Eyeing up a used car? Pay very close attention to the pictures

It’s an inconvenient but very real truth that the used-car market has its share of tricksters. Car-clocking, conveniently misplaced paperwork and sketchy repairs have all been legitimate causes of buyer concern for decades, but now there’s another menace that’s creeping into the classifieds at an alarming pace.

For the most part, image-editing software is used to create and enhance wonderful photography and graphic designs, but it seems that some less-than-honest used-car sellers have also taken a liking to this technology. A colourful, eye-catching photo will always look good in an advert, but editing software can be worryingly good at hiding body damage and other visual defects, too.

I’m not about to say that everyone who digitally enhances their used-car pictures should immediately be condemned as a wrong’un, because some innocent sellers may genuinely just wish to give their photography a bit of a boost. 

However, I do urge all used car buyers to be a little bit vigilant when flicking through the photos of any potential purchase. One of the more obvious “enhancements” that I’ve noticed a lot lately are laughably fake backgrounds. While this doesn’t necessarily hide anything on the car, you have to wonder why the person responsible is so ashamed of showing off the location. You should ask yourself questions like “is this a legitimate seller?” and think about what else they’re prepared to hide.

Whether or not the car pictured is placed on a fake background, you should also be sure to scrutinise any advert’s pictures to see if there are tell-tale signs of suspicious editing. For example, digital tools such as paint blurring or smudging could all be used to hide defects like body damage or rust, so keep a close eye out for things such as slightly mismatched colours, broken reflections or areas that differ visually (even slightly) from the rest of a panel.

Unfortunately, the implementation of AI hasn’t helped matters, because this tech can (sometimes) do a very convincing job of making a run-down car look far better than it is. So, at the very least, it’s important to remember a golden rule of life here: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Trust your instinct and simply walk away if your suspicions are aroused.

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