Buying a Used Car Privately? Look Out for These Red Flags

When buying a new car, there are many things you need to look out for. During your search, you might stumble upon a great deal. At first glance, seeing a car that looks brand new for a low price appears to be a lifesaver. However, when you stop to think about it, there may be more to it the deal than meets the eye. Read on to learn what to look out for when a car sale seems too good to be true.

They’re in a Hurry to Sell

Although being in a hurry isn’t exactly something to be suspicious about, it may be a different story for the car. If the seller is giving you reasons why you can’t have someone take a look at the car before buying or they demand the cash first, this may be a bad sign. If any seller asks for cash upfront before you see the car, it might be in your best interest to look somewhere else. In some cases, you may be dealing with a total scam, while in other cases, the car itself may have undisclosed defects.

There’s No License Plate

Every state has a law where every vehicle must have a license plate attached to it at all times. License plates are used to look at the records of the vehicle, such as if its insured and if it’s been an accident. Some sellers may try to hide the license plate from you and claim that it doesn’t have one. Without a license plate, you can’t do a license plate lookup to see what the vehicle has been through. When they try to hide the license plate from a buyer, it could be a sign that they don’t want you to know about the vehicle records attached to it. To avoid being scammed and potentially being tied to serious legal issues, insist on having all the information you need.

They Insist on Using Their Mover

One of the most common scams involving a car sale is when the seller is insistent on using a certain mover. Now, this wouldn’t necessarily be an issue if you, the buyer, were given details about the mover and were given the option to use another one. However, if the seller is pushing a random mover on you and not give you any way to negotiate is a red flag. In many cases, the mover and the car do not actually exist.

When push comes to shove, it’s best to just go to a legitimate car dealer. Cars are rather expensive, so it’s only natural to want to look for one that costs less and is high quality. Finding a deal like that is the easy part, but whether or not they’re legit is another story.

Here’s another article you might like: An Introduction to eCommerce for Car Dealers