You should always take precautions when using Yahoo! Autos to buy or sell a car. There's always risk involved in transferring goods and payments between two parties. Here are a few safety tips to keep in mind as well as signs we have identified that commonly indicate that the listing might be fraudulent in nature. These tips are not designed to scare you, but to encourage you to be smart and use common sense.

Know Who You're Dealing With:
In Yahoo! Autos, transactions are between buyers and sellers, so it's important to know who you're dealing with. Deals should only go forward if buyers and sellers are both comfortable with each other and with the terms of the sale. We advise buyers against sending payments to sellers without meeting the seller or seeing the vehicle in person; we strongly encourage buyers to see the vehicle, meet the seller, and complete any transfer of any payment in person.

Most Common Signs of Fraudulent Practices:

1. The vehicle's price is too good to be true.
   

   If a car for sale seems too good to be true, it probably is. Do some research. For example, look up the vehicle's Kelley Blue Book value to verify it is priced in a reasonable range and look at similar classifieds ads to learn the going rate for the specific items or services that interest you. We caution buyers to not pursue buying the car if the vehicle is priced unusually low.

2. Seller claims to be located outside the U.S.A.
   

   We caution buyers to be aware of any communication, and specifically any low priced vehicle offers, that they receive from sellers indicating that they are located outside the U.S.A., as these types of offers are more commonly fraudulent in nature. It might be more difficult for you to resolve disputes with sellers that are in different states or countries than where the buyer lives.

3. Seller desires to use Yahoo! endorsed or a third-party service to broker the sale of the car.
   

   Please note that Yahoo! Autos does not take possession of users' vehicles, we do not work with agents, and we do not work with money transfer agencies, so please beware that any communication you receive stating that Yahoo! Autos does use these services, as it is a misrepresentation. We advise buyers against sending online payments to sellers without meeting the seller or seeing the vehicle in person. Again, we strongly encourage buyers to see the vehicle, meet the seller, and complete any transfer of any payment in person.

If you do decide to use a third-party service to assist you in completing your online transaction, we encourage the buyer to initiate the process using a reputable third party. Below are some payment and delivery options that can help protect the buyer and the seller:

• Escrow services: Escrow services such as Escrow.com protect both parties from credit card fraud, offer sellers protection from a claim of non-delivery, and give the buyer an opportunity to inspect the product and return it if it's damaged or not as described. Please know that Yahoo! does not provide any escrow service. If you receive a request from a buyer or a seller referring to Yahoo! Escrow Service, it is fraudulent.
• Person-to-person payment services: Person-to-person payments can take place online or with a check. There are built-in protections for both parties with these services. Protections might vary depending on the service. For more information on the pros and cons of different payment options, see the FTC Guide to Online Payments.

If you feel that you might have identified a fraudulent ad or seller on the Yahoo! Autos website, please report it to our customer care team for review.

Please know that Yahoo! Autos does not endorse or verify the information contained in any listing. Your best protection is common sense.