Unlicensed Businesses

You see the signs all over telephone poles and in classified ads. They claim: “WE BUY JUNK CARS.”

Our advice to you: Seller beware!

The chances are that the guy buying your car doesn’t have a dealer’s license or is NOT licensed with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Once he gets your car, he’ll turn around and sell it to someone who needs cheap wheels and can’t afford the registration and insurance or worse yet, wants the car to commit a crime.

These scenarios may sound far-fetched but it happens all the time. Just ask the Defendents in court who have to somehow PROVE that they no longer own the vehicle that was ticketed multiple times, involved in an accident or used on a crime spree. 

A lot of the car buyers are advertising on Craigslist, and when a car owner responds to sell their vehicle, the car buyers give the seller Cash and away he goes, along with the TITLE. Who knows what’s going to happen next? We do…

The illegal dealer will get the car running and resell it without ever transferring the TITLE from the original seller’s name (WHICH IS YOU). And when the car eventually breaks down and is left abandoned on the street somewhere, that seller (YOU) is on the hook for a $500 lien or more for towing and storage when the vehicle is impounded.

It happens every single day. People are paying for cars they don’t even own anymore! Owners of old junk cars are just so happy to get rid it, that they don’t even think twice about what the consequences of selling the car might be. People figure that just signing the TITLE and handing it over is the end of their responsibility, but it’s not. Especially if a crooked dealer or tow truck operator can get the vehicle running again. People don’t realize that just by signing the back of the TITLE won’t relieve them of their responsibility to the vehicle.  The person or business buying the vehicle MUST be properly licensed by the State to safeguard against any illegal activities

If the business buying your vehicle can’t provide their seven (7) digit NYS Department of Motor Vehicles Facility Number, THEY ARE NOT LICENSED TO BUY YOUR VEHICLE AND THEY ARE ABLE DO WHATEVER THEY WANT WITH THE VEHICLE AFTER YOU HAND IT OVER TO THEM!

TO CHECK TO SEE IF A BUSINESS IS LICENSED WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES: CLICK HERE