Selling Your Car
“Buy This Report and I’ll Take the Car.” Sound Familiar?
A buyer insists you pay for a report through their link. Here’s what to check before entering your card details.
The buyer likes the car, accepts your price and says they can come tomorrow. First, though, they want you to buy a report from a website they’ve sent. If they won’t accept anything else, slow down. This can be a vehicle history report scam, not the easy sale it first sounded like.
Canadian sellers have described this pattern in public discussions about Kijiji and Marketplace. A request for vehicle history can be reasonable. Pressure to purchase from one unfamiliar site is the part that deserves scrutiny.
Ask what they actually want to check
Ask what the buyer needs to verify: accident history, recorded mileage, ownership history or financing information. You can discuss those questions without entering your card details into their preferred website.
If you decide to buy a report, find the provider independently. Check the actual address, pricing and service details. A professional-looking logo, chat window or promise of reimbursement doesn’t establish that a site is trustworthy.
Use one calm reply
You don’t need to argue for twenty messages. Try: “I’m happy to discuss the vehicle’s history and provide the information I have. I won’t purchase a report through an unfamiliar link. You’re welcome to arrange your own checks.”
A genuine buyer may have follow-up questions. Someone who ignores the car and repeatedly pushes the same payment link isn’t helping you move toward a sale. Stop engaging if the exchange becomes coercive.
Already entered your payment details?
Contact your card issuer through its official app or the number on your card. Explain what happened and follow its instructions. If you created an account using a password you use elsewhere, change those reused passwords through the legitimate services.
Save the messages, web address and receipts. Report the account to the selling platform and consult the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre’s online fraud guidance. Avoid paying another stranger who promises to recover your money.
For a separate selling option, request an offer from Car Buyers Montreal. You can compare a direct conversation about your vehicle with the work of screening private offers.