Sold 'AS is' Scam

Sold 'AS IS' Scam - Overview

SUMMARY: You've seen the sticker on the windows of vehicles stating " NO WARRANTY - SOLD AS IS". When you purchase this vehicle you are agreeing that you expect NO guarantee whatsoever once you drive off the lot. Dealers will usually boast that the car is in perfect mechanical shape and it's NEVER been in an accident. You purchase the car and discover later that it WAS in an accident - which is creating major mechanical problems - at this point you have no recourse because you took the vehicle "AS IS".

Sold 'AS IS' Scam - How It Works

What Happened: The dealer could be hiding the fact the car you want was in an accident OR he may honestly not know it was in a wreck. It's usually a red flag that the vehicle may have been in a wreck if it has a Sold 'AS IS' sticker on it. Either way, once you sign the contract to purchase the vehicle "AS IS" you have no mechanical warranty at all.

Sold 'AS IS' Scam - How to Prevent it

How you avoid the "SOLD AS IS " scam: This one's pretty simple..just avoid purchasing any vehicle "AS IS". If you absolutely must have the car, insist the dealer include some kind of warranty ( 3-6 months major mechanical at least).

You can also check the VIN number through AUTOCHECK VEHICLE HISTORY REPORT, which provides any accident report involving that VIN #.

Also, agree that yoiu be allowed to have an unbiased mechanic take look - it may be worth paying an experienced mechanic for an hour or two of their time to test drive the car, and give you an honest opinion of the condition of the vehicle.

More Bad Credit Auto Loan Scams

Spot delivery scam
Sold "As Is" scam
Phony credit score scam