What should I be careful of when selling a car on Craigslist?

How to protect yourself when selling a car on Craigslist

  • Bring a friend. Avoid meeting somebody for a test drive alone — especially if you plan to ride along.
  • Ask for the buyer’s driver’s license. Take a picture of the license and send it to a friend.

How can I sell my car without getting scammed?

Tips for avoiding scams when selling your car

  1. Meet with buyers in person, preferably with someone you trust. When you speak with someone online, they could be on the other side of town or the other side of the world.
  2. Only accept cash or certified checks.
  3. Consider an escrow account for out-of-area buyers.

How do you not get scammed on a car on Craigslist?

Buying a Car on Craigslist: A Guide to Avoid Getting Scammed

  1. Define your search.
  2. Size up the car listing.
  3. Contact the seller.
  4. Meet to inspect the car.
  5. Negotiate.
  6. Exchange the money and title.
  7. Do the paperwork.

How do sellers avoid Craigslist scams?

6 WAYS TO AVOID GETTING SCAMMED ON CRAIGSLIST

  1. Deal locally. It’s always safest to finalize a transaction in person.
  2. Examine the product before finalizing a sale.
  3. Don’t accept or send a cashier’s check, certified check or money order as payment.
  4. Use cash — safely.
  5. Don’t share your personal information.

What is the safest form of payment on Craigslist?

Cash or Check Paying in person with cash or a personal check are the only forms of payment that are recommended by Craigslist. Understand that Craigslist does not guarantee transactions or have any power to correct a transaction gone wrong.

What is the safest way to sell a used car?

How do I conduct a secure transaction?

  1. Take payment inside the walls of a bank – The safest place to exchange payment is at the buyer’s bank.
  2. Trade the title for the payment – Don’t sign or hand over the vehicle title to the buyer until you’ve received the agreed-upon payment in full.

What is the safest payment method when selling a car?

Cash is still the safest and most preferable form of payment when selling a car, especially at a reasonable amount. Remember to check for authenticity and do count out the money in the presence of the car buyer. If the conditions allow, let the buyer pay you at your bank.

Should I accept cashier’s check on Craigslist?

Never accept a personal or business check, cashier’s check, or money order for more than the purchase price of a product or service and agree to send part of the overpayment to someone else. Ever. Ask the buyer to issue a new check for the correct amount. Never wire money to strangers.

Should I show my phone number on Craigslist?

Case in point, when you’re placing an ad or responding to an ad, avoid using your personal phone number to communicate with buyers or sellers. Otherwise you’re asking to be bombarded by a number of unwanted spam and scam calls.

How do I verify a seller on Craigslist?

  1. Talk to the person on the phone, if possible, about the deal. If you have to email them first to make the initial contact, ask them for their phone number so you can talk more about the item.
  2. Meet the person you’re doing business with in a public place, such as a coffee shop.
  3. Complete your transaction in cash.

Should I take a cashier’s check from Craigslist?

Don’t accept cashier/certified checks or money orders – banks cash fakes, then hold you responsible. Transactions are between users only, no third party provides a “guarantee”. Never give out financial info (bank account, social security, paypal account, etc).

Is buying a car on Craigslist a scam?

Selling or buying cars has never been easier thanks to Craigslist, but scams await the unwary. Find out what anyone should know before making an auto trade on Craigslist! Buying and selling cars on Craigslist cab be a huge money-saver for both parties.

How to spot a scam when buying a used car?

Request to take the car on a longer test drive if the seller rushes it. Scammers often try to avoid letting potential buyers take the car for a full test drive since this may reveal issues with the car.

What should you look out for when buying a car on Craigslist?

This is one of the biggest things to watch out for on Craigslist postings: a car that doesn’t actually exist. Scammers will copy and paste images from a real posting, then make fake listings in dozens of cities. Be wary of a seller who’s hesitant to meet in person, and don’t spend money on a car you’ve never seen.

How to respond to a Craiglist Ad for a car?

Respond to a craiglist ad for a car which seems like a good deal. Get this email; Scammer: Thanks for being interested in buying my 2006 Mazda 3 S. I’m in Omaha, Ne right now and I have been very busy. Anyway, thank you for your interest in buying the car. Why is the price so low? I own this car at divorce, and I had to move with my new job.