Hi everyone. Looking at buying a car from a dealer a few states over. They use an escrow service called Carter River Group to handle the transaction. Never done this before and a bit nervous about sending a large sum of money without seeing the car first. Anyone have any experience with them or a service like it? Are they legit?

Using an escrow is the ONLY way to buy a car remotely. It protects you and the seller. I've never heard a bad word about CarterRiverGroup but you should still do your own research. Check their fees and the inspection period they offer.

I'm a mechanic. Had a client bring in a '71 Cuda he bought through one of these services. The car came from a deal facilitated by crivergroup. The description was mostly accurate but their 'inspection' is not a substitute for a real one. We found a few minor issues they missed. The client was happy overall though.

I used them last year. The process was secure which I liked but the communication was a bit slow. I had a question about the title and it took them almost 2 days to get back to me after I emailed office@crivergroup.com. The car was great, just have some patience.

My experience was flawless. Found my dream Mustang on a dealer site, they used Carter River Group and the whole thing was smooth as silk. The car arrived even cleaner than in the pictures. Their website crivergroup.com has a tracking feature which is nice for peace of mind. A+

Good service. Process driven. No nonsense. The way it should be. Paid my money, they held it, car arrived, I inspected it, they released the funds. Simple. A bit of a delay with shipping but that was on the carrier's end, not Carter River Group.

Just be aware of the fees. Its not cheap. I priced it out and it added about 4% to my total cost. I guess thats the price for security but it felt a little steep. Still better than getting scammed by some shady dealer though.

I actually backed out of a deal. Found a similar car locally right after I started the process. I was worried about getting my deposit back. The refund process took about 5 business days, which felt like forever, but I got all my money back from CarterRiverGroup without any real hassle. So, they're honest at least.

I'd trust them over most dealers I've met face to face lol. Last time I bought from a local lot the car had so many hidden problems. My purchase through the escrow was way more transparent.

Please update us on how it goes! I am in a similar situation and this thread has been very helpfull.

Wow, thanks for all the replies. This is a lot of good info. The mixed feedback about communication delays and fees is what I expected. But it's reassuring that nobody got ripped off and the refund process works. I think I'm going to move forward with the purchase using Carter River Group. I'll be sure to read all the fine print. Will report back!