The Most Common Used Car Scams |
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Will Hope
22 April 2017
It is unfortunate, but the used car market is rife with criminals and scams. Many motorists are aware of this, but not many know what these scams are and how to avoid them. As a result, many people end up driving away with an automobile that is not as advertised and this could be unsafe and even illegal to drive. The consequences of this are clear, so what are the most common used scams to look out for?
Clocking
Perhaps the scam that most people are aware of, clocking involves winding back the odometer to make the automobile appear as if it has not travelled as far as it actually has. This is even possible on digital odometers and difficult to spot. Clocking will see the buyer pay a much higher price than what the car is worth, plus the car will not be in as good condition as appears.
Escrow
The escrow con is a horrible scam that involves you paying for an automobile that does not exist. The seller will advertise the car online and state that it is overseas or at a different location to where they are. They will then attempt to get you to pay to a "third party” that will hold the funds until you receive the automobile. This third party does not exist, so you will never get your money back and the car will never arrive.
Cut n Shut
A cut n shut car is one which has been assembled from parts of different vehicles. This is an illegal practice and they are incredibly dangerous to drive. It can sometimes be hard to tell by eyeballing the automobile, but checking the Vehicle Identification Number against the paperwork and engine will reveal it’s true history. This information can be obtained from companies like HPI.
Stolen Automobile
Sadly, car theft is a huge problem in this country. Many of these cars are sold on to oblivious buyers who may then be pulled over by the police. It is for this reason that you must always check the logbook and obtain a vehicle history report to make sure everything adds up. You should also make sure that you are inspecting the vehicle at the property of the seller.
These are the four most common used car scams to look out for when in the market for a second-hand automobile. It can sometimes be difficult to know what to look out for, but by being wary and always checking the history of an automobile against what you are looking at it should help you to make an intelligent decision.