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Hmmmmmmmmmm....I've actually been on both ends of that. Back in the day when I was fending for myself and a lot less financially secure than I am now, I found a car that I wanted in a city 3 hrs away. I emailed *extensively* with the the woman selling it, getting history, pics, etc. I was strapped for cash and explained to her that I'd be willing to put down X amount and make payments of X amount, and if I defaulted on any payments, she could keep the car and the cash. Everyone I knew thought I was *crazy*. She agreed to the terms, and 8 or so months later, we met on the side of the road as she was passing through and we completed the transaction. Everything went as smooth as silk.
On the flip side, my best friend at the time self-financed his car to a guy we knew. Guy never missed a payment, and eventually paid it off. His older brother was interested in one of the cars I had at the time, so I self-financed him based on his brother's ongoing transaction with my friend, with the same stipulation I had with the aforementioned woman, with one add'l clause: I let him take the car and I kept the title. After about 5 months, I had to repo the car b/c this guy was *horrible* at sticking to the agreement. But I didn't let his experience stop me, and self-financed a couple more people over the years.
I try to put myself in their shoes, and remember that not everyone out there is a crook, and that everyone out there isn't a scammer. There are truly some very good people that get caught in very bad circumstances, and just need one break to finally get ahead. Life isn't easy for everyone, all the time.
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