How to Buy a Car On Kijiji

Ah, Kijiji. It’s the best place on the internet to get a deal on just about anything, provided you’re okay with meeting possibly crazy strangers in public places.

One of the best things to buy on Kijiji is cars. You can get deals from motivated sellers, and you’re not stuck having to deal with some overzealous used car salesman pushing unnecessary upgrades. Here’s how you can get the best deal while assuring you don’t buy a lemon.

Meet at their place

By far the number one concern from a prospective buyer is the quality of the car. How can you assure that the owner hasn’t done their best rally car impression while driving it?

Admittedly, this can be difficult. For non-car guys, popping the hood really doesn’t tell us much about anything. We can maybe identify whether the tires need to be replaced, and that’s about it.

That's why you need to look for other clues. I like the solution of going over to the seller’s place to look at the vehicle. If you notice the guy has a nice yard and dresses relatively well, you can probably trust that he’s taken care of the car. If there are old tires on the grass and a broken gate, it’s probably best to be a little suspicious.

Find the right kinds of ads

While browsing ads on Kijiji, we often skip ones that have spelling errors, terrible grammar, or no pictures. The logic is simple -- who wants to buy a car from somebody who gets the little things wrong?

But that might be the wrong way to look at it. Most of those ads are legitimate, they’re just written by people who aren’t very good at communicating. If most people are avoiding these ads, they’re a great buying opportunity.

There’s another great kind of ad, where the seller all but comes out and says that they want the car gone soon. They might have a new car already and don’t want to make payments on both. Or maybe they’ve lost their job or had some other piece of bad luck. It sounds terrible to say, but those are the exact people you should be looking for.

Make sure it isn’t stolen

This is a really important point. If you buy a stolen car, it’s up to you to sue the seller and get your money back. That’s not an ideal situation, to say the least. By taking a couple steps beforehand, you should be able to avoid this.

Firstly, ask to see both the car insurance and registration in the seller’s name. Any legitimate seller will have no problem providing it, especially after you explain your concerns. If a seller refuses or says they’re “selling it for a friend,” run away.

Depending on the province you live in, you can head down to your local DMV with the Vehicle Identification Number and run a check on the car. It’ll not only tell you who owns it, and whether it’s been stolen, but also whether the owner has a huge loan out against it.

Finally, insist on paying the seller with a bank draft made out to them only. And, of course, get a bill of sale.

Conclusion

Buying a vehicle on Kijiji can be a fantastic purchase if you’re smart about it. It’ll be a little harder than going to the dealership and buying the same thing, but if you’re patient, you can save thousands compared to buying the same thing conventionally. For the informed buyer, Kijiji is a great tool.

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