What to watch out for in used car listings?

From thousands of listings that Autolert AI analysed over the past quarter, a recurring pattern emerged. 10 warning signals that appear in 73% of listings with serious problems. This list is your first line of defence.

1. No VIN number in the listing

The VIN is a 17-character vehicle identification number. Serious sellers publish it in the listing or provide it on first request without hesitation. The absence of a VIN doesn't always mean fraud, but in 73% of cases where Autolert flagged this as red, the listing had additional risk signals.

2. Price significantly below market median

When a car costs 20% or more below the median for that model and year — that's a signal something is wrong. The most common reasons: hidden damage, technical issues, a seller who "needs to sell fast" (read: fleeing before a defect is discovered) or the classic "deposit for a phantom car" scam.

Median ≠ average. A single luxury variant skews the average. Autolert works exclusively with the median because it's resistant to statistical outliers.

3. Photos from one angle or in poor lighting

Every seller has a smartphone. Every smartphone has a decent camera. When a listing has 5 photos from the same angle, all taken at dusk in a garage — the seller is probably hiding something. Paint repairs, rust, torn upholstery — all of these are visible in daylight from different angles.

4. Short seller account history

Account created "2 days ago", no other listings, no reviews. This isn't always a scammer — it might be someone selling their first car. But combined with other flags on this list, the probability of problems rises to close to 90%.

5. "Imported car" without complete documents

"From Germany", "from the US", "freshly imported". This sounds good until you ask for documents: EU purchase invoice, Fahrzeugbrief, contract, customs clearance document, proof of excise duty payment. Each of these documents MUST exist. The absence of any one is a red flag.

Full list — remaining 5 flags

1. Seller refuses a mechanic inspection — "the car is fine, no need". There's always a need.
2. Pressure for a quick decision — "I have 3 other interested people". Classic manipulative tactic.
3. Suspiciously rounded price — e.g. €4,999 instead of €5,000. A subtle signal the car was priced for a budget, not for its value.
4. No service history — no service book, no invoices. A car with "regular servicing by a friend" is a myth.
5. Seller from the other end of the country + pressure for a deposit — the most common form of "phantom car" fraud.

How to apply this in practice

Each flag on its own doesn't necessarily mean fraud. Three or more at once — that's already a signal not to even schedule a viewing. Autolert calculates this automatically for any listing you paste in, in 60 seconds.

It's not about paranoia. It's about not wasting your time and money on cars that are already clearly not worth your attention.

— Krzysztof M., 31, first car bought with Autolert

Next time you see a listing that "you're afraid to click on" — paste the link here. AI checks all 10 flags automatically and tells you: worth viewing or not.