Vehicle scams are on the rise and ClickaCar wants to ensure that you don’t become a victim.
As tough economic times tighten their grip on many South Africans, more and more buyers are being reeled in by car scammers who seem to be offering exceptional bargains.
In a recent interview, the Managing Director of Searchworks, Sameer Kumandan said that many South Africans are turning to the internet for everything, from price comparisons to more thorough research on specs and features as they try to cover all angles before making the long-term financial commitment that comes with buying a car.
The online environment has also allowed fake vehicle adverts to proliferate, with many scammers creating relatively sophisticated adverts which included photos that match genuine vehicles, descriptions and details of the seller. In order to appear convincing, these scammers will go as far as to provide additional information about the car which will always include a reason as to why they need to sell at a heavily discounted price and explain the urgency. These scammers will then require you to pay a holding deposit or even the full amount to secure the vehicle, before disappearing with your hard-earned money, leaving you without a car and heavily out of pocket.
Kumandan goes on to add; It is important that consumers exercise extreme caution when engaging with unknown individuals online and use whatever means at their disposal to verify the details of the seller and the vehicle being advertised. Buying a car is a serious financial commitment and is a process that shouldnt be rushed.
In order to defend yourself against falling victim to these kinds of scams, it is highly recommended that you exercise extreme caution when doing business with unknown people online. You should also use every tool you have to verify the details of the seller and the vehicle. This could be Social Media, other dealers and vehicle organisations before committing any money.
One of the easiest ways to avoid these scams however is by making sure that you, regardless of how good a deal may seem, always conduct business with registered, bank approved dealers like the network of dealers you can find on ClickaCar!
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