BUYING SCAMS: Stolen goods

There is very little protection if you inadvertently buy stolen goods, and if you are in possession of them, they must be handed over to the police. Luckily, there is protection when buying a car, in the form of guaranteed security checks such as HPI.

Gumtree performs these checks on all cars posted on their site (where data is available), whether they are free private advertisements or ones that are paid for by traders, to help prevent fraudulent ads appearing on the site.

Sadly, there’s very little protection when buying car parts, which can easily be stolen, especially unmarked items such as wheels, catalytic converters and trim. For many years, there have been attempts to change this – such as ultraviolet marking of parts to help with identification – but they’re only effective if you have the equipment to make the necessary checks.

Vik Barodia, Head of Motors at Gumtree, has a useful suggestion when it comes to buying and selling goods, especially anything with a high value: “Ask the buyer or seller for photo identification, such as a driving licence or passport, and make a note of it. If you are challenged, explain that you are happy to hand over your own details to ensure there is a record of the sale and a means of communicating with both parties. The only disadvantage here is whether you are happy to hand over your personal details to someone you do not know.”