How to spot a curbstoner — unlicensed dealers posing as private sellers

A curbstoner is an unlicensed dealer who flips cars through the private classifieds — Gumtree, Facebook Marketplace, Carsales' 'private' tier — to dodge the consumer-law protections that licensed dealers must give. In NSW that's a Fair Trading offence, but enforcement is light and the trade is thriving.

Why you should care

• Buying private = no statutory warranty, no cooling off, no Motor Dealers Compensation Fund if it turns out stolen or encumbered.
• Curbstoners specifically target cars with hidden write-off history, dodgy odometers, or open finance.
• Their 'address' for handover is usually a public car park — there's no trail back.

The 60-second tells

1. 1.Reverse-image search the listing photos — curbstoners reuse the same backgrounds (same driveway, same fence, same brick wall) across multiple cars.
2. 2.Search the phone number on Gumtree and Marketplace — if 3+ cars come up in 90 days, that's a dealer.
3. 3.Ask 'how long have you owned it?' — vague answers ('a couple of years') or paperwork in someone else's name is the giveaway.
4. 4.Check the rego papers — name on rego must match the seller's photo ID. 'Selling for my brother' = walk away.
5. 5.Listing language: phrases like 'drives perfect', 'no time wasters', 'cash only', 'won't last' in stilted English are curbstoner tells.

If you think you're dealing with one

Politely end the inspection — don't accuse anyone. Report the listing to NSW Fair Trading (fairtrading.nsw.gov.au) with the ad URL, screenshots, and any messages. They build patterns over time even if a single report goes nowhere.

An independent inspector changes the encounter

Almost everything a curbstoner relies on depends on the transaction staying between the two of you and moving quickly. Introducing a third party who attends the car, records what they find and works for the buyer removes most of that advantage — often before anyone turns a wheel, because the response to the request is itself informative.

• A genuine seller agrees a time and provides the address the car actually lives at.
• A curbstoner tends to counter-offer a car park, a service station or a street corner, and to push for a fast cash settlement instead.
• Because we contact the seller ourselves to arrange access, the excuses land with us rather than with an emotionally invested buyer.
• Comprehensive and Elite include a PPSR check, so encumbrance and written-off status are established against the VIN rather than accepted verbally.
• The written report gives you a dated, photographed account of the vehicle, which matters if the sale later goes wrong.

What a PPSR check can and cannot establish

A PPSR search reports what is registered against the VIN on the day it is run: money owing, written-off and stolen status. It cannot show unreported damage, cash repairs or work done off the books. That is why the history check and the physical inspection are done together — each one covers a blind spot in the other.

Common questions

Is curbstoning illegal in NSW?

Yes. Trading more than 4 cars in 12 months without a motor dealer's licence is an offence under the Motor Dealers and Repairers Act 2013. Penalties up to $22,000 per offence.

Can I still buy the car if it's a good deal?

Technically yes — but you assume all the risk. You get none of the warranty protections of a dealer sale. Get a pre-purchase inspection AND a PPSR check; never pay cash without a signed receipt and the seller's photo ID.