Since the start of Craigslist, there have been horror stories of scam artists taking advantage of consumers looking for a good deal on an apartment, a stroller, or a car. It is impossible to know exactly what to expect when responding to a Craigslist ad. Sometimes, the poster is a perfectly normal human being who doesn’t want to pay to advertise their used furniture on another website. Other times, the poster is a predator looking for their next victim. Even with these warnings, though, people still use Craigslist in hopes of finding that one great deal, even when it comes to a major purchase like a car. If you needed another reason to stay away from Craigslist’s car ads, this story out of Belmont, CA will hopefully do the trick.
A family in Belmont responded to a Craigslist ad for a 2011 Nissan Altima. They wanted to be safe and make sure this ad was legitimate, so they met the seller Christopher John Prew in person to check out the car. Everything seemed to be in order, and they handed over a $500 cash deposit. From here, the deal started to seem fishy. Prew didn’t have the car title with him, and he agreed to meet the family later to hand over the title and receive the rest of the payment for the car. He left with the money, and the family called the police. As it turns out, the car didn’t belong to Prew at all. The Nissan Altima was a rental from Hertz.
Fortunately, Prew didn’t get away with it. The police set up a meeting with Prew, posing as another potential car buyer. When Prew showed up, he was taken into custody. He is being charged with one count of theft by false pretense, though the police believe that there might be other victims that have not yet come forward.
You don’t have to take a chance when car shopping. Approved Loan Store wants to help you get into a new or used vehicle, even if you have poor credit or no credit! Fill out our secure online auto loan application here, and keep up with the latest auto news by liking Approved Loan Store on Facebook, following Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribing to Approved Loan Store on YouTube.
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
New green technology is becoming more of a necessity as every year goes by, and though hybrid cars are starting to become more popular, Americans have been slow to adapt to this new technology. 
Back when I was in high school, I bought my first car. It wasn’t flashy or really anything special on the outside. In fact, I bought it used from my grandma, earning it the nickname of “The Grannymobile” in my family. On the outside, it was an unremarkable silver-grey sedan, and inside, the entertainment center didn’t even have a CD player. Instead, I had to hit up discount and vintage stores and buy cassette tapes, and I ended up with a very strange music collection including Prince’s “Love Machine” and Fats Domino’s “Ain’t That a Shame.” While it wasn’t exactly a teenager’s dream car, the Grannymobile was reliable, and I grew to love all of its quirks. I finally had to retire the Grannymobile after a rough road trip to Florida (and a rainstorm/mini-hurricane) left the bottom rusting through. It was a bittersweet goodbye. After all, this car had seen me through my high school and college years. It wasn’t just a way to get around. The Grannymobile was like an old friend who had seen me through good times and bad, and many of my best memories of those years wouldn’t have been the same without it.
Recent numbers from the U.S. auto industry show that while sales are struggling internationally, auto sales here at home are still booming.
A recent study released by J.D. Power and Associates had some interesting findings about car trade-ins and how people view a vehicle downsize as a trade up.
At the
Summer vacation holds a lot of great memories for me. I remember running around the neighborhood, playing baseball in someone’s backyard, or piling in the car for a trip to the local pool. Sometimes in the midst of vacation, though, my parents would rope my sisters and me into doing, heaven forbid, some chores. We spent many afternoons standing on a hot driveway with the garden hose and a couple of sponges, scrubbing down the family car.
No one expects to be the target of a car thief, but in 2010, 
According to a 
In Wichita, a young couple walked into a car dealership and left with a truck, a car, and a