Sixty per cent of used car buyers state fraud as their biggest concern over buying a car online.

The figures come from HPI, the independent vehicle information provider, also showed that nearly 70% of used car buyers believe they are more vulnerable to buying risks by purchasing a vehicle online.

The HPI survey showed that 71% of respondents thought choice was one of the main benefits of buying a car online, with 63% stating convenience as a bonus.

In contrast, 62% said fraud was the main downfall and nearly 70% thought they were more at risk from used car crime when buying online.

Only 48% of respondents said they would carry out basic checks like an online valuation check. Two out of three people believe not being able to see the car before they buy as a downfall of buying on the internet.

Nick Lindsay, director of HPI, said: "There’s good news for sellers, because 45% of those surveyed said they would be prepared to travel over 100 miles for the car they wanted, having done all the necessary online checks to ensure it was worth the journey.

"For those looking to sell online, internet auctions such as eBay and online classified ad publications such as exchangeandmart.co.uk continue to be the most popular sites for those shopping online."

You must be logged in - click here to login