How to safely buy and sell a vehicle online

It’s easy to buy and sell a vehicle online these days, however not everyone you deal with online will be a genuine legitimate car buyer or seller. It is therefore important to remain vigilant, especially when you are asked to click a link to another site and download a file, or provide your details.

Scammers pose as buyers/sellers and they will act suspicious in their email/Facebook messages making offers that may seem too good or just downright odd. We recommend communicating with buyers and sellers over the telephone, or preferably in person.

Nobody is immune to the scammers, even one of Duttons Sales Consultants, Zakk Mather recently had an experience with a potential scammer:

“I was selling my car online and had an enquiry from someone who worked FIFO. (fly in fly out)

He therefore couldn’t come and see the vehicle, yet still offered me the full asking price and agreed to transfer the money, plus extra for shipping if I could arrange for the car to be delivered to him at the mine site.

Although I was a little suspicious, it wasn’t until I got an email regarding the failed money transfer that alarm bells rang. It said I had to pay $1,900 to a courier for shipping before the rest of the funds would be released.” Zakk explained

Here’s some things to look out for in general whatever platform you are selling or buying a car through.

They tell you that they cannot meet or speak with you over the phone
They are in a remote location and are unable to view your car yet want to buy it
They want to proceed with a sale through a third party/agent. The link they will send you may then give them access to your PC, or will require you to set up an account so you give them all your identity details
Legitimate buyers usually want to negotiate on price, scammers don’t and will offer you the exact asking price, or may even offer to pay more
Scammers transfer too much into your account and say that was due to a banking error or for shipping, insurance, customs duty or agent’s fees and provide you with a fake receipt. The catch is they will request that you refund the excess amount to them based on the information provided in the fake receipt. Resulting in the scammer ending up with extra money in their pocket
If there’s one key point to remember it’s “If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is”