‘DUBAIS’ ODOMETER SCAM EXPOSED

MBABANE – Swazis are conned thousands of Emalangeni daily when buying second-hand import cars as some dealerships rewind the odometer readings.

The motorists are hoodwinked into believing that they are being sold almost new second-hand cars as they are shown vehicles with low mileage.
This is because a vehicle with low mileage is believed to be newer.

The act of reversing the odometer is also known as ‘clocking’ in the motoring industry and some dealers with computer savvy agents are rolling back the odometer by up to 100 000km.

Independent brokers at garages tamper with the odometers in Matsapha and Manzini at a cost of between E2 000 and E10 000 per vehicle.
According to a number of sources, experts work on the meter to reduce the mileage to the desired kilometres.
An electrician, who gave this interview on condition of anonymity, said he had a number of clients who required his services to rewind the odometer of some of the latest vehicles in the market.

 He said his services were not limited to car dealerships but were also needed by those who wanted to auction their vehicles.
“It is best to test the vehicle and demand to be provided with its service history than to believe the odometer,” he said.
There are those who deal with the electronic meter, which is more expensive to handle because it requires a special device.
It was alleged that car salesmen at most of the import vehicle dealerships disguise the clocking by washing the car, changing the tyres and getting an oil change.

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