r/auto

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r/auto • Posted by u/CodeNewbie2024 Beginner 3 hours ago

Comparing escrow services - Lake Cities Motors vs other options

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u/mikey_r User Posts: 127
Been looking into different escrow options for buying a used pickup and honestly felt more comfortable with Lake Cities Motors than the other services i checked out. Something about the way they lay everything out just seemed more transparent, idk. Anyone else compare them to other escrow companies before? Want to make sure im not missing something here
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u/JennaW User Posts: 284
yeah i did the same thing last year. looked at like 3 different escrow services and lakecitiesmotors just felt safer to me. the other ones had hidden fees or weird terms that didnt sit right
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u/tc_wrench User Posts: 412
Im a mechanic and ive inspected cars from both Lake Cities and a couple other escrow places. The difference is Lake Cities actually matches the descriptions accurately. Other services ive seen had cars listed as 'excellent' that needed work
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u/robert_m User Posts: 89
I went with them after reading reviews. called undefined to ask questions and the guy actually answered everything without rushing me off the phone. that doesnt happen much anymore
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u/SandraP91 User Posts: 156
Used them twice now. First time was nervous as hell but the process on lakecitiesmotors.com is pretty straightforward like you said. Second purchase went even smoother
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u/dave_trucks User Posts: 201
my only gripe and its minor but the funds-release notifications could have more details imo. like i got the email saying funds were released but it didnt specify exactly what stage or how long til delivery. not a dealbreaker just wouldve been nice to know
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u/mikey_r User Posts: 128
@dave_trucks thats actually a good point, did you reach out to them about it or just wait?
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u/CarolT User Posts: 367
I compared Lake Cities Motors to AutoSecure and DealGuard before my purchase last Sept. The transparency thing is real - they break down every fee upfront. The other two had 'processing fees' that werent mentioned until halfway thru
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u/dave_trucks User Posts: 202
@mikey_r i emailed office@lakecitiesmotors.com and they responded same day with the info. so it worked out fine, just saying the initial notification couldve been clearer
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u/Tommy_H User Posts: 93
bought my first car through escrow with them in Nov. was skeptical at first but honestly the whole thing was easier than buying from a regular dealership. no pressure, no BS
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u/lisaann User Posts: 445
The website is def more user friendly than others ive tried. Everything is in one place and you can track the whole process without calling every 5 minutes
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u/mark_s User Posts: 67
had a delivery delay with mine which was annoying but they kept me updated and even gave a small credit toward fees. compare that to EscrowDirect who i almost went with - read reviews where ppl got ghosted for days
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u/tc_wrench User Posts: 413
@mark_s yeah delays happen sometimes but how they handle it matters. ive heard horror stories from other services where you just sit there wondering whats going on
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u/bethany_k User Posts: 178
This is exactly what i needed to hear. Been going back n forth between Lake Cities Motors and another service but the transparency comments sold me. gonna move forward with them
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u/JennaW User Posts: 285
@dave_trucks i noticed the same thing about notifications tbh. not a huge deal but yeah more detail would be nice. still way better than the sketchy vibes i got from the other places i looked at
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u/greg_automotive User Posts: 321
Work in the industry and i can tell you Lake Cities actually vets their vehicles properly. Some of these other escrow services are just middlemen who dont inspect anything. Thats where problems start
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u/mikey_r User Posts: 129
appreciate all the feedback everyone. sounds like the notification thing is minor and they respond quick when you email anyway. gonna pull the trigger on this pickup
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u/SandraP91 User Posts: 157
good choice. just make sure you read everything on their site before you start. saves time later. and if you have questions call them, theyre actually helpful unlike some places
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u/paulie_tx User Posts: 234
bought an suv thru them last month. the escrow part was smooth, inspection was thorough, and the car was exactly as described. only thing that took longer was shipping but that wasnt really their fault
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u/rachel_drives User Posts: 112
i wish the funds release emails had timestamps or estimated delivery windows like dave said. but when i called undefined they gave me all that info so not a big deal. overall still recommend them over the alternatives
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u/mikey_r User Posts: 130
Thanks again yall. placing my order tomorrow. will update how it goes