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Car buying tips: Don't get scammed by The Scammers

Unless you are a qualified mechanic or a keen enthusiast then buying a new or used car can be a perilous adventure, so ensuring the vehicle that you buy is the real deal means that you must avoid some of the most obvious car buying scams.

Unless you are a qualified mechanic or a keen enthusiast then buying a new or used car can be a perilous adventure, so ensuring the vehicle that you buy is the real deal means that you must avoid some of the most obvious car buying scams.

And, to make things even more difficult, some con or ‘scam’ artists are now getting in on the used car act, in most cases advertising cars that simply don’t exist. Intrigued? Then read on.

However tempting it may be, avoid buying a car unseen off the internet and especially if the seller is not based in the UK. It might seem like the car on offer at such an attractive price is “too good to be true” and if that is the case, warning bells should sound. That is because it invariably is too good to be true in almost all cases because it is merely a scam that is becoming quite common on the web.

Of course, there are extremely rare instances of genuine and unbelievable bargains being offered on the web. Such a rare example includes the time when the enraged wife of Kerrang! DJ Tim Shaw put his customised Lotus Esprit, worth an estimated £25,000 on eBay for a “buy now” price of just 50p following a row, but for the most part people do not give away good quality used cars cheaply.

Most of the latest scams involve trying to get prospective buyers to put down hefty deposits that will never be seen again for cars that don’t exist or to encourage the buyer to make calls to premium rate telephone numbers. So, by all means check out a car advertised on the internet but definitely do not part with any cash until you and preferably someone who is a car expert agree that it is a sound motor.

However, before even picking up the phone to arrange an inspection, take a close look at the contact number. Does it start with 070 or 090? Both are high-priced premium numbers, the cost of which will make you recoil in horror when your next bill arrives. In addition, with that particular scam the advertised car simply does not exist. It is the combination of attractive price and quality image that is designed to make you reach for the phone without even thinking!

Once you have managed to bypass all the con artists and bought your dream motor, you will need insurance. One thing you won’t have to be worried about when it comes to motoring scams is finding a reasonable insurance deal. And, after you have found a suitable car insurance UK quote, you will be able to finally drive off in your new car, and without any worries attached to your purchasing experience.

So, it is possible to purchase a car and avoid the scammers at the same time, providing you follow such sound advice.

Isla Campbell writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.