Junk Car Buyer Scams

Selling a junk car does come with some risks if you don’t do your research. Unfortunately, there are junk car scam artists on the internet who will mislead and take advantage of local car sellers. An uneducated seller may not only end up getting ripped off by getting less for their vehicle than they should have but also they may get in legal trouble with the DMV if the junk car buyer doesn’t file the necessary paperwork to salvage the vehicle. To help avoid becoming a victim, we list some of the frequent junk car buyer scams we hear about.

Common Junk Car Scams To Avoid

To help stop junk car scam abuse, Native Towing wants to warm local car owners about the most common scams you’ll want to avoid when selling your junk car, truck or SUV to a car buyer. While there are many reliable junk car buyers in South Florida, there are just as many junk car scammers. This is why it’s best to educate yourself before selling a vehicle.

So how do you avoid doing business with a shady junk car buyer? Here are our suggestions for staying away from car buying scammers.

Undervalued Cash Offers For Junk Cars

Most junk car buyers pay about the same amount for specific vehicle years, makes and models meaning you should get the same cash offer to buy your vehicle from multiple junk car buyers. Some scammers will lowball the cash offer when you call to see if you will accept it. If the amount offered sounds low, call another junk car buyer in your area to get an instant cash offer for the vehicle.

Charge For Tow Removal

Legit towing companies that buy junk cars will never, ever charge you a towing fee to remove the vehicle from your property. Free tow removal should be provided as part of the service. If you call a junkyard or a junk car buyer and they insist that you have to pay to tow the vehicle, just say no thank you and hang up. Our company always provides free tow service when we arrive to pay cash for your junk car.

Bait and Switch Offers

The first sign that you could fall victim to a junk car bait and switch is if the cash offer you receive for your vehicle is significantly more than other junk car buyers offered. As an example, let’s say 3 of the used car buyers offered you $500 for your vehicle and the 4th offers you $1000, chances are being baited.

So what is a bait and switch scam? Car buyers lure you to accept their offer and when they show up, they make every excuse in the world to not pay the amount and will offer you much less. Some may even try to convince you that your vehicle is worth nothing because it is heavily damaged or not working. If this happens to you, simply tell them no thank you and ask them to leave your property. Under no circumstance, allow them to load your vehicle on the tow truck if you have been offered less for your car. If they get it on their truck, they’ll refuse to take it off and you may need to get the local police involved.

Vehicle Title Transfer & Registration Scams

A licensed and insured tow company will take care of filing the necessary documents with the state to properly salvage a vehicle and have your name removed as the owner. When selling the vehicle, make sure you sign the vehicle title in permanent ink. Some scammers will try to get the title from you without a signature which can be bad for you. If they decide to resell the vehicle and ownership is not transferred from you to the new owner, you can be held liable for parking tickets, traffic violations and registration fees.

Paid By Check Vs Cash

Never accept a check when selling your junk car and instead get paid in cash on the spot. Even if your vehicle sells for $1000, demand to be paid in cash. Before the junk car buyer arrives to get the vehicle, ask the person providing the quote how they make payment. The risk of a check bouncing when you deposit it will just cause issues for you and then you’ll have to chase the junk car buyer to get your money. It’s just way easier and safer to get a cash payment for your junk car.

Junk Car Buyers You Can Trust In Florida

Native Towing is an honest junk car buyer in South Florida. We only purchase vehicles with a title to ensure the transaction is quick and we can file the necessary paperwork to salvage the vehicle so you’re off the hook for any future liability. When you call us to sell your junk vehicle, you’ll get a fair market value for your car, truck or SUV.