Buying a car on mobile.de without seeing it: what to check before you pay

1. Warning signs, according to mobile.de itself

• You are asked to pay in advance, by bank transfer or money transfer services. mobile.de warns that you should never transfer money in advance.
• You are offered payment through an escrow service ("Treuhand"): mobile.de does not offer one.
• The seller emails you the registration document or their ID as proof: mobile.de points out that electronically sent documents are easy to forge.
• You receive emails or messages claiming to be from mobile.de and asking for card details or passwords.

2. Documents you need to see

• German registration certificate, parts I and II (Zulassungsbescheinigung Teil I and Teil II). Part II shows who owns the car.
• European certificate of conformity (COC), which makes the Spanish ITV inspection easier.
• Service book or workshop invoices.
• The latest German roadworthiness report (HU), if there is one.
• Invoice with a VAT number, if the seller is a dealer.

3. Inspecting the car in person

Photos do not show repaired damage, noises or faults. The safest option is for someone you trust to see it before you pay: bodywork and paint condition, electronic diagnosis, a test drive and a check that the chassis number matches the documents.

At WilliCar we inspect it in the country of origin: a check of internal and external components, diagnosis, a paint test and a full report. If something does not add up, the car is not bought.

4. Payment

Once the car has passed the inspection, you pay the seller directly, by transfer to their name or their dealership's. We never handle your money.

5. After the purchase

The car has to be deregistered for export in Germany and travel to its destination. If it goes to the Canary Islands, it enters with its customs declaration and IGIC, then passes the ITV inspection and is registered. We explain it step by step in our guide to registering an imported car in the Canary Islands.

Send us the listing and we will inspect it