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By David Leonhardt and Corey Rozon
Everybody loves surprises. But not is the surprise is that you no longer own the car you bought just last week because, well, it’s not really the car it claims to be…it’s a clone. Surprise!
That’s a tough hit to take, but one that is occurring with increasing frequency. If you have never heard of car cloning, the latest scam on the market, this article might save you from making a big mistake the next time you buy a used car.
Quick Trivia - Did you know that one in three used cars has something to hide? Usually it’s nothing major, perhaps the owner was a little lazy and failed to get maintenance done as frequently as he should have. Nothing new there, right? In other cases, it could be that the car has been in a serious accident, flood damaged, or in fact stolen.
Just what is car cloning? The cloners find a vehicle identification number or VIN from a legitimate vehicle and slap it onto a stolen car. Each VIN is unique, so the stolen vehicle becomes a clone of the original one. The scam artists draw up some lifelike paperwork and puts on a smile to charm the most cynical grouch and they are ready to sell you a n illegal clone that looks perfectly legitimate and obviously comes from a very friendly, honest-looking person.
Read these five tips to protect yourself from becoming a used car clone victim:
1. INTUITION: Trust your instincts. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If you feel suspicious about a vehicle or the seller, walk away. Even if the vehicle was not stolen, reconstructed after flood damage or older than it appears, it’s not worth taking the risk. There are plenty of other used cars available.
2. VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER: Check the VIN – Every vehicle sold has a VIN. This number should match the number on the title and registration. The VIN is located on the driver's side above the dashboard, inside the driver door and under the hood. Look for any signs that these numbers could have been tampered with. If the windshield contains slight damages, such as scratch marks around the area, there is a strong possibility that the VIN has been replaced. If so, the car is probably stolen.
3. LOW SALE PRICE: If the car seller is asking a ridiculously low price for the vehicle, inquire why. Smart buyers usually research car prices online before purchasing. To check current car values simply search for a similar vehicle on a popular car classified website. If the vehicles asking price is significantly lower, be suspicious the car could be stolen.
4. MAINTENANCE RECORDS: You should inspect all maintenance records, which are not only a good way to see if the car was stolen, but also will give you a hint of how well the car has been taken care of. Checking the mileage over time on the maintenance records is one good step to ensure that the seller did not tamper with the odometer.
5. REGISTRATION PAPERS: The registration papers will also give you some clues about the vehicle. Make sure the license plate on the car matches the numbers on the registration papers. Make sure the owner’s name matches the sellers – and ask for picture ID. Preferably meet the seller at the address listed on the papers; a thief might have a problem with that.
One of the smartest steps you can take to protect yourself against buying a stolen vehicle is to buy your used car from a reputable dealer. Not only will the chance of buying a problem vehicle be much smaller, resolving any issue will be much simpler if the need arises.
Remember that if it looks like it’s too good to be true and it sounds like it’s too good to be true, and it feels like it’s too good to be true...it is probably a “steal”, just not in the sense you wish. Leave the gambling at the Blackjack table and make sure the used car you are buying is a legitimate vehicle that you can truly own.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
This article was prepared by David Leonhardt and Corey Rozon for Monster Auto, a top online slaes portal for used car s from Toronto to Vancouver, where you can find used Audi cars and vehicles for sale and also used Ford cars and vehicles are listed.
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