Do Not Be Tempted To Buy An Illegal Vehicle!
Illegal used-car imports from Japan, China and Singapore sold on the black market in South Africa are costing the country millions in lost revenue.
These illegal vehicles are destined for neighbouring countries and are banned from being sold in South Africa in order to protect the vehicle industry. The imports that arrive on South African shores are stored in warehouses before being transported to neighbouring countries. Recently the Independent on Saturday went undercover to investigate how these cars were sold to the South African public.
In short:
Prospective customers visit the warehouses by appointment only.
Prices of the vehicles offered are much lower than their true value.
All transactions are simple – there is no paperwork, no credit checks, no instalments, and no need to produce driving licences.
All transactions are done in cash with nothing going through the bank.
In order to make the cars “legal”, customers are charged extra. In the interim temporary papers in the name of another person are issued and dealers brief customers on what to say if they are stopped by the police or traffic officers.
Read the full article: BUKEKA SILEKWA bukeka.silekwa@inl.co.za
When buying your next car make sure you do the following:
Never buy a vehicle advertised or displayed with foreign number plates.
Never buy a vehicle that is registered in a foreign country – even our neighbouring countries. The probability of you being allowed to import the vehicle, is very low.
Never buy a vehicle without a NaTIS registration certificate. If the vehicle is financed, the registration certificate will be at the bank, and it will only be released if the vehicle is paid in full.
Check that the information on the registration certificate and/or license disc match with the information on the vehicle. Check that all the VIN/chassis numbers on the vehicle match each other and have not been tampered with.
Check for spelling mistakes on the registration certificate and that it is not a photocopy.
Buy used vehicles from reputable dealers.
Do not buy a vehicle if a microdot confirmation certificate was not issued for the vehicle by a reputable accredited microdot fitment centre. All motor vehicles, locally manufactured or imported, registered for the first time in South Africa after 1 September 2012 must be microdotted. If a vehicle has not been fitted, it should be verified and fitted with microdots. The Second-Hand Goods Act, 2009 (Act No. 6 of 2009) makes it a requirement that second-hand motor vehicle dealers must record motor vehicle details, which includes the recording of the microdot particulars on the microdot.