Cape Town, 13 February 2017: Last week Port Elizabeth newspaper the Herald reported that a car viewing arranged through a national advertising site had gone horribly wrong. The fiasco -“ which involved a shooting and four arrests -“ has once again shone the spotlight on the risky nature of selling high value goods like vehicles via online classified sites.
According to the Herald, four men were arrested after a PE beachfront deal turned into a bizarre hijacking.
“It all started with a simple pre-arranged online car sale – but there was an armed man in the boot, the buyer became a hijacking suspect and was assaulted, and a Good Samaritan taxi driver who intervened was shot and his tyres slashed,” said the Herald.
To find out more about the incident click here.
Incidents like these are not uncommon at all, according to Fernando Pinheiro, joint MD of CarZar. "We talk to sellers every day and a lot of them have scary stories about trying to sell their car privately online. Some felt exposed and uncertain as to whether the people contacting them could potentially represent a threat. Others have experienced far worse, like attempted hijackings, or money payments being reversed after the car has been transferred."
He said that many people don’t want to go through dealer -“ even though this is a safe avenue for selling a car – because this often doesn’t deliver the best deal. "Online car buyers like CarZar are a safe and secure alternative that also allows car sellers to get a really good price for their car without any danger in terms of safety or financial fraud."
Also read: Here’s an easier and safer way to sell your car online
The CarZar model is based on a -˜fleet’ of inspectors going out to evaluate cars and making instant assessments. If they choose to buy the car, the seller gets same day payment and immediate paperwork completion. It takes all the risk out of the process and also allows sellers to avoid the hassle of fielding the possibly hundreds of enquiries that come through an online classified ad.
Visit www.carzar.co.za to receive your instant quote today.
