Buying and selling safely

Most people buying and selling caravans and RVs are exactly who they say they are. The few who are not rely on the same handful of tricks, and every one of them falls apart when you insist on seeing the van, checking the paperwork and paying through a channel you control. This page covers the scams we see, how to meet, how to pay, the checks that protect a buyer and what we do on our side.

Scams to watch for

For buyers

• The van you cannot see. The seller is interstate, overseas or away for work, or says the van is "in storage", and wants a deposit or the full price before the van is "delivered" or "released by the transport company". Do not pay for a van you have not seen in person. Scamwatch warns against paying for high-value items before you inspect them (Scamwatch).
• The price that is too good. A late-model van far below similar ads, with a story about a divorce, a deceased estate or a posting overseas. Compare the price with similar vans before you get excited.
• The copied ad. Real photos lifted from an old ad, with a new phone number or email address. Ask for a photo of the van with today's newspaper or a note with your name, and check the VIN against the papers when you see it.
• The wrong account. The payment details are in a different name from the seller, or you are asked to split the payment across several accounts or PayIDs. Scamwatch lists both as warning signs (Scamwatch).

For sellers

• The overpayment. A buyer "accidentally" pays more than the price and asks you to send the difference back, or to pay their "transport company". The original payment then disappears.
• The fake payment screenshot or email. A message that looks like it is from your bank or from a payment service, saying the money is on hold until you do something. Check your own banking app, never a link in a message.
• The buyer who will not look. Someone keen to buy an expensive van without seeing it. Scamwatch flags this as a sign of a scam (Scamwatch).
• The code request. A "buyer" asks you to read out a code sent to your phone or email "to prove you are real". That code is for your account; never share it with anyone.

Meeting a buyer or seller

• Meet in daylight, at the seller's home if you are buying, or at a place you are comfortable with if you are selling. A seller's home also lets you check that their address matches the registration papers.
• Take someone with you, and tell someone else where you are going.
• Do not carry large amounts of cash to the first viewing.
• For a test drive of a motorhome, campervan or bus, the seller should check the driver's licence and hold proper security, such as the full price in cleared funds, and should never hand over the keys to someone without a licence for the vehicle.

Paying and getting paid

For buyers, pay only when you have the van, the keys and the papers in front of you, and pay in a way that leaves a record. Pay the person named on the registration papers, and make sure the name on the account matches.

For sellers, do not release the van or its papers until the money is in your account and has cleared, checked in your own banking app. Never refund an overpayment. Write a receipt for both of you to sign, and keep a copy.

Checks that protect a buyer

• A PPSR search. It shows whether money is owing on the van and usually its written-off and stolen status. Run it on the day of the sale or the day before.
• The VIN. Compare the VIN on the van with the registration papers. A ground back or restamped number is a reason to walk away.
• The write-off record. If the van has been written off, find out whether it was a statutory or repairable write-off and what your state allows.
• The paperwork. The name on the rego papers should match the seller's licence. Ask for the service records.

What we do on our side

• Every ad is checked before it goes live, by automated checks and, where they flag something, a person. The checks look for copied photos, repeated descriptions and a VIN already used on another seller's ad.
• Buyers contact sellers through the site, so sellers' email addresses are never shown. Phone numbers are revealed one ad at a time, and some reveals need a quick check by text message first.
• On damaged, written-off and parts-only ads the VIN is available to buyers on every damaged ad through a reveal button, so you can run your own PPSR search before you travel. Otherwise the full number stays off public pages: only a dealer's ad shows it, and only where the dealer's state requires it.
• If a dealer gave us its licence number, its licence details are on every one of its ads in the form its state requires. In some states and territories a dealer that sells only caravans, camper trailers and other towed vans, slide-on campers, and parts and accessories can join without a licence number. Its ads then show no licence details, and it cannot list a motorhome, campervan or bus until it gives us a licence number.

Report a problem

If an ad looks wrong, use the "Report this ad" link on the ad. A person looks at every report. For anything else, including a scam attempt made through a message, use our contact form.

If you have lost money, contact your bank straight away, report it to the police, and report the scam to Scamwatch so it can warn others.