Note from the editor: The WeBuyAnyCar.com.au scam is not related to the international company WeBuyAnyCar.com. The two companies are not affiliated in any way.
The WeBuyAnyCar.com.au Scam
In 2012, the WeBuyAnyCar.com.au scam made news after thousands of outraged customers went public with their horror stories of dealing with the company. After being lured in with an online quote, which was described as “too good to be true” by many, prospective customers were then offered a significantly lower amount once they took the car into the dealership. Those that agreed to the sale were promised payment within 10 business days. Unfortunately, many were left waiting for weeks and sometimes months to received their payment. Others did not receive their money at all.
Review sites like StuffReview and ProductReview got flooded with stories of frustration and anger as unhappy customers struggled to get paid for their cars, many of them being bounced from one company representative to another, or getting ignored altogether.
On 30th July 2012, the WeBuyAnyCar.com.au scam finally came to an end as the company was sent into liquidation with debts of about $12 million. A week earlier, the company’s managing director Richard Burbage fled to the UK after hastily selling his million dollar home and wife’s 200,000 Bentley. WeBuyAnyCar.com.au was left owing a total of $3.6 million to 1,200 customers, according to the Courier Mail. The insolvency firm Worrells was appointed by the company’s directors to clean up the mess.
What can we learn from the WeBuyAnyCar.com.au scam?
The WeBuyAnyCar.com.au scam was one of the worst in Australia’s automotive history. But what can other car buying companies learn from the mistakes of WeBuyAnyCar.com.au?
1. Paying customers on time. At SYCF, we pay on the spot as soon as an agreement is reached. You can choose between Bank Cheque or Electronic Funds Transfer deposited directly to your bank.
2. Offering real price quotes. We won’t send you inaccurate, automatic quotes – you will speak to a real person and get a live quote. We also don’t charge any extra fees or commissions for using our service.
3. Not wasting customers’ time. With SYCF, you will get an accurate car valuation within minutes. You also won’t have to come to a dealership only to find out you can’t get the same amount for your car as originally quoted. We can come to your home or office and pick up your car for free. You can also come to us.
4. Giving accurate information. We don’t claim to buy “any make, any model, any age” under the sun. Though we do accept most 2017 models or newer, under 160,000 KM.
5. Eliminating risk for the customer. We pay before we collect your car, so there is no risk. You won’t have to wait weeks to receive your payment.
To learn more about the process of selling your car with SYCF, have a look at our Selling Guide.
Got questions? Call us at 1800 CAR 888 and tell us a bit about your car. We look forward to hearing from you!
