6 ways to steer clear of car-sale scams

[car-sale scams]

6 ways to steer clear of car-sale scams

Buyers and sellers need to exercise extra caution with private-party transactions. Here are six tips for avoiding common pitfalls.

Bonnie Whyte of Glen Echo, Md., knew she'd get a better price for her 2000 Dodge Neon if she sold it herself.

But she wasn't quite prepared for the strange people, weird offers and scam artists a car-sale ad can attract. The most unsettling caller left a message that offered her half the asking price in cash, but insisted he needed to pick up the car within the hour.

"It just gave me the creeps," said Whyte, who didn't return that particular call.

Whyte finally managed to sell the car for $5,000, about $1,500 more than she would have received from a dealer. The whole experience, she said, was an education in avoiding the many ways car sellers can be ripped off -- from losing the car outright to a thief to being saddled with the liability if a recently sold car is involved in an accident.

"Frankly, it was very complex," said Whyte, "which is why most people chicken out and trade in for a lower price."

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