Common-Sense Advice for Sellers:

Selling your car online is a lot like selling your car through a classified ad in the newspaper. In either case, use your best judgment. We recommend not listing your e-mail address on your ad. Most con artist do not want to talk on the phone. They like to work via e-mail. Any serious buyer will be happy to call you.
Confirm contact information:
Be particularly wary of buyers willing to purchase your car sight unseen, especially buyers located overseas. Always verify the buyer's street address and phone number.
Secure payment first:
Do not transfer the title until you have payment in hand at the agreed upon price.
Verify that a certified check or cashiers check is genuine:
Before you deposit a certified check, verify authenticity with the issuing bank, not just your bank. Make sure the account contains sufficient funds and the issuing bank guarantees payment on the check. It may take 10 to 45 days for the check to clear. It hasn't cleared just because your bank has accepted it and credited your account.
Beware of overpayment or other complicated payment schemes:
Don't agree to any plan where the buyer asks to send a check for more than the sale price and requests that the seller refund the difference. And be suspicious of any buyer who proposes making payment through a friend or agent of the buyer.

Common-Sense Advice for Buyers:

Buying a car you find online is a lot like buying a car through a classified ad in the newspaper. In either case, use your best judgment.
Know the car's market value:
Be suspicious of a vehicle priced significantly below market value. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Obtain a vehicle history report:
A vehicle history report can provide useful information, such as who holds the title to the car and whether the car has been in an accident reported to authorities. You'll also find out whether the car was ever reported stolen, salvaged or damaged.
Inspect the car:
Schedule an inspection with a professional mechanic or an inspection service if the car is not in your area. An early inspection can help you identify problems. However, keep in mind that an inspection isn't a warranty and won't guarantee a car is free from defects or that inspectors have identified all existing problems.
Confirm contact information:
Before you send payment, verify the seller's street address and phone number, an email address is not enough. ZIP codes, area codes and addresses should match up. Be wary if the seller is located overseas.
Get a detailed receipt:
Ask the seller for a receipt that states whether the vehicle is being sold with a warranty or "as is."
Get title to the vehicle:
Make sure you know what's required in your state to transfer title to the vehicle you're buying.

How to Report Fraud:

Help stop fraud. If you receive a suspicious email, let us and law enforcement know right away.
Step 1: Forward any suspicious emails to us at . Don't change the subject line. Do not send it as an attachment.
Step 2: File a complaint with the Internet Fraud Complaint Center to inform federal and state law enforcement agencies. Report the fraud to local law enforcement as well.
We strongly recommend that you report fraud to law enforcement. Classilink.com investigates all reports in an effort to protect our customers against future fraud. Remember, it's not likely we can help you get your money back.

Internet Fraud Resources:
Visit the sites below to learn more about Internet fraud.

Internet Fraud Complaint Center
Internet Fraud Preventive Measures
Better Business Bureau (BBB)
Be a Smarter Consumer
Tips to Avoid Online Escrow Fraud
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Practical Tips to Help You Be on Guard Against Internet Fraud
Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)
Fake Seals and Phony Numbers: How Fraudsters Try to Look Legit
California Department of Corporations
Top 10 Tips to Avoid Online Escrow Fraud
National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB)
Search Database for Vehicles Affected by Recent Hurricanes
Department of Motor Vehicles
Contact Your State Department
Obtain Vehicle History

We don't get involved in transactions between sellers and buyers:

Don't respond to any email that appears to come from Classilink.com (for example, by displaying our logo) and urges you to complete the sale or purchase of a car listed on our site. Such emails are a sure sign of a scam.
Other signs of fraud are emails that:

*Claim the security of a transaction is guaranteed by Classilink.com.
*Imply we've verified information about a particular buyer, seller or listing.
*Describe a "preferred" or "pre-approved" buyer or seller program.

Classilink.com does not endorse or guarantee transactions, and we don't have preferred or pre-approved buyers or sellers. We'll never encourage you to buy any particular vehicle listed on Classilink.com or to sell your vehicle to any particular buyer. If you receive a suspicious email such as the ones described above, report it to us and to law enforcement.

We don't endorse any particular escrow service:

For a fee, an escrow service holds the buyer's payment until the seller has delivered the item purchased. Such a third-party service can protect both parties from fraud. However, scammers often set up fake escrow services. They claim an affiliation with companies like Classilink.com to create a sense of security.
Remember these tips before you agree to use an escrow service:

*Avoid any service that implies an affiliation or partnership with Classilink.com.
*Verify an escrow service's legitimacy by checking with state regulators.
*Decline the transaction if the other party insists on using an escrow service that you're not sure about.

Once you find an escrow service you're comfortable with, be sure you understand:

*What conditions must be met before the payment is released to the seller.
*What the escrow service charges.
*Which party is expected to pay the fee.

If any escrow related email or website implies an affiliation with us by displaying our logo or by other means, report it to us and law enforcement. Check our Internet fraud resources section for more advice on escrow services.

We don't ask you for personal or financial information via email:

Online fraud often begins with a spoof email requesting financial information. These spoof, or scam, emails often impersonate a company such as Classilink.com by illegally displaying a company's name, logo or trademark.
The intent is to deceive customers into revealing information such as:

*Username
*Password
*Credit card number
*Social security number
*Bank account number
*Bank routing number
*Social security number

The only time we'll ever request your credit card information is when you're in the process of purchasing an ad on our website. We will not take down your listing because you don't provide account information. If you receive an email that asks for the kinds of information listed above, don't respond. Instead, report the email to us and to law enforcement.