Buyer beware.

A recent incident involving an online vehicle purchase has ended up costing the new owner more than they expected after an inspection certificate presented as required by law, wasn’t worth the paper it was printed on.

VOCM News was contacted by the buyer who purchased a used vehicle from someone selling online.

According to the buyer, the inspection certificate didn’t convey the true shape of the vehicle, which requires a significant amount of work to make it road-worthy, leaving them out thousands of dollars.

Service NL says a safety inspection certificate is required when transferring ownership of a vehicle, but those certificates are only valid for 30 days.

The province has a number of official inspection stations that are authorized to issue certificates of appointment for Motor Registration and must adhere to requirements under the Highway Traffic Act and Official Inspection Station Regulations.

The penalties for an illegal inspection include fines ranging from $1,200 to $4,800, temporary suspensions, or a permanent ban on performing vehicle inspections. About four to six complaints are received each year.

Service NL says, as a precaution, buyers should always have a vehicle checked by a mechanic of their own choosing before purchasing same. If a seller refuses, that’s a red flag.

The department advises that if a buyer encounters a problem with an official vehicle inspection station, or an inspection certificate, they should contact Motor Registration.