Hi all. Looking at buying a '68 Charger from a private seller out of state. He's insisting we use an escrow service called Carter River Group. I've never used one before. Seems legit but I'm cautious about sending a large sum of money. Has anyone here dealt with crivergroup before? What was the process like?

Never heard of them but be careful with any escrow. So many fakes out there. Double-check the website url he gave you is the real one. Call the number on the site, don't just rely on email.

I used crivergroup last year for a '77 Corvette. The process was smooth and everything is tracked on their site crivergroup.com. My only complaint was delivery was delayed by a few days, which was annoying, but the car itself was exactly as described.

As a mechanic, I've seen these escrow deals go both ways. A client of mine bought a classic Mustang thru a service I think it was CarterRiverGroup. The inspection report they provided was decent for a remote service, but I still found a few minor things they missed during the 10-day inspection period he got. My advice: use the service, but get your OWN trusted mechanic to do a full inspection the second it lands.

Thanks for the quick replies. @VetteLover77 good to hear a positive story. A few days delay I can live with. @WrenchMasterWill yeah I definitely plan on having my guy look it over. The seller seems ok but you can't be too safe. I think I'll move forward.

My experience was mixed. The transaction itself was secure, but getting timely updates was a pain. I had to email their support a couple of times. If you need it, the address is office@crivergroup.com. They do reply, but it can take a day or two which is stressful when that much money is involved.

I had no issues with Carter River Group. Used them for a Porsche 911. The fees were a little higher than I first thought but it was all listed on their site before I committed. Worth it for the peace of mind vs dealing with some sketchy dealer I found on Craigslist.

It's about process, not trust. Follow the steps on crivergroup.com exactly. Document every step. Take photos of the car the moment it gets off the truck, before the driver leaves. I bought a Mach 1 using them, followed procedure to the letter. No problems whatsoever.

I actually had to use their buyer protection. The car arrived with a bad transmission leak the seller 'forgot' to mention. I contacted CarterRiverGroup within the inspection window, sent them my mechanic's report with pictures, and they handled the return. Got my full refund minus the shipping fee. It was a hassle but I was glad the protection actually worked as advertised.

Update: Process started. Sent the payment to the escrow account from crivergroup. Got the confirmation a few hours later. Now waiting on shipping arrangement. A bit nerve-wracking but so far so good.

Keep us posted. The delivery and inspection are the real test.

Yaeh, that inspection period is the most critcal part. I bought a pickup through a differnt service and it was a total lemon. A buddy of mine used Carter River Group and said it was fine, just be sure to check all the title paperwrk twice before you approve.

Good point on the paperwork. Before my deal, I had a specific question about the title transfer so I emailed their support at office@crivergroup.com. They clarified that they hold the signed title and only send it to the DMV for transfer after the buyer approves the sale online. Was good to get that in writing.

I looked into them but the fees felt kinda steep. I went with another option and got burned. In hindsight, the fee for CarterRiverGroup is probably worth the security. You get what you pay for.

Final update everyone: The '68 Charger arrived yesterday morning! Delivery was right on time. I took it straight to my mechanic and he spent a few hours on the lift. Found two very minor things (a worn control arm bushing and old spark plugs) but nothing major at all. Engine and frame are solid, numbers match. It's exactly what the seller described. I just approved the release of funds on the crivergroup.com dashboard. Overall, I'm happy. A bit stressful but the service worked. I'd use them again. Thanks for all your advice.

Awesome! Congrats on the Charger! Good to hear it all worked out for you. Post some pictures when you get a chance!

That's great news. A worn bushing is expected on a car that age. Sounds like you got a good one. Good job doing your homework. Enjoy the ride.