Ivvie:


VIN only helps about a tenth of the inspection. Many times, a car can have a clean VIN and yet accidented. VINS are also sold on the internet. You should learn how to inspect a car and spot a car that has been painted. Cars today don't come painted and there are many cues that that will tell the vehicle is OEM assembled. Nairalanders, even being exposed to all this fraud still ask for VINS People ought to be smarter. You ask for a screenshot of the VIN and not some scripted VIN. It's easy lifting VIN numbers off a parking lot. If you have a sophisticated diagnostic tool, you can use that to verify the VIN to that of the dashboard. Above all, you cannot forge a police VIN which is everywhere in a vehicle. I personally will recommend that no one buys cars off the internet but a car dealer. There are plenty ways to fool nairalanders; there is still no justification to inflate the price on nairaland as oppose to onsite dealings.


Looking at the Rabbit, it is clear it hasn't been in a frontal impact collision due to certain nodes and tattoos presents. But the notion can be defeated if the entire bay was swapped and fused. to the cabin frame. Also, it doesn't tell me if there was a side or rear impact collision. The on;y reason I won't buy it and discourage others from buying it is because it has green coolant in it. Restoring and selling accidented cars is a huge profit of a business.


Point of Correction: Most dealers on Nairaland are not transparent. It isn't easy buying a used car and even worse if you are the paranoid type (which should be the prudent approach).

Ivvie:

@Zion

True to all you said but there is still some slack. A way around selling accidented vehicles through the nose of unsuspecting buyers would be to lift a VIN number of a car in a lot or parked on the road. In an ad, you'D be seeing an accidented car but the VIN placed is a clean VIN. To curb this, a picture of the VIN is taken along the rest of the car. An open engine bay shouldn't be omitted as well because tattoos spell a lot as well. You cannot duplicate tattoos when you order a replacement panel. As you spoke about due diligence, it isn't a flawless method but wiser than buying in good faith. Try understanding what I am saying. The buyer should be able to see the VIN for himself and do a report for himself as well not just posting a VIN.

Look at the attached. It won't be as cropped at it shows but with the advertised car attached to it. It's not good enough to post VIN but to "screenshot" it as well. Upon paying for the vehicle, you verify the VIN during inspection. I don't know if you get my point. At least, that is how it is done.

Ivvie:

@Zion

YES, I would post the VIN.
I'D post the VIN on the board, door panel, engine bay stamps as well as highlight the tattoos that came with the car. The undercarriage will be posted and also make it clear that there aren't any oil leaks or rusts. Anything that isn't OEM will be highlighted.
If I was to sell any of my cars, There is nothing to hide if there is no deceit. I am very much in support of VINs but it isn't "word" enough to just type in VINs.