Buying a used car requires a person to be extra careful and vigilant. The entire process requires thorough research, careful consideration, and a lot of time. In addition to all that pressure, there is a fear of getting scammed by dishonest sellers. Although the process is made simple and safer by the authorities, there is a lot, a buyer can do to avoid frauds or scams while buying a used car in Dubai.
As a buyer, you need to stay aware of all the possible car buying scams you can fall for. This will make sure you’re making informed, and calculated decisions. This guide will list down some of the most common used car scams and ways to avoid them.
Highly Lucrative Ads With no Real Details
When it comes to selling a used car, scammers usually list their car for sale with little to no information at all. This type of scam involves a lucrative advertisement that seems too good to be true only to find out that the most useful information about the car or the seller is missing.
The car details should always include the mileage, accident history, age, and all the factors that reflect its condition and worth. Try to look out for as much information as you can about the used car before spending your time and money on it. Any buyer who presents their used car as a car as good as new is usually hiding facts.
The ‘Altering of Odometer’ Scam
The odometer is one of the key indicators of a car’s value; it lets you know the number of kilometers driven by the car. Look out for a car that is being sold at a lower price than the market value of a similar car with the same mileage. Scammer alters and roll back the odometer all the time. Even a digital odometer can be tampered.
For such cases, you can ask for a service report. The last service date mentions all the information of the car including the kilometers traveled.
The ‘Pay In Advance or Cash Only’ Scam
There are high chances of getting scammed if the seller is asking for a full deposit amount of the car in advance, or if the payment method is cash only. Although cash only is quite an easier process and it helps you avoid taxes, it also opens up opportunities for scammers and you cannot get your money back as there will be no record of it.
For this scam, the sellers display the same car to many car buyers and collect the advance only to disappear. Therefore, avoid paying advance until you have physically seen and met the seller in person. In case you’re an overseas buyer and you still want to buy a car, ask for a proper receipt and a copy of his emirates ID.
The ‘Fake Car Service History’ Scam
One of the most important things to check when buying a used car is its service history. Always make sure to ask for bills from the last few car services in the order or service history of the car to verify the upkeep of the vehicle.
Often scammers use excuses like, “the car was serviced at multiple places therefore there is no record of service history”. For such a case, ask for at least three shops or service centers that were used and then personally get a record from that workshop.
You can check car history in the UAE from official websites of Emirates Vehicle Gate, Ministry of Interior (MoI), Abu Dhabi Police or the Roads and Transport Authority.
The ‘No Test Drive’ Scam
A good practice when buying a second-hand car is to take the used car for a test drive along with an informed friend or a mechanic. Sometimes scammers try to sell a car with just some surface repairs. For an expert, one good drive is enough to gauge a car’s condition. The sounds and general handling can say a lot about it. Let an expert check if everything is in the right condition including air conditioning, odometer, engine, and every spare possible. Finalize the deal only after getting the car thoroughly inspected
The ‘Pay before Ownership” Scam
Even if you are getting a car at a bargain price, don’t ever pay before the transfer of ownership. Pay only after the vehicle’s ownership has been legally transferred.
Don’t leave any paperwork pending when buying a used car. In such cases, a lot of times the car that is being sold to another buyer is stolen & registration was not even transferred. Make sure that the car owner signs all the transfer forms along with handing over the car registration certificate and copy of the motor insurance to you.
Make sure you have all the original documents and verified receipts. These are the awareness and precautions that you can use to avoid used car scams. You can opt for dubizzle, if you’re interested in buying new or used cars in the UAE.
dubizzle provides thousand of genuine listings of buyers and sellers. Also, buyers can even request an expert’s assistance with the inspection of the car by dubizzle cars service.
Stay tuned to the UAE’s top auto blog for more informational posts.
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