There are very bitter situations
Buying a car in foreign markets is a fairly common practice among Lithuanians, which is why there are many stories about frauds and disappointments.
“Buying a car from a person abroad is not always safe. This is confirmed by the unpleasant experiences faced by Lithuanians. One such case was when a citizen of our country bought a used car from a foreigner and was stopped by the police in another country because his purchase turned out to be stolen. This is probably the worst experience that can happen when buying a car from a single person abroad”, says P. Valiukėnas, manager of Longo LT.
He adds that anyone can encounter cases of fraud when buying a car from abroad. Sometimes the needle comes out of the bag after using the car for a longer period of time, but often after a deal has been made when registering the car in the “Registry”.
“Usually the problems with the purchased car become clear when registering it. It is then that a person can hear that the documents of this particular vehicle are being sought or that he has been arrested and a pre-trial investigation has already started”, – the car expert names another unpleasant situation when buying a car from a foreign seller.
However, probably the most common problems arise from car breakdowns or when it turns out that the vehicle has been crashed, but it was not recorded in any documents.
“Unscrupulous resellers often hide the breakdowns of the car or do not disclose its history if it has been damaged in an emergency situation. In addition, the contact information for contacting the seller is not left in the documents, or it is indicated incorrectly.
In this case, the buyer almost loses the power to submit claims to the seller in order for him to compensate for the losses”, warns P. Valiukėnas and adds that before concluding the transaction, it would be useful to have the car inspected by an official representative of the car brand – he is the one who can say more with special equipment and tools about the actual condition of the car.
Certified sellers are saved by reliable partners
Certified used car dealers in Lithuania, who have official companies and honestly develop the business of selling such cars, have introduced safeguards to prevent similar frauds.
According to P. Valiukėnas, the most important thing is a reliable network of partners: “The most important and most difficult task is to find reliable partners. Therefore, usually certified sellers do not select cars, but select partners. Good partners ensure that used cars will not be delivered with hidden defects or other problems.”
Safest country to buy used cars
A car expert singles out the Netherlands as one of the safest and most reliable countries to buy a car. The latter has a strictly regulated mileage register. It is a system that provides all the information about the previous owners of the car and its mileage.
In the Netherlands, a National Vehicle Passport (NAP) certificate is also issued, which contains detailed information about the vehicle since its manufacture.
“The Netherlands has introduced several systems where you can find out detailed and reliable information about the car and its history. And NAP – a quality guarantee document, can be provided by every certified car dealer in Lithuania, if the vehicle has been driven from the Netherlands”, notes the car expert.
When buying a car from the Netherlands or other countries, certified car dealers check information from all publicly available sources, such as the stolen car registry or other databases depending on the country from which the car is purchased. In some countries this information is easier to access, in others it is more difficult.
“It’s a good idea to use two or more sources when checking a car, so you can compare the information. Also evaluate independent reports provided by partners. The more sources the car is checked through, the greater the probability and self-protection that the certified waiter will not make a deal with dishonest resellers”, assures P. Valiukėnas.
