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Britons 'fear fraud' when buying used cars online

10/04/08

Many Brits who buy used vehicles over the internet feel susceptible to fraud when doing so, a recent study has shown.

Research by independent vehicle information provider HPI has highlighted that 60 per cent of these auto buyers feel at risk from fraudsters when making an online purchase of this nature.

Meanwhile, almost 70 per cent of respondents added that they were worried they would fall victim to vehicle crime during a transaction - which could potentially include buying a car with outstanding finance or a model that is considered a car insurance write-off.

Under half of those questioned said that they would carry out basic checks such as an online valuation when considering buying a car over the internet, although 98 per cent stated that they would opt to find out the vehicle's history before committing to buy.

Among the more positive findings was that the majority of respondents thought that the internet gave them access to a wide range of vehicles on offer, with 63 per cent of interviewees feeling that buying online is a convenient method of making a new vehicular investment.

Commenting on the findings, Nick Lindsay, director of HPI, stated: "There's good news for sellers, because 45 per cent of those surveyed said they would be prepared to travel over 100 miles for the car they wanted, having done all the necessary online checks to ensure it was worth the journey."

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