If you’re looking to buy or sell a car online but feel like there’s nowhere safe to meet the person on the other end of the screen, police in Victoria have a solution.
Victoria Police has made available locations at 35 of its stations in a bid to better protect the public when transacting.
Known as Safer Exchange Sites, they are available 24 hours a day, are well-lit, and have CCTV coverage, meaning that if something does go wrong, you’ll have a better chance of tracking down the culprit.
It’s not the first time such an initiative has been set up, with a short trial running at a handful of northeast Melbourne police stations in mid-2022.
According to Victoria Police, the six-month evaluation period saw a decrease in thefts and robberies from online sales, with police officers commonly observing the exchange of items.
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Although the Safer Exchange Sites are largely intended for smaller items such as mobile phones and other electronic goods, there’s no reason why they can’t be used for the exchange of vehicles – though it’s best to make sure the vehicle is legal, just in case.
“While the overall number of assaults, thefts and robberies connected to online exchanges is low, we don’t want to see any occur,” said Victoria Police Commander Tim Tully.
“With the popularity of buying and selling items via online marketplaces continuing to grow, this initiative is all about police getting on the front foot to ensure an emerging crime theme doesn’t become an embedded trend.
“While these sites are a safer alternative than meeting someone at your home or in a dimly lit area with no CCTV, we still encourage people to consider the risks of meeting a person they’ve never met before.
“Police suggest meeting during daylight hours if possible and bringing someone with you to the exchange.”
The 35 police stations include:
- Altona
- Bacchus Marsh
- Ballarat
- Bendigo
- Broadmeadows
- Castlemaine
- Caulfield
- Corio
- Craigieburn
- Dandenong
- Echuca
- Fawkner
- Geelong
- Heidelberg
- Horsham
- Maryborough
- Melbourne East
- Melbourne North
- Melbourne West
- Melton Morwell
- Mernda
- Mildura
- Mill Park
- Moonee Ponds
- Moorabbin
- Mooroolbark
- Pakenham
- Prahran
- Preston
- Richmond
- St Kilda
- Swan Hill
- Warrnambool
- Werribee
Additional protections for used car buyers in Victoria include the VicRoads Vehicle Report, which includes data about the vehicle’s transfer and registration history, previous roadworthy results, recorded odometer readings, and safety and emission ratings.
The report also includes an official Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) certificate, confirming if the vehicle has been stolen or written off, and if any money is owing on it.
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