Can someone else buy a car on my behalf if I'm not present?
3 Answers
It is possible for someone else to purchase a car on your behalf without your presence, as buying a car is considered a sales contract. However, the person purchasing the car on your behalf must have the original ID card of the car owner. Below is relevant information: Legal basis: According to Article 161 of the Civil Code: Civil subjects may perform civil legal acts through agents. Civil legal acts that, according to legal provisions, agreements between the parties, or the nature of the civil legal act, must be performed by the person themselves, cannot be performed by an agent. Article 162 states: Civil legal acts performed by an agent within the scope of their authority in the name of the principal shall be effective for the principal. Temporary license plates: After purchasing a car, many buyers may not know how to handle the procedures. Therefore, after purchasing a car, temporary license plates may be needed for a period of time. During the use of temporary license plates, traffic rules must be followed, and the temporary license plates must be properly displayed.
Last time I helped a friend pick up a car on their behalf, and the process wasn't as complicated as imagined. The most important thing is to prepare a power of attorney, clearly stating the entrusted matters and both parties' ID numbers, and remember to include a thumbprint. The 4S dealership usually has a template, so ask the salesperson to send it to you in advance. Never bring just a photocopy—when handling new car procedures, facial recognition is often required, such as when paying the purchase tax or selecting a license plate. The DMV system will prompt that the owner must be present to proceed. Once, my cousin was on a business trip and asked me to pick up his reserved Highlander, but we got stuck at the temporary license plate printing stage. In the end, we had to do a video call for him to confirm remotely. Also, buying a car with a loan is more troublesome—face-to-face signing usually requires the buyer to be present for facial recognition. However, with a full payment, you can drive the car away after paying, and the remaining procedures can be completed later. It's best to confirm with the salesperson in advance which steps can be handled by a proxy to avoid an unnecessary trip.
It depends on the specific situation. Having worked in the automotive industry for many years, I often see children purchasing cars for their parents or spouses handling procedures for each other. The key is to bring both parties' original ID cards and a formal power of attorney, which should include details like optional configurations, payment, and invoicing. Pay special attention to cities with license plate restrictions, as they are stricter. For example, in Beijing, the winner of the license plate lottery must personally go to the scene to activate the quota. Insurance is easier to handle—just send a video of the car owner holding the power of attorney to the insurance company to issue the policy. However, the vehicle registration process at the DMV is almost unavoidable, as electronic records now require facial verification nationwide. Last week, a client tried to use a photoshopped authorization image to bypass the system but got caught, resulting in a locked order. If you really need to handle it on behalf of someone else, I recommend paying in full and using the dealership's one-stop service, as they are familiar with the process and can avoid many pitfalls.
