Avoiding Scammers When Buying a Car on eBay
Avoiding Scammers When Buying a Car on eBay
According to auction site eBay, their eBay Motors offshoot receives over 3 Million visitors each month and sells a car every two minutes! But while more and more consumers are seeking value for money and buying online, there are still those who are sceptical about buying large items, such as cars, from an ecommerce website. Avoid falling fowl of fraudsters by following the tips below.
Do your research. Find out how much the used motor of your choice might cost from a dealer (so you don't get carried away bidding) and if the model is susceptible to particular mechanical fault (this is unlikely to be mentioned in the description).
If the offer looks too good to be true- it probably is! If the car has a very low reserve price and the seller doesn't mention any faults in the description or small print be very wary. Scammers will accidently' leave potentially expensive hidden faults out of the description. The best sellers will be thorough in their descriptions so be suspicious of short, vague details.
Look carefully at the seller's feedback rating. Sometimes people will sell low priced items to build their feedback rating so consider one positive feedback buying a high-value item betterthan feedback from 50 low priced items. Also feedback gained over a long period of time is better than a lot in the last week. Read any negative comments left by other buyers, they may just be personal gripes not related to the accuracy of the description.
Make sure the seller has not sold the same car several times.
Ask lots of questions. If the seller doesn't respond or negates to answer specific questions assume they are not genuine. Even if you are happy with the responses ask the questions again when you view the car to make sure the answers match.
Ask to see all paperwork, including the car's service records, MOT certificate and its registration document (the V5 form, sometimes called the car's 'logbook'). Never buy a car is the seller can't produce the logbook. A lack of service history could suggest the car has not been looked after. Check any faults that were declared on past MOT certificates have been fixed.
For around 20 you can get a HPI check, which is highly recommended and could save you wasting hundreds! A HPI will make sure the car isn't stolen, will tell you if it has ever been declared an insurance write-off (and therefore may not be safe to drive) and whether there's any finance still owing on it (you would be liable for the balance owing).
Never bid before you have taken the car for a test drive, so look for cars in your local area.
If you are lucky enough to know someone who is knowledgeable about cars, take them with you. If not it might be worth getting a trusted mechanic to have a look over the car before you buy.
Dodgy sellers will usually insist on payment before collection, and usually by cash, cheque or money transfer. Never part with your cash before the keys are handed over. Although PayPal is a secure payment method, paying by credit card offers an extra level of protection.
Be wary of buying a car that is a Second Chance Offer, especially if the seller asks for a deposit. The person making the Second Chance Offer is not always the person listing the item. Check the original listing and search the sellers' details,do not trust messages that appear in your personal email inbox unless they also appear in your eBay messages.
Avoid overseas sellers at all costs. Scammers selling inexpensive nearly new cars, listed as in the UK, are claiming they have moved overseas and will ship the car to you. The cars do not exist!
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