If you live in Nigeria and you are looking forward to buying a car soon, what I'm about to reveal will save you from:
1. Losing your hard-earned money to dubious car dealers.
2. Buying a car that looks good initially only generates incessant faults in three to four months.
3. Unwanted police arrest and custom cases that turn the joy of getting a new car into an agonizing series of regrets.
Recently, an embarrassing case was brought to my notice.
After paying N3.2 million for the Lexus and handing over his Camry 2.4 to his wife, he decided to celebrate his new car with his friends the next day.
On his way, tragedy appeared in the form of Nigerian Customs officers.
"Park there… Park there… Let me see your papers," the officer told him.
His friends were already waiting for him… to catch up; he quickly brought out the car's document and gave it to the officers.
The next thing that came out from the officer's mouth left him in shock.
These custom papers are fake!
Jerry could not believe his ears. The car dealer his friend recommended had assured him that ALL the car papers were genuine.
The question now is… who is lying? The custom officers or the car dealer.
This brings me to one mistake any Benin resident must avoid when buying a new car.
You must realize that...
The job of a car dealer is to sell cars and make maximum profit… and they will say anything to make you buy the car… even lying. Some are that heartless.
LESSON #1: Never take the words of a car dealer or seller for what it is.
If you don't know how to tell if the car papers are genuine or not, take a photocopy of the car papers and have them verified by any customs official you know.
Nowadays, many cars are being smuggled into the country. Car dealers do this for two reasons.
1. To import substandard cars that don't meet the Nigerian Customs requirement and sell for huge profits.
2. To avoid paying the customs charges associated with importing cars… so they can make a more significant profit, even at the buyer's expense.
That was how Jerry's N3.2 million Lexus Rx330 was pounded by the Customs officers and immediately called the car dealer.
The car dealer said that can't be true.
The papers are genuine; the car dealer kept saying over the phone.
After much back and forth, one of the officers told Jerry to call the loudspeaker.
The officers then threatened the car dealer… if he doesn't confess now, they'll take his business address and come for him squarely.
That was when the car dealer finally opened up and started confessing that truth, he brought the car into the country via land border, and they had to make up the papers to make the car sellable.
Jerry was already going gaga. In his head, he was like,… na so my N3.2 million take loss.
Having the evidence they needed, the officers took the car to their office and told Jerry to claim it with N1 million naira.
LESSON #2: VinCheck
Now you may ask… how do I know the history of cars? It's as easy as pie when you have the VIN of the car. VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. All cars have a unique VIN.
With it, you can get a VIN report of the car, which tells you:
1. When and where the car was made.
2. The car's condition before it was imported into the country.
If the car was involved in an accident, refurbished and now sold in Nigeria… or whether it was a flooded car abroad and was auctioned before imported to Nigeria, fixed and now being sold.
Many tokunbo cars are like this; that's why they look very sound at the point of purchase, and after two months, they start developing incessant faults, causing the owner to waste lots of funds on repairs.
3. The VIN report also shows If the car has been reported as a stolen car. Never buy a car without clarifying this. Again, a VIN report will tell you this -- even if the car dealer refuses to let you know.
Originally composed by promotervickky
1. Losing your hard-earned money to dubious car dealers.
2. Buying a car that looks good initially only generates incessant faults in three to four months.
3. Unwanted police arrest and custom cases that turn the joy of getting a new car into an agonizing series of regrets.
Recently, an embarrassing case was brought to my notice.
After paying N3.2 million for the Lexus and handing over his Camry 2.4 to his wife, he decided to celebrate his new car with his friends the next day.
On his way, tragedy appeared in the form of Nigerian Customs officers.
"Park there… Park there… Let me see your papers," the officer told him.
His friends were already waiting for him… to catch up; he quickly brought out the car's document and gave it to the officers.
The next thing that came out from the officer's mouth left him in shock.
These custom papers are fake!
Jerry could not believe his ears. The car dealer his friend recommended had assured him that ALL the car papers were genuine.
The question now is… who is lying? The custom officers or the car dealer.
This brings me to one mistake any Benin resident must avoid when buying a new car.
You must realize that...
The job of a car dealer is to sell cars and make maximum profit… and they will say anything to make you buy the car… even lying. Some are that heartless.
LESSON #1: Never take the words of a car dealer or seller for what it is.
If you don't know how to tell if the car papers are genuine or not, take a photocopy of the car papers and have them verified by any customs official you know.
Nowadays, many cars are being smuggled into the country. Car dealers do this for two reasons.
1. To import substandard cars that don't meet the Nigerian Customs requirement and sell for huge profits.
2. To avoid paying the customs charges associated with importing cars… so they can make a more significant profit, even at the buyer's expense.
That was how Jerry's N3.2 million Lexus Rx330 was pounded by the Customs officers and immediately called the car dealer.
The car dealer said that can't be true.
The papers are genuine; the car dealer kept saying over the phone.
After much back and forth, one of the officers told Jerry to call the loudspeaker.
The officers then threatened the car dealer… if he doesn't confess now, they'll take his business address and come for him squarely.
That was when the car dealer finally opened up and started confessing that truth, he brought the car into the country via land border, and they had to make up the papers to make the car sellable.
Jerry was already going gaga. In his head, he was like,… na so my N3.2 million take loss.
Having the evidence they needed, the officers took the car to their office and told Jerry to claim it with N1 million naira.
LESSON #2: VinCheck
Now you may ask… how do I know the history of cars? It's as easy as pie when you have the VIN of the car. VIN stands for Vehicle Identification Number. All cars have a unique VIN.
With it, you can get a VIN report of the car, which tells you:
1. When and where the car was made.
2. The car's condition before it was imported into the country.
If the car was involved in an accident, refurbished and now sold in Nigeria… or whether it was a flooded car abroad and was auctioned before imported to Nigeria, fixed and now being sold.
Many tokunbo cars are like this; that's why they look very sound at the point of purchase, and after two months, they start developing incessant faults, causing the owner to waste lots of funds on repairs.
3. The VIN report also shows If the car has been reported as a stolen car. Never buy a car without clarifying this. Again, a VIN report will tell you this -- even if the car dealer refuses to let you know.
Originally composed by promotervickky
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