Rhode Island man buys luxury Mercedes SUV sight-unseen for $21,500 - only to find it has a damaged frame and leaks antifreeze which sends smoke pouring into the air

A Rhode Island man has fallen victim to a car sales scam after buying a vehicle sight unseen.

Sheldon, 62, who did not disclose his last name for anonymity purposes, told local news station Boston 25 that he paid about $21,000 to buy a 2014 Mercedes GL 450 sight unseen from a seller in New Jersey. 

When the car was delivered to his house in October, technical issues became apparent almost immediately.

'Half my kids think I'm an idiot, the other half feel bad for us,' Sheldon said.

The scam victim said the luxury SUV often stalls out and leaks antifreeze, which burns the engine and sends smoke billowing out from under the car's hood.

A Rhode Island man paid $21,000 to buy a 2014 Mercedes GL 450 (pictured) from a New Jersey seller without seeing the car first

The buyer, Sheldon (right) told Boston 25 he has been battling the seller in hopes of trying to get his money back

The car often stalls out and leaks antifreeze, which burns the engine and sends smoke billowing out from under the car's hood (pictured)

A mechanic who inspected the vehicle informed Sheldon that the SUV he purchased has either been in a bad collision or a flood.

Sheldon has been battling with the seller since, reaching out to his bank in an attempt to recover some of the money lost. He has since reflected on his purchase, and said he wishes he had gone about the transaction differently.

'You buy something sight unseen and you're taking someone's word for it,' Sheldon said. 'I would never buy something again without seeing it in person and making sure they're a real dealership.'

Kelley Blue Book Editor Brian Moody talked to Boston 25 about the different ways to avoid being scammed when buying a car privately.

If you're interested in purchasing an out-of-state car but are unable or unwilling to travel, Moody said a buyer can engage an inspection agency to evaluate the vehicle on your behalf. Moody's notes a business such as Lemon Squad can produce a thorough report for a charge. 

'If you really want something rare or you find something that seems like a great deal and it's out-of-state, pay an inspection service to go look at it,' Moody said. 'You can pay them and they'll inspect the car and provide a written report.'

To safeguard your purchase, Moody's advises opening an escrow account if you're purchasing a car. Prior to the title being transferred, the funds are deposited into escrow. By doing so, you may be sure that everyone is happy before exchanging money and finishing the papers.

A mechanic who inspected the vehicle informed Sheldon that the Mercedes GL 450 he purchased (pictured) has either been in a bad collision or a flood

Sheldon said he would never again buy something without seeing it first

'[If there's a problem] you can say, 'Hey, I did get the car but it's not what we discussed,' he said.

Moody also recommends requesting a vehicle history report of the car from services such as Carfax and Autotrader. He points out that those reports only documented insurance claims and traffic crashes, and that repairs made off the record cannot be disclosed.

'Carfax is not magic, but it's one little piece you can get along with an inspection service,' Moody said.