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Advice for Buyers on 1000carsales.com

Buying a car you find on the internet is a lot like buying a car through a classified ad in the newspaper. Use the same good judgment and common sense on 1000carsales.com. Whether you're communicating with the seller over the phone or by email, the following tips can help you protect yourself against fraud.

Check the car:

Is the car being presented the same as the one advertised? A lying seller will always cheat so be careful. Schedule an inspection and try to go there with a mechanic. Though an inspection isn't a warranty and there is no guarantee that all existing defects will be found, a mechanic should be able to help you identify and avoid problems.

Know the car's market value:

Be suspicious if you see a vehicle that is priced significantly below market value. This can be an indicator of fraudulent activity or a damaged car. A cheap car does not always represent a bargain. Damaged, written-off or even stolen cars usually appear as very cheap on most classified listings worldwide, so beware!

View original documents:

A vehicle paper document can provide useful information, such as title information and age, request for original papers of the car both current and expired. Does the name on these documents match the seller's? Be very wary of cars with only photocopies and no original papers, no matter what reason you are given. Make sure that the person selling has title over the car he or she is trying to sell to you. Never buy a car without original papers!

Confirm contact information:

Before you make any payment or deposits, verify the seller's address and phone number. An email address is not enough. If the seller's address does not match the one on the title, be sure you know why. Be particularly wary if the seller is located in another state, check the address on the seller's driver's license and/or national id card. Do they match? Do not be afraid or intimidated to request original identification of any seller and keep a photocopy of it. Better to be safe than sorry!

Safety:

Do not view, inspect or negotiate for a car with the cash on you, always try to make payment at your own terms and view car in public areas and day time only. Try not to go alone and let someone know where you are going, leave written down name and addresses. General common sense should see you through. Avoid areas of the town you are not comfortable with, remember you can always find another car anyway. Ensure you use your common sense in situations that may affect your safety always!

Vehicle Background Check

If you're buying and imported (Tokunbo) car, it is wise to run a background check on the car you are buying, no matter how good it looks. A lot of cars are imported that have been classified as junk or scrap in their home countries. Nothing is worse than paying a fortune for your 'dream car' and finding out that all you bought was a piece of scrap or salvaged material. Run checks on the imported car you wish to buy using the unique Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) that every car has. Watch out for more information on this service on 1000carsales.com.

Advice for Sellers on 1000carsales.com  

Secure payment first:

Do not transfer the title until you have the equivalent of cash agreed upon. Use caution if the buyer proposes a complicated payment arrangement, such as a payment process that involves multiple steps; receiving payment through a friend or agent of the actual buyer; or receiving a cheque for more than the purchase price and writing the buyer a cheque for the difference. Remember just keep it simple and straight forward!

Beware of counterfeit or bounced cheques:

Before you deposit a cheque into your account, you can call and ask the issuing bank to verify that the cheque is genuine and that the account contains sufficient funds to cover the cheque amount. Wait until the cheque clears before transferring the title. Cash payments should be deposited into banks as soon as you can. Remember think safety first!

Thank you for going through these basic words of advice and do exercise caution always, note that not everything that is printed or described is always true, so be on your guard always, remember we are in Nigeria!