Guide and tips

Your trust is our primary concern. Learn how to stay safe when buying and selling on mobile.de.
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Checklist: Buying a Vehicle Safely. Play it safe and avoid risks. Some offers are just too good to be true. With this checklist, you can exclude the most common risks.
If you answer one or more of the following questions with yes, you should be especially careful.
Bargain Alert

  • Is a high-end vehicle being offered very cheaply?

  • Is a complicated story – such as a stroke of fate or a work stay abroad – being used as the reason for selling below market value?

Difficult Contact with Seller

  • Is communication only possible via email?

  • Is the specified seller not answering the phone?

  • Are there misunderstandings due to the seller's limited knowledge of German?

  • Is your email answered within just a few seconds (possibly automated)?

  • Is the response comprehensive, but does not fit your inquiry?

Unusual Course of Sales Negotiation

  • Is a down payment required (supposedly for the seller's security)?

  • Is the payment (or down payment) supposed to be processed via a cash transfer service (e.g. Western Union)?

  • Is it not possible to inspect the vehicle?

  • Is the vehicle located abroad and supposed to be imported via a shipping company?

Quiz time!

Take this quiz to recognise whether someone is trying to cheat you when buying a car.

As a buyer, how well can you recognise a scam?

Only takes a minute!
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