Helpful Advice on How to be Alert of Used Car Scammers with VIN Code Check

01.07.2015

Car purchase might make you suffer some stress, which is definitely true if you are going to have a used vehicle. Car’s past can be a complete mystery for you. That’s why, better be attentive, when considering a pre-owned car. There is a great deal of honest car sellers, of course, but still there are chances that some important information might be hidden.

Pre-Owned Car Scam Tricks and Using VIN Code Check to Avoid Them

Sure, there are plenty of used vehicle car scam tricks, but here are the most frequent ones:

- Rolling back the odometer. Some sellers go for odometer rollback to fake the car’s lower mileage. This trick can be unveiled by using VIN code check service.

- Cloning the car. Vehicle’s VIN gets stolen and then appears on a stolen car. The result: car’s history is substituted and you don’t see the real car’s condition.

- Laundering lemon cars. A malfunctioning or problem vehicle is taken to some other state, where it obtains a new title. Such scam became known as ‘title washing’.

It doesn’t really matter, whether you would like a car from private owner or from a dealership: the crucial point is to always use a VIN number identifier and check history of the given car. VIN id check services offer a free way to check vehicle’s history and not to become a fraud victim. Additionally, it is always better to ask a qualified car mechanic to perform inspection of the desired car.

Purchasing from Private Owners

Nervousness is not the reason to forget about private sellers – there may be great deals waiting for you. But cars sold by private owners usually lack warranties. The safest way not to become a scam victim is to check vehicle’s serial number and look through the car’s history. Another safe option is to have a full inspection performed by a car mechanic. Take these steps and feel secure that you are not going to have a washed lemon.

Moreover, it is strongly advised not to make any payments until you obtain the vehicle and its title. If uneasy feelings about the deal don’t leave you, better not to meet with the seller. And always appoint meeting in public places.

Buying a Car from a Dealership

First step to be taken in this case is to check if there are any buyer complaints about this particular dealership. This info can be obtained from the Better Business Bureau or from the consumer protection agency.

A copy of the Buyers Guides might have all the helpful information about the second-hand vehicle. This is the good method to find out if the car has a warranty and whether it has any problems. Another option is to purchase a service contract which will serve as a car warranty. But it is not needed, when the car in question is still warranty-covered.