Carlots.ng Introduces Manual Car Approval to Eliminate Fake Listings

Lagos, Nigeria — In a move aimed at restoring trust in Nigeria’s used car market, vehicle marketplace Carlots.ng has announced that it will now manually approve every car before it goes live on its platform. The step comes as online fraudsters increasingly use fake listings to lure unsuspecting buyers with unrealistic prices or non-existent vehicles.

According to industry observers, fake car adverts have become a persistent problem across many Nigerian online marketplaces. Buyers are often enticed with photographs of vehicles that are either not for sale, imported from foreign websites, or priced suspiciously low. The outcome is usually the same: wasted time, financial loss, or outright scams.

Carlots.ng says its new system will introduce an additional layer of scrutiny. Instead of cars being uploaded directly by sellers and appearing instantly online, every listing will undergo a manual verification process by the company’s in-house team. Vehicles will only be published once their documents, ownership status, and photographs have been checked and confirmed as genuine.

Industry analysts note that such measures could raise confidence among buyers, especially first-time car owners who are often the most vulnerable to fraud. However, it also places a heavier responsibility on platforms to ensure their vetting systems are thorough and efficient.

The Nigerian auto market, worth billions annually, has long been plagued by issues of transparency, from hidden accident histories to mileage tampering. While technology has simplified access to vehicles, it has also created loopholes for fraudulent actors. Market watchers believe tighter verification practices like the one Carlots.ng is introducing could encourage healthier competition among online car sellers.

Still, questions remain about whether manual approval alone will be enough to keep out sophisticated scams in the long term. Consumer advocates argue that such policies must be paired with continuous education for buyers — reminding Nigerians to conduct due diligence, request proper inspection, and avoid deals that appear “too good to be true.”

For now, Carlots.ng’s decision reflects a broader push within Nigeria’s online commerce sector to address safety and credibility concerns. Whether it sets a new industry benchmark remains to be seen, but it underscores one clear reality: in today’s digital marketplace, trust has become as valuable as the cars themselves.