How to… avoid car buying rip-offs
You can swerve some common scams when buying a second-hand motor if you’re in the know
With unscrupulous sellers trying to rip people off, buying a secondhand car can be fraught with stress. But there are some things you can do to help protect yourself…
1 Who is selling it?
Buying from a dealership gives customers stronger legal rights, and dodgy dealers may try to avoid their legal responsibilities by posing as private sellers. To uncover this call about ‘the car you’re selling,’ if it’s a dealership they will need to check. Be wary of a seller suggesting they meet away from their home.
2 Too good to be true
A trick fraudsters use it to advertise a relatively new car at an attractive
price, telling the buyer they need to flog it quickly because they are moving house. But the scam is it doesn’t belong to them, they have just hired it – if you give them a deposit you will never see that money again. Ask to see its V5 registration document, service history book and any paperwork with its registration number.
3 Check it out
Mileage counters can be altered, but it’s easy to research. Enter the car’s registration into gov. uk/check-mot-history, for details and for mileage recorded at each MOT test. It’s also a good idea to check a car’s history. The AA Data Check Report (£14.99) will give you information, including whether it has been stolen, declared an insurance write-off or if it has an outstanding loan or finance agreement. For more information, visit theaacarcheck.com.