3 important tips to protect yourself from car scammers

METRO MANILA, – Do you want to enjoy the convenience of having your own car?

Driving around in your own ride means you can go where you want without waiting ages and ages for public transportation.

You've worked so hard in the last few years and you deserve the perks of owning a nice vehicle. But don't rush into buying one!

There are certain things that you need to keep in mind first before making any transactions. Being wise is very important to avoid getting the wrong car or dealing with car scammers.

Don't fall for false advertisements

Nowadays, many people are so good with captioning photos or videos that almost everyone falls for them.

But with cars, you need to be more careful. Most of those posts are just created to entice car buyers. They use adjectives to make their products interesting and gain engagement from netizens.

Aside from that, scammers also use filters to make their vehicles look good on social media. In reality, their car is already screaming for repair.

Go to the official website of the car manufacturer that you are eyeing for and find out if the post you saw earlier is true. Check if the features are correct or if the seller added non-existent ones to get your attention.

And finally, look at the selling price to make sure that you aren't getting fleeced. If you are looking for a used car, consider the current market value to ensure that you are getting the right price.

Check the car out in person

Once you have chosen the right car for you, talk to the seller about it.

However, don't dwell too much on online transactions. Advertisements are not enough to ensure the quality of the automobile.

If possible, go to the dealer or meet the seller personally. This way, you will know if it is in good condition, especially if you opted to buy a used car instead of a new one.

Moreover, you can ask questions about the vehicle. By doing this, you will have an idea on what you are planning to purchase and avoid expecting too much from it.

Don't give important bank details

Although it is common to pay big purchases via bank transfer, scammers will entice you to give the security information of your bank, like the one-time password and PIN code.

Legitimate car dealers will not ask for sensitive details like these. As long as you can pay for the car and fulfill your financial duties with the financing option you choose, they are fine with that. Car scammers, on the other hand, will use your account credentials to steal your money.

Never trust your bank details to anyone, no matter how convincing the seller looks. Rather, arrange a good financing option prior to purchasing the car.

Aside from that, do not click suspicious links from your emails or text messages that require you to login sensitive bank credentials in their website. Most of the time, scammers use fishing sites to get information from their victims.

As a precaution, ask your bank first if the link comes from them. If not, report it directly to avoid being victimize by fraud car sellers online.  This way, unauthorized people cannot touch your hard-earned money.

For a truly worry-free car-buying experience, get in touch with the team from Automart.PH. We offer a wide selection of high-quality used and repossessed cars, ranging from compact sedans to sport utility vehicles. You can check them out on our website or reach out to our team on our Facebook page.

And if you want the ultimate second-hand car, check out Automart.PH Certified Used Vehicles. These have been comprehensively restored so that they look, feel and drive like new. They also come with a three-day money-back guarantee and, for Gold Certified units, a one-year warranty.

Automart.PH Senior Content Creator VJ Bacungan contributed to this story.