Template $5.90

Used Car Buying "Anti-Scam" Inspection Checklist

The mechanical checks and financial safety steps that separate a good deal from a clocked, cloned, or stolen car.

Get the checklist →
The problem

The used-car market is built for confident sellers and rushed buyers

Buying a used car online is one of the largest transactions most people make without professional help — and scammers know it. Clocked mileage, cloned number plates, outstanding finance, hidden accident damage, and "deposit now to hold it" fraud all rely on a buyer who's excited, in a hurry, and doesn't know what to check. By the time the problems surface, the seller and your money are gone.

A slow, sceptical buyer with a checklist is a scammer's worst customer. This gives you the exact mechanical inspection points and the financial safety steps to run before you hand over a penny.

How to use it

Step by step

  1. Download the PDF and read the financial-safety section before you even reply to a listing.
  2. Run the pre-viewing checks — history check, finance check, and matching the VIN, plate, and documents.
  3. At the viewing, work through the mechanical checklist point by point in daylight, engine cold.
  4. Use the red-flag prompts to spot pressure tactics, off-platform payment requests, and "too good" pricing.
  5. Only pay by a traceable method, in person, once every check passes — never a deposit to "reserve" a car you haven't seen.
Who it's for

Anyone buying a used car from a private seller or online marketplace

First-time buyers and anyone who isn't a mechanic, buying through classifieds, marketplaces, or auction sites where the seller holds all the information.

What's inside
  • A full pre-purchase inspection and safety checklist
  • Mechanical checks: engine, bodywork, tyres, electrics, and test-drive
  • Document verification: V5C/title, VIN, mileage, and service history
  • History and finance checks to run before viewing
  • Red-flag prompts for common online-buying scams
  • Safe-payment rules and deposit-fraud warnings
  • Print-friendly PDF you can take to every viewing

Walk in knowing exactly what to check.

The seller is counting on you being in a hurry. Slow the deal down, run every check, and buy with confidence — or walk away.

Get the checklist ($5.90) →

One-time download · No account required · Print-friendly PDF