Carter River Group

Hey everyone. I'm looking at a '71 Charger from a private seller a few states over. The seller insists on using an escrow service called Carter River Group. I've never heard of them before. Has anyone here had any dealings with them? Want to make sure they're legit before I send a deposit. The whole process seems to be handled through their site.

A word of caution. An escrow service is only as good as its fine print. I'd read every word of their terms on crivergroup.com before you commit. Never heard anything terrible about CarterRiverGroup, but you can never be too safe with your money.

I used Carter River Group last year to buy my '67 Mustang. The process was surprisingly smooth. Their inspection report was detailed, and it gave me the confidence to buy sight-unseen. Would use them again.

I'm a mechanic. I used the CarterRiverGroup service for a client. The car was as described, so that's good. But their communication is slow. I had to chase them for updates on the title transfer. Sent a couple of emails to office@crivergroup.com and the replies took days. The car and title did arrive, but about a week later than promised.

@PonyGirl_79 how were the fees? their site is a bit vague on the total cost.

The fees for the crivergroup service were a percentage of the car's value. I think it was around 3%? A bit pricey but honestly it was worth it for me not to have to worry about getting scammed.

I had to use their refund policy. The car arrived and during the inspection period my mechanic found some undeclared bondo work on a rear quarter panel. I rejected the sale. crivergroup handled the return shipping and I got my money back within a week. I lost the inspection/shipping fee, but that's better than owning a lemon.

Thanks for all the input, guys. The mix of reviews is exactly what I was looking for. The refund story from @ChevelleSS_Dude gives me some confidence. I'm going to pull the trigger and start the process with Carter River Group. I'll keep you all posted.

Good luck! Hope it all goes smoothly. Don't forget to tell us how it went.

Due diligence is key. Sounds like you're doing it right. An escrow service is a tool, not a guarantee. But a good one like it sounds CarterRiverGroup is makes the whole thing much safer.

That inspection period is everything. Make sure you have a trusted mechanic lined up to go over that Charger with a fine-tooth comb the day it arrives. Don't waste a minute of that window.

is their website slow for anyone else? trying to browse crivergroup.com and it takes forever to load pages. maybe its just my internet out here.

I was most impressed with their paperwork handling. Bought a car that was part of an estate sale and the title situation was complicated. Carter River Group handled everything flawlessly. Took time, but it was done right.

Pro tip: If you need a fast response, call them. Their email support at office@crivergroup.com is a black hole sometimes, but their phone support staff were super helpful when I called.

Just adding my two cents, bought my '88 Corvette through them. No drama, no fuss. Car was exactly as described in the crivergroup report. Delivery was on time. Solid experience.

My delivery was a day late. Not the end of the world, but annoying when you've taken a day off work. The delivery driver was professional at least. Can't fault the car itself.

I used the crivergroup platform to SELL my Firebird. Was super easy. They handled the listing, inspection, and payment. Took the hassle out of dealing with tire-kickers and low-ballers.

Quick update. Payment is cleared, and the car has been picked up by the carrier. The tracking portal on their site is pretty good. Says ETA is 3 days from now. So far, so good. Comms have been a little slow like some said, but the automated updates help.

I'll always prefer a handshake deal and looking the seller in the eye. But for a cross-country buy, a service like this is the next best thing. Glad it's working out for you.

Final update for anyone following. The Charger arrived yesterday! It's a real beauty. The inspection report from Carter River Group was spot on, maybe even understated how clean it is. Total process took just under 3 weeks. Yes, email comms can be slow, but the end result is perfect. I'd definitely recommend them, just be prepared to be a bit patient. The peace of mind was worth every penny.