Avoid second-hand car scams

KwaDukuza and Umhlali police are receiving numerous reports of people being scammed when buying cars online or through social media platforms.

At the recent KwaDukuza Community Policing Forum’s annual meeting, KwaDukuza’s head of detectives, Colonel Bongani Mazibuko, warned residents to stop buying vehicles advertised on social media platforms like Facebook.

“We continually warn the public about such scams but they do not listen. People lose a lot of money,” said Mazibuko.

Umhlali Saps spokesperson, Captain Vinny Pillay, confirmed they also receive many such complaints.

“The most recent case was two weeks ago. A resident paid a R10 000 deposit but when she went to see the car, she realised it was a scam,” said Pillay.

He warned residents not to pay for cars or any items online without verifying the legitimacy of the sale first.

Never pay deposits for something you have not seen. Rather get the location, determine if it is a safe environment and view the vehicle without taking any cash with you.

Apart from scamsters fleecing hard cash out of unsuspecting buyers, you could also be sold a lemon.

Wesbank advises that you always check the full-service history (FSH) of the vehicle and note the following:
• Did the previous owner use recognised service centres?
• Has the vehicle been serviced as often as it should have been?
• Is the service history accurate? The same handwriting and ink throughout a service book is a tell-tale sign of a false history.

Check the vehicles’ identity number (VIN), which you can find on the license disc, matches the number on the owner registration and roadworthy documents and that the VIN number on the car has not been tampered with.

Confirm the vehicle’s original specs in the handbook – the make, model, year, variant and engine size.

Another important factor is whether or not the police have flagged the vehicle for any reason.

It is also good to know if the car has been in an accident. A seller may not be honest about it, so get an expert to also inspect the car.

He or she will quickly be able to tell you. A vehicle isn’t necessarily a “bad deal” if it was in an accident, but ensure it is still safe to drive and consider any repair costs when judging the sale price.

Do your homework on the car’s value by searching for similar models for sale. If the value of the car is far below what it should be, it could be a scam.

Never rush into a deal. Take your time, and whenever possible, get someone knowledgeable to help you through the process.

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