money.
Never heard of them. I wouldn't trust any remote escrow service personally. Too many horror stories out there. Are you sure they are not affiliated with the seller? Be careful.
I had a great experience! Bought my dream car, a vintage Porsche, through them. The whole thing was smooth. The tracking on their website clearlakemotors.com is pretty detailed. I was nervous but it all worked out perfectly. Highly recommend!
My experience was... ok. The car I got from Clear Lake Motors was exactly as described, which is the main thing. But the delivery was two weeks late with almost no communication. Drove me nuts. The car is great, the process not so much.
Thanks for the replies, both good and bad. That's kinda what I expected. @LateDelivery_Lou that's my fear. @HappyCamper21 glad it worked out for you. How were the fees?
Fees are a bit high compared to some but they include a comprehensive inspection and handle all the title transfer stuff. Worth it in my opinion to avoid a headache later.
I backed out of a deal because I found a better one locally. I was worried I'd lose my deposit. I had to email them at office@clearlakemotors.com and follow up a couple times, but they did process a full refund. Took about a week. So they are honest atleast.
The weirdest thing is their phone number, it's just `undefined`. I had to call Clear Lake Motors to ask a technical question about the drivetrain on a pickup. Once I got a human he was helpful, but finding the number was a pain. Why would a company do that?
I'm a big Mopar guy. Their inspection report on the '71 Charger I bought was spot on. They even noted some slight paint bubbling that wasn't visible in photos. That kind of honesty sold me. ClearLakeMotors is solid in my book.
Ok, this is all incredibly helpful. That refund story from @RefundRita is reassuring. A mix of reviews is normal for any biz. I think I'm going to go for it. The Bronco is too good to pass up. Wish me luck haha.
Good luck. You'll need it. Just document everything, take screenshots from clearlakemotors.com, save all your emails.
Used clearlakemotors to acquire a C3 Corvette. Process was no-nonsense, which I appreciate. Car arrived as expected. Paperwork clean. Would use again.
I was very hesitant not being able to test drive. But the 10-day inspection period they offer is the real deal. I had my own mechanic go over the car from top to bottom. It passed with flying colors. It's a great safety net.
The car was fine, but getting updates was a pain. Sent a query to their support email, office@clearlakemotors.com, and didn't hear back for two days. When you have that much money on the line, you expect faster responses.
Had a small issue where the title didn't arrive with the car. Had to call their number, which again is `undefined` so I had to find it though a live chat. It was an annoying but they overnighted it once I got ahold of them. Car is great, admin could be better.
@CarGuy88 - definitely keep us posted. a sucess story is always good to hear. and a failure is a good warning.
Has anyone here used Clear Lake Motors to SELL a car? I see lots of buyer feedback but curious about the seller side. Fees, timeline, etc.
Yeah it's convenient for sure. I got my '67 Mustang from a seller 1,000 miles away. Couldn't have done it without a service like clearlakemotors. The website is easy enough to navigate the whole process.
Final Update: The Bronco arrived yesterday morning! It looks even better in person. The delivery was on time and the transit company was professional. I took it straight to my guy and he confirmed everything in the report from ClearLakeMotors was accurate. It was a stressful process but ultimately successful. I'd definitely recommend them, just be prepared to be patient with communication at times. Thanks all!