Buyer beware! Tips to avoid used-vehicle scams
When buying a used car, here are some important things to watch out for. If you have any concerns, walk away from the sale.
- Make sure that the
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the dashboard identification plate
matches that on the "vehicle registration" form and that it has not been
tampered with. If it has been tampered with, it may be a stolen vehicle.
Signs to look for are:
- loose rivets
- scratched numbers
- mis-matched rivets,screws in place of rivets, tape, glue or paint over the VIN plate
- Insist on seeing the original vehicle registration form, not a photocopy. (To transfer ownership of a vehicle, you need the original computer-generated registration form.)
- Ask the seller to provide you with photo ID and check that the name on the registration form is the same as the person standing in front of you. Make sure you have a valid home address and phone numbers.
- Ask to see the service records for the vehicle. Stolen vehicles don't usually come with maintenance records. Don't be afraid to call the shop to verify that the work was done.
- Check that the licence plate on the vehicle matches that on the vehicle registration form.
- If you're in the Lower Mainland, ask to see an AirCare certificate. This will help determine whether the vehicle is in good mechanical condition.
- Check that the vehicle make, model and colour match the description on the vehicle registration form.
- The Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC) is an integrated, automated system that provides information on crimes and criminals. You can now search the national database of police records for stolen vehicles by vehicle identification number or licence plate.
- Check the odometer reading (average is 25,000 km/yr.) Is the wear of the car consistent with the odometer reading? Details on odometer fraud.
- Do a lien search. A lien may have been placed on the vehicle by a person, a bank or other entity as collateral to ensure that the owner of the vehicle honored a debt. A lien is attached to the vehicle, not to the owner of the vehicle. So, if you buy a car that has a lien on it and the previous owner does not pay his or her debt, the car can be repossessed from you.
- If you're importing a vehicle from the U.S., make sure it hasn't been in a flood. Many U.S. vehicles have been damaged in floods. Flood-damaged vehicles cannot be registered, licensed or insured in B.C. For more information, contact the Registrar of Imported Vehicles.
Vehicle history reports
Buying a vehicle history report is a great way to get detailed information about a used vehicle.
