You’ve been driving your vehicle around for years, but it’s finally reached the end of its useful life. For some vehicles that are particularly old or not in the greatest of shape, it might be more worthwhile to sell the vehicle for salvage rather than trying to get a sale on Craigslist or exchanging it at a dealership. You can take your car to junk car buyers in Coral Springs, FL, or have them come and tow it away themselves, and get some quick cash.
However, in any kind of “quick cash” industry, you always need to be careful not to fall for scammers. Here are just a few of the most common “cash for junk car” scams you should be aware of.
Bait and switch
You’ve probably heard the term “bait and switch” used in contexts outside of junk car buying as well, and this is one industry where it’s quite prevalent. In this type of scam, you’ll call up the junk car removal company, who will provide you an estimate based on the information you gave about the condition of the car. This will be a firm estimate, meaning you should be able to receive what you were quoted when the company arrives to pick up the vehicle.
If the company decides to offer you less than your original quoted amount when it comes to pick up the vehicle, you should immediately look for another company, as this is a classic “bait and switch” scam. By suddenly changing the amount when they arrive in person, the company puts the pressure on you to accept the deal without thinking about it. You should never let yourself be pressured into turning over your car for less than what you were offered.
Paying by check
Another popular scam associated with junk car buying is when the buyer offers to pay by check. The check itself isn’t too suspicious, but if the company asks to write the check for more than what they offered and you are then required to refund the difference, this is going to be a big warning sign, as the check will almost certainly not clear your bank and you’re left still having to pay to cover the cost of the check, plus the fees associated with the check bouncing.
Title transfer scams
It’s important to make sure the ownership of the vehicle is transferred properly. Otherwise, there’s the potential for issues such as parking violations being put in your name, or other legal issues with the car still being your responsibility. If you opt to work with a reputable car buying company, you shouldn’t have too many issues to deal with, so make sure you do your research before you choose a junk car buyer. Otherwise, you could become victim to title transfer problems.
For more information about the various scams that might come up in “cash for junk car” scenarios, contact the trusted team of junk car buyers in Coral Springs, FL at Junk Car Dog today.