Used Car Scam: How To Check For 'Dummy Stickers' Before You Buy

Buying a brand-new car comes with a heap of benefits. Everything is, of course, brand-new; the car itself will be sold with a comprehensive warranty package, and naturally, this all helps you as the buyer to develop a solid peace of mind about the product you are buying. However, the downside is that buying such a car now costs upward of $50,000 on average, so it's not exactly within the realm of affordability for many of us.

So, for the rest of us, there is the used car market. The upside here is that cars are much cheaper. The downside, though, is the reduced peace of mind. Cars can be sold with no warranty, sellers might not be open about issues the car has, and you run the risk of being scammed, too. There are various scams to be aware of when buying a car, such as title washing and phantom listings, but 'dummy stickers' are something else you need to keep an eye out for, too.

These stickers effectively replicate those given out after a vehicle has passed a legal safety or emissions inspection. Some states don't require regular inspections, but most do, and if a car needs expensive repairs to pass such an inspection, such as a new catalytic converter, the seller might be inclined to instead simply fit a dummy inspection sticker and sell the car as trouble-free and legal.

Unfortunately, spotting a fake inspection sticker can be a little tricky if you're not up to speed on what exactly to look for. Some have said that these dummy stickers can often use slightly different fonts or different-shaped stickers. The trouble is, for a used car buyer, spotting such a detail as a red flag will undoubtedly be tricky.

Ultimately, listen to your gut. If the price seems too low, the seller seems dodgy (look to see if their name and address match that on the title), or something doesn't seem quite right on the car, then take a step back. This doesn't mean you should walk away from the car completely, but getting nervous is a good sign that you should maybe call a trusted mechanic to inspect the car for you. A used car inspection might cost in the region of $100 to $200, which seems like a lot, but it's better to do this than waste thousands on a troubled car.

If the seller has nothing to hide, they should welcome a second inspection. After all, seeing you spend hundreds to have their car inspected should tell them you're a serious buyer. However, if they object to the idea, perhaps it's because they have something to hide. Take the gamble and buy it if you want, but perhaps the sensible thing to do would be to read the warning signs and move on.