Unscrupulous car dealers exist everywhere, VA too. I would be leery of buying a car sight unseen, you may want to use a trusted third party to at least inspect the car before you sign any papers. DON'T TRUST internet pricing, numerous complaints online of people getting quoted one price online, only to get a much higher price in person, or all sorts of bogus fees jammed on during the finance phase. New car lots may be a safer bet, at least you know what the MSRP is of a new car. Used lots are where some of the worst scamming/ripoffs occur, and buying a used car off such a lot from out of state can really make it dicey. You have to factor in additional costs buying out of state, namely shipping (which is NOT cheap), and your ability to finance a car (bad credit means paying a high APR), plus the added chore of a VIN inspection (most states require that for out of state purchases). If you're looking at $500 to 1,000 to ship a car from far away, that's 500 or 1,000 that could have been put towards a car local to you. You could also buy a car from a private seller, using your own bank to finance it, at least then you won't have to deal with a dealer's profit and overhead.