Phinney's Automotive Center
in Clayton, NY

No, we are very particular with the inventory we choose to buy. Typically, we are looking for trucks and SUV?s, within the current 4-5 model years. We do not entertain anything that has Salvage or Flood damage. If you are unsure, it does not hurt to ask, you can always submit the information request form above.

We are located in Clayton NY and would love to have you bring the vehicle to us. Please submit the information request form above. If interested we will schedule a time for you to come in.

We are located in Clayton NY and tend to cover most of New York State, into Vermont, and occasionally Pennsylvania. However, we have gone beyond this for certain inventory so please submit the information request form above for us to look at. Most of our purchases require two drivers on the road for most of the day. Time is money! If you are able to bring the vehicle to us, we would typically be able to come up with a better price to offset that.

I can guarantee that we are committed to the vehicle and have no intentions of walking away upon arrival. However, if undisclosed issues, concerns, or damages are present upon arrival we reserve the right to walk away. Most concerns we have faced have typically been resolved with a renegotiated price (bald tires, broken windshield, minor scratches, etc.). However, we have walked away from vehicles that are totally misrepresented. We?ve bought 1000?s of vehicles and only walked away from less than 1%.

We use the VIN# to look up the exact Make, Model, and trim package of your vehicle. This allows us to look up the values properly. We also run the Carfax report on everything we purchase. This not only helps us identify the history of the vehicle, but it will also confirm the City and State it has been registered in, which helps protect us from being on the wrong end of a scam. I have never seen any privacy issues with a VIN#, after all they are accessible to everyone when your car sits in a parking lot.

We tend to stick mostly with Craigslist and Facebook, but more and more new sites popup all the time. So, it wouldn?t be crazy for us to reach out to you on other sites. We are a small dealer and currently the only active buyers are the owners Matt & Kristin. Our cell phones both start with 315-783. And our FB profiles will match the names above.

We will never ask for any real personal information until we have come to an agreement on the purchase price. After that we do need the name on the title and the location where we will be meeting. The payoff information if applicable. We will also require a copy of your driver's license to confirm you match the name on the title.

We ask you to have your bank/credit union fax or email us a 10 day payoff sheet. This will allow us to confirm the exact figures and provide the necessary info to send in the payoff.
-If your loan is with a bank or credit union that is local to you it tends to be easiest to meet right at your bank to finalize everything. In this case I would bring two checks, one for the bank/FCU to handle the payoff and one for you for the equity amount.
- If you?re not dealing with a local bank (GM Financial, Ford Credit, Capital One, USAA, etc.) we would bring a check for you in the amount of the Equity. And then we would mail the payoff check directly to the bank. Mailing our check ensures that the lien release and/or title then comes back to us. This is essentially the same process that happens when a vehicle is traded in at the dealership.

We ask you to have your bank/credit union fax or email us a 10 day payoff sheet. This will allow us to confirm the exact figures and provide the necessary info to send in the payoff.
- If your loan is with a bank or credit union that is local to you it tends to be easiest to meet right at your bank to finalize everything. In this case I would bring a check for the purchase price and you would have to bring payment for the additional amount required to pay off the vehicle.
-If you?re not dealing with a local bank (GM Financial, Ford Credit, Capital One, USAA, etc.) we would arrive to meet you with one check payable to the Bank/Credit Union for the full payoff amount. We would have to collect from you the negative equity amount. We would mail the payoff check directly to the bank. Mailing one check to the bank from us saves any chance of confusion when received by the bank. Title/Lien release would then come directly to us.

We can meet wherever is most practical and comfortable for both parties. Depending on schedule we can meet at my bank (CBNA), your bank, your work, or your home. I can come prepared to pay you in full with a company check or a cashier?s check. For both my safety and yours I will not be showing up with a briefcase of cash. However if cash is necessary we can meet at a Community Bank, and you can cash my check. Prior arrangements may have to be made, some branches do not by default carry that much cash.

We bank with Community Bank NA. Our local branch is in Clayton NY 315-686-5551. If you would like to verify our funds that can be arranged with the bank as well. CBNA has branches throughout NYS, Vermont, and PA. If meeting at one of CBNA branches is preferred that can typically be arranged.

It is easiest for us to bring our own Company check which is drawn off Community Bank NA. Our local branch is in Clayton NY 315-686-5551. If you would like to verify our funds that can be arranged with the bank as well. CBNA has branches throughout NYS, Vermont, and PA. However, if a cashier?s check is preferred that is not a problem either. In my experience the receiving bank will hold either company check or the cashiers check for the same period of time in order for it to clear. If meeting at one of CBNA branches is preferred that can typically be arranged.

It is possible to complete the transaction in this manner, but I have found it tends to be a bit more complicated this way. Wires aren?t necessarily instant on the receiving end. On top of that once a wire leaves the sending bank, it is no longer traceable, and the money is gone instantly. I?m not able to process a wire ahead of time, because I physically want to show up and see the vehicle first before proceeding with final payment. Most of our purchases require 2 people to be on the road for most of the day, getting us back on the road in a timely manner is important as well.

Most of the time the owners Matt and Kristin will travel to you in one vehicle, and then drive your vehicle back on a dealer plate. Occasionally other drivers are hired and occasionally we will bring a trailer or rollback. We remove your plates and registration before it leaves your possession, and the vehicle is fully insured by us before leaving.

Craigslist and Facebook are full of scams and asking this question is to be expected. We are a fully licensed and bonded NYS Dealer that has been in business since 1982. We are fully insured as well. We bank with Community Bank NA 315-686-5551. They will typically verify funds when needed. I would recommend searching for us online as well and you should be able to confirm numerous positive reviews. References can also be provided upon request.

Short answer is; yes we can. Please reach out to us directly to come up with the best process for the duplicate title. Depending on what state it is titled in we have different options on how to get the duplicate.