A DRIVER was left outraged after nearly falling victim to a ‘full-blown scam’ at a dealership where everything initially seemed legitimate.
Car expert Omar Afaneh recently encountered a dodgy deal when trying to buy a vehicle and fumed to viewers on TikTok in a clip that went viral.
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In the video, Afaneh, who resides in Jordan, revealed that he discovered the VIN on a Mitsubishi Pajero that was supposedly brought over from the US had been tampered with.
Shared on his TikTok account @the_richest_cardealer and having accumulated over 72,600 views, Afaneh claimed in the post that the car’s plate initially presented a “clean Florida title”.
But he grew suspicious because the Pajero model is not sold in the US so he went hunting for the VIN number.
The VIN is a unique identifier for vehicles and is essential for verifying a car’s identity.
When he opened the door to find the sticker it wasn’t there and the same happened when he looked at the windshield.
“We looked for a solid 20 minutes and could not find the VIN anywhere, with the dealer himself looking for it,” Afaneh explained.
VIN stickers are usually found on the dashboard, door jamb, chassis and windshield.
It not being in any of those places suggested it had been tampered with.
“When replacing the windshield they must’ve painted the undershield black to cover up the VIN number,” Afaneh said.
He later ran the VIN number on the title through CarFax, which is able to provide a detailed history of a vehicle, and discovered it in fact belonged to a 2017 Mitsubishi Outlander, not a Pajero.
It found that the Outlander had been totaled in Jordan and scammers repurposed its title for the Pajero.
“I own a dealership in Jordan and know a lot of the tricks, but this one I haven’t come across before,” Afaneh said.
And he added: “Everything looked good on paper to the untrained eye.
“It didn’t have a VIN, the title and paperwork didn’t match the car.”
In the caption on the TikTok, Afaneh describes it as “a full blown Car Swap Scam” and people in the comments were very much in agreement that this was a deal not worth pursuing.
One person wrote: “First red flag, Florida title on a car that can’t be sold in the US.”
Another added: “The fact that a vehicle can’t be sold in the states had a Florida title should have been your walk-away moment.”
And a third commented: “They do this in the US too.”
Afaneh’s experience serves as a warning to car buyers to thoroughly inspect vehicles before parting with their cash.
This includes verifying VIN numbers and cross-checking titles with trusted sources like CarFax.
It also emphasizes the importance of understanding regional differences in vehicle availability and regulations, and serves as a reminder to be vigilant when purchasing vehicles – especially in international markets.
Pajeros, for example, were sold temporarily in the US under the name Montero but were discontinued in 2006 due to poor sales, high prices and safety concerns.
Dealership Tips
Here are some expert tips when purchasing a car from a dealership lot:
- 1. Set your price: Ensure you’ve calculated your monthly budget before going to the lot. You should include the car’s loan payment, insurance costs, fuel, and regular maintenance.
- 2. Research: Make sure you know which cars you’re interested in test driving before you reach the dealership.
- 3. Pre-approval: Secure financing before you go to the dealership. Dealerships may give you a better interest rate if they are competing with an outside bank.
- 4. Test away: Get behind the wheel before making any payments. A car purchase will be worth thousands of dollars – drivers should ensure they like the drivetrain, steering feel, and comfort of the car before taking it off the lot
- 5. Haggle: Drivers should always try to negotiate the price. There are so many good cars on the American market – buyers have a strong hand when negotiating price.
Source: Kelley Blue Book
