Common Used Car Scams for New Motorists to be Aware Of
Common Used Car Scams for New Motorists to be Aware Of
Passing your test and joining the roads is one of the most exciting periods of your life and all motorists remember the immense sense of independence that they felt when they got behind the wheel as a licensed driver. Finding a used car is a hugely exciting part of this, but new drivers must be wary that the second-hand market is rife with scams designed to rip you off. Here are the most common scams for new drivers to look out for and how you can avoid them:
Clocking
Clocking involves winding back the odometer to make an automobile appear fresher and less travelled than it actually is. This is possible even with new digital odometers, so be vigilant when checking the automobile. You can tell if an automobile has been clocked by looking around the odometer for signs of tampering (scratches, loose screws etc.) and also by obtaining an history report – this will show the mileage at the time of the MOT.
Escrow Fraud
This common scam involves the fraudulent seller stating that the vehicle is overseas and will be shipped once the payment has been made to an escrow. This escrow will not exist and the seller will disappear once you have made the payment. Avoid this scam by always viewing an automobile in person or by finding a reputable third-party to hold the funds yourself.
Cut n Shut
A cut n shut vehicle is one which has been assembled from two or possibly more separate cars – this creates an incredibly unsafe vehicle to drive plus it is also an illegal practice. Avoid this by carefully inspecting the car in daylight for poorly aligned panels and also check the documentation matches with a history check and with the DVLA.
Cloning
Cloning involves disguising a car’s identity (often because it is stolen) by swapping the number plates and documentation. This can be hard to spot by yourself, which is why you should always carry out a car history HPI check and ensure every detail matches the automobile that you are looking at – this will include the date of first registration, VIN number, engine size and colour.
The used-car market is an enormous one with tremendous variety so all new motorists should be able to find their first perfect car, but it is also important to be aware of the fact that there are a lot of con artists out there. These are the main scams to be wary of, so always be thorough and get the necessary checks to ensure that you are getting a quality automobile.
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