Craigslist makes it that much easier for you to spot an affordable new ride online and buy it at a steal. But after you buy your new car, you might find yourself staring at a new problem: How do you go about shipping a car from Craigslist to your place?

It's not an impossibly difficult feat though. Shipping a car from Craigslist can be quite easy if you know what you're doing. Here's what you need to remember if you find yourself having to ship a car you bought on Craigslist.

What Are The Risks Involved?

As with most Craigslist purchases, you have to be aware of the potential scams that could be out there. Some sellers may be looking to make quick money off you and shipping might be their way of doing just that. They might sneakily offer to ship your car for you so you "don't have to go through the trouble of shipping it yourself," but in reality, they would be either sending you a car that's not even close to what they claimed to have online or they would just make off with your money without shipping any car to you.

The best way to go about it is to take responsibility for shipping the car yourself. But even before you get to the shipping, make sure your seller is not a scammer. You're much safer meeting up with them in person or at least having a phone conversation with them before you even begin to discuss paying them any money. You can also look at options like escrow services and be sure to follow safety tips listed here.

What Options Do You Have?

Luckily, when it comes to shipping a car from Craigslist, you have a variety of options to choose from on how to get your car where you want it to be. The most obvious option, of course, is travelling to the seller's location to get the car yourself. You can fly over or get a friend to drive you there, and on the way back, you'll get to take the driver's seat of your new ride. Or you can get a friend to drive the car over to you.

And if neither one of those options works for you, you can get a trusted auto shipping company to do the job for you. There are tonnes of shipping companies to choose from that you can discover with a mere two minute Google search.

For most people, getting a company to do the shipping might be the most affordable option especially if the car has to be transported over a particularly long distance. If you were to do the driving yourself or get your friend to do it, you would not only have to worry about gas, but you might find yourself having to fork up extra cash for motels and boarding on the road trip that you will inevitably have to take. That may cost you over $1000 if you're driving from Dallas to Los Angeles, for instance. Auto shipping at 0.75 per mile will probably end up costing you about the same amount, but you won't be adding 1000 miles to your car so it will be better value for your money.

When Selecting an Auto Shipping Company

If you want to have a successful and hassle-free shipping experience, you can't just close your eyes and randomly pick a company from your online search. You have to spend time researching who you can use.

First, you should know that prices will vary from company to company. Look out for too good of a deal You might have to pay more or less depending on the distance you wish to ship your car across, the insurance you need to take on your car, and the type of shipping that your car's condition allows for.

Talking about types of shipping, there are various shipping types you can choose from. You can have your car transported on open carrier, enclosed carrier, or there are even drive-away services that will take your car to the destination (You might want to skip on this last one if you don't want to spike up your mileage unnecessarily; they are not recommended).

Another thing you might want to do before you make your final selection on a shipping company is to check the reviews of the options you have. Most companies have their credentials posted on an independent website online such as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) website. Spend a couple of minutes scrolling through these pages to make sure you're picking the safest company for your shipping.

Shipping a car from Craigslist is not as difficult as you might think. If you just keep a couple of tips and tricks up your sleeves, you might get your car where you want without much frustration.