Never pay a deposit before seeing the car. Stay safe →
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Most car scams follow a few patterns. Here's how to spot them.

The golden rules

  • Never pay a deposit before you’ve seen the car in person. “Someone else is keen, pay now to hold it” is the most common scam.
  • Keep the conversation on Cruizy until you’re ready to meet. We warn you about links, bank details and phone numbers in messages, and hold messages that look like scams.
  • Nobody from Cruizy will ask you to buy a vehicle report through a link in a message. Fake “history report” sites are a known scam.
  • A price that’s far too good usually is. We don’t show a price badge when a price looks suspiciously low.

Before you pay

  1. Search the plate or VIN on the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). If there’s money owing, the finance company may be able to repossess the car even after you’ve bought it.
  2. Check it isn’t reported stolen on the NZ Police stolen vehicles list.
  3. Compare the odometer with the official readings shown on the listing.
  4. Get an independent pre-purchase inspection.
  5. Pay by bank transfer to an account in the seller’s name, and only when you collect the car. Get a receipt with the plate, VIN, price, date and both names.
  6. Both of you must change ownership with NZTA.

Test drives

  • Meet somewhere public in daylight, and tell a friend where you’re going.
  • Sellers: check the driver’s licence, go along for the drive, and keep the keys until you’re both in the car.
  • Don’t hand over the keys or ownership papers until you have cleared funds.

Your rights

Buying from a dealer, you’re covered by the Consumer Guarantees Act and the Fair Trading Act, and dealers must display a Consumer Information Notice. Dealers must be registered motor vehicle traders. Buying privately, the Consumer Guarantees Act doesn’t apply, but a private seller must not mislead you about the car. See our guide: Private sale or dealer: what are your rights?

Report a problem

Use the Report button on any listing or message. If you’ve lost money, contact your bank straight away and report it to Police on 105, and to CERT NZ for online scams.