Buyers haunted by ghosts
June 18th, 2009 by Richard Aucock
GHOST cars are bringing risk to online internet car sales for unwary buyers, warns a UK car dealer.
Carcraft is highlighting the perils of ‘ghost cars’ – models that seem ‘too good to miss’…
… but which don’t actually exist.
Criminals, it explains, are using the big websites to post ads for these ghost cars. The deals are unbelievable.
However, tempted buyers who want to snap them up are redirected to another site. This promises to ‘hold their cash’ while the car is dispatched.
You can guess what happens next. The money is cashed, no car turns up, and everything disappears into thin air.
It’s a scam that should be highlighted by deals ‘seeming too good to be true,’ says Carcraft group marketing director, Julia Phipps.
What’s more, ‘alarm bells should also start ringing if the ad is littered with spelling mistakes, or the phone number shown only offers a recorded answer machine.
‘If you can’t shake the hand of the person you’re buying from, or inspect the car before you part with the asking price, then our advice is think twice.’
Good, commonsense advice all car dealers know – but it’s important you’re aware of the risks from this scam, just in case it takes hold…
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