Here are some of the major problems and risks that you are definite to get. Though it is not every time that the dealer will be a con man but most of the times the result seems to be this way when you are buying a car remotely:
- Unexpected: It is easy for dealerships to hide scratches, dents, rusts, and missing screws when you deal with them remotely. The picture you see on the website might be that of a perfect used car. But what you get might be of a different color, along with the mentioned damages all around. No picture, however detailed, can replace visual inspection.
- After sale service and customer service: another place online buying can completely break down is when you have a problem that needs to be resolved. It looked fabulous on the website, but now it has been delivered and it’s all wrong.
Buying a car remotely i.e. which you haven’t seen in-person or had the opportunity to test-drive is inherently risky. Maybe it’s a seven-day return policy for a full refund. But when you contact customer service all you get is a runaround on returning it, and suddenly your seven days are up and you’re stuck.
- Fraudulent information: Online used car classifieds are hot spots for fraudulent ads and sellers. It’s very common to come across sellers that demand payment before you’ve even seen the car. The seller often asks for a payment via Paypal or money transfer because they are in another country or whatever reason. This is a clear sign of fraud and an attempt to run away with your money. Ads like this tend to have an advertised price far below market value, which is a major red flag.
- Problem with test drives: the need to complete all the sales procedures before delivering the car comes in as the reason why many remote sellers of used cars are refusing the test drive option to their buyers. As a substitute, they are offering an easy exchange policy that rarely works and stating COVID-19 hygiene factors to establish the process further.
Now, you do not have any auto literacy to understand that you just cannot buy a car without test driving it. This is when most of the hidden details come out and you need to feel the drive before extending the investment.
- Not Every process is possible: For instance, the DMV requires both the seller and the buyer to sign the title in person along with noting the odometer reading in person as well. The body recognizes how easy it is to manipulate odometer data and suggests that the buyer walk in the dealership and sign in front of everyone.
Conclusion
Some things are best done manually. And remote car buying is a risky business altogether. Please, don’t just believe what the companies have to say on their website because frauds and manipulations will never be written there. So you should go and talk to them one to one. This way you can assure as many things as possible which is absent on the remote car buying.
