How to buy and sell safely online
Follow these tips when buying or selling on the internet to save being ripped offThe rise of the internet has led to more scams and worse fraud than ever before. Now more than ever, it's important to be aware of your situation when buying or selling a car, even through a dependable portal like carsales.
These tips listed below can help you reduce the possibility of fraud, and of course, if you are concerned by what seems suspicious behaviour, do get in touch.
Communicating with carsales
We encourage customers to contact carsales through the online enquiry form which directs enquiries to our customer care team. Customers can also contact carsales by phoning 13 72 53 during office hours Monday to Friday (8:30am to 5:30pm) and on weekends from 9:00am to 5:30pm.
Unfortunately there are individuals who trick and mislead people to believe that they are dealing with carsales, when in fact they are not.
To help protect yourself from unauthorised emails remember:
- We will never send you an email asking you for personal information, your login, your password or request payment
- Emails from carsales will have a carsales network website URL i.e. email@carsales.com.au
Tips for safer selling
Protect yourself against unauthorised access to your advertisement:
- Only log on to your advertisement through a Carsales Network URL or address i.e. www.carsales.com.au
- Never log on to your advertisement via a link in an email (even if the email looks like it's from us)
- If you do click on a link - check the website address carefully. Fake websites are sometimes created with similar addresses
- carsales web pages will always have a carsales URL i.e. www.carsales.com.au. If in doubt, type in carsales.com.au manually
- If you think your advertisement has been accessed by an unauthorised person contact the carsales customer care team
Protect yourself when selling your vehicle:
- Find out who you are dealing with: ask for a name and contact phone number
- Ring the number to check if it is legitimate
- Before you agree to a test drive, check your comprehensive insurance policy covers a test drive
- Write down the buyer's licence number and contact details on the licence
- Obtain something of value, i.e. keys as security for the test drive (even if you go along for the test drive)
- Before you go along for the test drive always consider whether it is safe to get in the vehicle
- If in doubt about a buyer don't rush into a test drive or a sale
Tips for safer buying
Protect yourself against fake and fraudulent advertisements:
- Don't rush to buy if the advertisement seems too good to be true
- Be suspicious if a vehicle is advertised at a very low price
- Find out who you are dealing with: ask for a name and contact phone number
- Ring the number to check if it is legitimate
- Before you buy, check the vehicle is still listed at www.carsales.com.au (carsales will suspend or withdraw suspicious ads)
- We recommend direct credit banking or a bank cheque for transferring money to a seller
- Never deposit money in a bank account or via escrow unless completely sure the advertisement and seller are legitimate
- carsales does not offer an 'escrow' or similar service
Protect yourself against buying a stolen or encumbered vehicle:
- Take no chances, check the written-off vehicle register, REVS, the PPSR and/or carsales vehicle history report
- Obtain a professional third party inspection from RedBook Inspect or one of the state motoring associations
- Always get independent advice from a friend, relative or colleague who has some expertise
- if in doubt about a vehicle don't rush in to buy it
What is a scam?
It is difficult to define a "scam" as scammers are often sophisticated criminals, who invent new scams frequently.
It is important to note that the examples below are not exhaustive. Scammers invent new scams all the time. You should protect yourself by educating yourself on how to recognise, report and protect yourself from scams. Visit the federal government's Scamwatch site for more information.
An example of a common scam is "Phishing". Phishing scams include any criminal attempt to acquire sensitive information, such as usernames or passwords.
For example, you receive a fake email pretending to be from carsales asking you to click on a link to 'confirm your carsales username and password'. carsales will never send you an email requesting you confirm your personal or login/password details. This email is not from Carsales.
Another example could be an apparently legitimate email enquiry in relation to a vehicle for sale from a 'buyer'. The email will ask you to click a link to view your vehicle, to confirm the vehicle they are interested in is yours. On clicking the link you are sent to a fake web page that looks like a carsales page. This page then prompts you to login using your carsales login and password details. This email is not from carsales.
Report a scam
If you think you have seen a scam or have been scammed by a buyer or seller you can contact the Australian Competition and Consumer Affairs Commission by phone on 1300 302 502 or by an online report following the links from the Scamwatch site. They can direct you to the best government agency depending on where you live and the type of scam.
You should also report the matter to carsales by contacting the carsales customer care team on using the contact details at the head of this article. In no circumstances attempt to contact carsales by SMS, phone or email other than the details provided in this article.
You should also contact the police if you have had your money or property stolen or been threatened or assaulted by a buyer or seller.
Related: What can I do to avoid a scam?
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