UPDATE April 21: Pickup truck owner finds vehicle after Kijiji test drive gone awry
CALGARY – Joe Sleiman is hoping someone has seen his 2004 Ford F-250 since a private online sale went awry.
The truck was listed for sale on Kijiji, and a prospective buyer called to look at it, setting up a time on Saturday, April 18.
Sleiman met the man at the Road King truck stop on Barlow Trail S.E., and said the buyer wanted to take it for a test drive.
“He says, ‘Mind if I take it for a test drive?’ and I said, ‘Sure. The keys are in it, jump on in.’ He jumped in, gave her a couple of “revs,” backed out, and took off.”
The man never came back, so he reported the incident to police and posted about it on Facebook and Twitter.
“Thank goodness for friends,” said Sleiman. “They’ve got pictures of my truck out and all the warnings and all that. I also re-did the ad on Kijiji. I took down the for-sale ad and re-posted it as stolen.”
He says he’s sold cars privately before, let people take the vehicles for a drive, and they always came back.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) recommends sellers ask for some kind of collateral ahead of time, like a credit card or keys to the buyer’s own vehicle.
“You also want to make sure that the individual is who they say they are, so check their identification and make sure they have a valid driver’s licence,” said Leah Brownridge with the BBB.
She says whether you should go on the test drive depends on who the buyer is and your comfort level. Since it could pose a safety risk, it’s recommended to have a friend with you when you meet a buyer.
Calgary police also recommend sellers accompany buyers to a bank, watch as a bank draft is ordered and obtain it before releasing the vehicle to the buyer. For more on auto theft and fraud prevention tips, visit the police web page here.
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