Buying a used car? Do this before you send any money

A used car is usually the biggest thing most people buy from a stranger. It is also the deal where a low price does the most damage, because a car that looks perfect on the day can turn out to have a rebuilt engine, a disputed title or a loan still attached to it. Here is a checklist to run through before any money moves, and how to structure the payment so that if something is wrong, you can still walk away.

Before you agree a price

• See the documents first. Carte grise (registration) in the seller's name, a valid visite technique, and current insurance. If the name on the carte grise is not the person selling, ask why and ask for the owner to be present.
• Match the numbers. The chassis (VIN) number on the carte grise must match the plate on the vehicle body and under the bonnet. If it does not, stop.
• Check for a lien. Ask directly whether the car was bought on credit and whether the loan is cleared. A car with a bank's interest on it can be repossessed from you.
• Get a mechanic you chose, not theirs. A one-hour inspection at a garage you picked costs a fraction of one hidden fault. Ask for compression, gearbox, suspension and signs of flood or accident damage.
• Test drive on real roads. Cold start, highway speed, a hill, a rough stretch. Listen more than you talk.

Agree the inspection window, not just the price

This is where most buyers leave money on the table. Everyone negotiates the price; almost nobody negotiates the terms. The most valuable term you can add to a used-car deal is an inspection window: an agreed number of days after handover during which you can have the car properly checked and, if it does not match what was described, return it for a refund.

A seller who is confident in the car will accept a three-to-five-day window without much fuss. A seller who refuses any window at all is telling you something.

Structure the payment so nobody moves first

The classic used-car standoff: the seller will not hand over the keys and carte grise until they have the money; the buyer will not pay until they have the keys and carte grise. Cash handovers in a car park solve this badly, and mobile-money transfers solve it worse, because once sent the money is gone.

Escrow solves it properly. The deal on Bizik looks like this:

1. Create the deal with the car's make, model, year, chassis number, agreed price and the inspection window.
2. Fund it. The buyer pays the full price into escrow by MoMo, Orange Money, card or bank transfer. The seller sees it locked and knows the buyer is serious.
3. Hand over. Keys, carte grise and the car change hands. The seller marks the deal as delivered.
4. Inspect. The buyer has the agreed days to get the car checked and start the transfer of ownership paperwork.
5. Release. The buyer approves, or the window closes with no dispute, and the seller is paid.

If the mechanic finds the gearbox is on its way out and the seller said it was fine, the buyer opens a dispute with the mechanic's report. The money is still in escrow. A mediator rules within 48 hours.

Large amounts get a second look

For high-value deals Bizik applies manual review before release: a person checks that the release request is coming from the verified buyer, that the deal terms were met, and that nothing about the transaction looks like fraud. It adds a little time and removes a lot of risk - which is exactly the trade you want on the biggest purchase you will make this year.

Red flags that should end the conversation

• The price is far below every comparable listing "because I need to sell fast".
• The seller wants a deposit to "hold" the car before you have seen it.
• The seller will only meet at night, or somewhere that is not their home or a garage.
• The carte grise is "with my brother" or "at the office".
• They refuse escrow, an inspection window, or an independent mechanic.

Sellers: this protects you too

If you are the one selling, escrow means no fake payment screenshots, no buyer driving off while a MoMo transfer "is still processing", and no reversal after the fact. You see real money locked for you before you hand anything over, and the inspection window is a fixed number of days, not an open-ended negotiation.

See how Bizik handles vehicles and other high-value goods, or read the seven scams we see most often before your next big purchase.