“I gave them the keys, I just told them to make sure to get his driver’s licence and insurance information before he checked the car,” said the Henderson local.
The buyer arrived at 3.30pm, had his licence photographed by Raghuvanshi’s parents and left his keys as insurance, then took off for his inspection.
By 6.30pm, Raghuvanshi still hadn’t heard back from the buyer.
“By then, we realised it was too late - most shops close at 5.30pm,” he said.
“I messaged him a couple of times, asking where he was but the messages didn’t go through.”
Concern turned to alarm when they checked his licence details more closely and realised the date of birth on the ID was 2002, making the buyer only 20 years old.
“He said his daughter was 18. Something really didn’t click.”
By this stage, Raghuvanshi had accepted the reality his car had been stolen. He said his initial response was one of surprise, given he’d never experienced such blatant theft before.
“We’ve lived here seven years and it’s the first time we’ve encountered a situation like that,” he said.
He headed to his local police station to file a report later that evening, and was told by an officer it wasn’t the first time she’d heard of a test-drive theft.
“She said she’d received the same case yesterday, with somebody going for a test ride and taking it away,” said Raghuvanshi.
“I don’t know if the chances of getting it back are great. [Police] reported the car as stolen, they mentioned sometimes teens enjoy the ride and when the gas runs out they leave it on the street, but the car didn’t have much gas in it so I don’t know what’s happening with that.”
Fortunately, the car was insured, leaving Raghuvanshi with the possibility of coverage due to theft. But the lesson for Raghuvanshi is a valuable one.
“I’d recommend if posting a car for sale and arranging a purchase that you’ve already seen the buyer yourself,” he said.
“It’s important to take ID but to also go along for any test rides. It’s something to be more bothered and careful about in case they don’t plan on coming back.”
Police told the Herald they had received a report of the alleged theft.
Police advised vendors to always take steps to verify the identity of buyers intending to take a vehicle for a test drive.
“If you plan to sell a vehicle privately, make sure you take care when doing so. Don’t go to the transaction alone and consider taking another person on the test drive with you, as well as the would-be buyer.
“If the buyer refuses to provide identification and/or let you accompany them on the test drive, police suggest you do not engage with them further.”
Some other general safety/prevention advice:
Meet in a public, well-lit area or consider only trading in daylight hours.
Trade near or in front of a known, working CCTV camera, in busy foot traffic or perhaps near a police station.
Make sure a friend or a family member is aware of the transaction and meet up if they can’t accompany you.
Trust your instincts – if it sounds like a scam, it probably is. If you don’t feel safe, you don’t have to continue the meeting/sale.
If someone is not willing to meet at a safe trading zone, it’s probably not a legitimate transaction.
Call 111 in an emergency. Police said they would rather attend to prevent a crime happening than attend after an offence has occurred.
If it’s already happened you can provide information via 105.police.govt.nz, call police on 105, or report anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
