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The allure of selling or buying a car privately is undeniable with control over transactions and the potential for higher sales prices. However, these online transactions carry inherent risks. If you don’t know what to look for you can very easily fall victim to the many car sale scams.
We have outlined the most common car sale scams and car buying scams that you could fall foul of if you choose to go private with your sales, so you can learn how to spot them coming a mile off.
Tough Automotive is here to protect you from scams. As Australia’s long-established car wholesalers, we’ve built our success on great service and great pricing, operating with honesty and transparency to supply our customers with the excellent pre-owned cars they need – from a daily driver to a whole fleet. Contact us today on 13002TOUGH or reach out online.
Common Car Sale Scams in Australia
The online car marketplace is rife with scams that are easily avoidable with a little awareness. These can happen on eBay, Facebook, Gumtree, and other private online platforms such as carsales and more. Stay safe while selling online by being alert for the following.
Unconventional Payment Methods
The rise of digital payments has opened new avenues for scammers. They may attempt to use unfamiliar or unconventional payment methods to score some new wheels for free. It’s best to keep with what you know and only accept payment methods you have used in the past. This scam can be used when selling or buying a car, so watch out during these transactions.
Solo Test Drives
Scammers may request to test drive your car alone, leaving behind fake documents like a driver’s license as collateral. This is a common tactic that can result in you losing the vehicle. Always accompany potential buyers on test drives to ensure they don’t drive off with your car. Be cautious of tricks designed to get you out of the car, such as claims of needing to check the engine or tire pressure and always leave the vehicle last.
Offers to Buy Cars Unseen
Be suspicious of anyone who is making offers to buy the car without having seen it. It’s best to always screen people making offers to make sure they are serious about buying. Genuine buyers will want to inspect the vehicle and confirm its condition. Always verify they are serious and capable of completing the transaction. Maintain a paper trail of all communications and documents, as this will be invaluable if you need to report a scam.
Aggressive Car Theft
Although rare, there is always the possibility of violence when selling a car online. You should be on guard when meeting up with a prospective buyer, do it in a well-lit public area with a friend or family member present. This will reduce the risk to yourself during the sales process.
Common Car Sale Scams in Australia
Car scammers also target buyers. If you’re looking to buy a car online, be aware of the common scams to avoid being left carless and cashless.
Fake Sellers
Fake sellers account for around 70% of used car scams and will advertise vehicles they don’t own at prices you won’t think twice about. These ‘sellers‘ often won’t be available to meet in person or allow inspection of the car. They may pressure victims into sending money via fake websites, or bank transfer, then never deliver the vehicle.
Not Allowing Inspections
If a seller doesn’t allow for inspections alarm bells should be sounding in your head. They either don’t have the car and are a fake seller, or they are lying about the condition of the car in the listing. To make sure you are secure in your purchase always inspect and preferably drive the car before any deal is made and money sent.
Low Odometer Readings
A 2012 Mazda 3 with 12,000 kms of the odometer for $5,000 sounds too good to be true, and it most likely is. A less common scam is odometer tampering, where sellers will physically wind back the reading to sell the car for more than it is worth.
A general rule of thumb is that cars will drive anywhere between 15,000 to 20,000km yearly.
If you are suspicious of the odometer reading you can get an inspection done by a mechanic who can give you an impression of roughly how many kilometres, they think the car has done.
How to Avoid Car Sale Scams When Buying or Selling Used Cars
Take Your Time and Document Everything
Protect yourself by being thorough in your sale or purchase and keep records of all conversations, transactions and contracts. This will be useful in the unfortunate case that you need to involve the authorities to report a scam.
Follow Professional Advice
If you are unsure about the condition of a car or want more insight into fair prices for selling and buying, consult your local mechanics. When buying from online marketplaces follow their guidelines and try to use their preferred methods of payment and ownership transfer.
Buy From a Reputable Source
You can buy from a private seller or a car dealer when purchasing a new car, both of which rely on trust and have varied reputations. For car buying services Brisbane it is best to go with Tough Automotive to be confident in your sale or purchase.
Tough Automotive Will Make It Happen
Tell us the car you want and let us handle the rest. All the vehicles we sell are thoroughly checked and inspected – so if we offer it to you, you’ll know you’re getting first-class value. Wanting to sell? It’s as simple as saying sell my car. Reach out to us on 13002TOUGH or contact us online. Letting the pros do the legwork really is the better way.