A Buyer Lost Rs 5.9m Paying Upfront for an SUV That Never Came — Would You Ever Pay First?

A Colombo man was arrested in late October after allegedly taking Rs 5.9 million from a buyer, promising to deliver an SUV, and never producing the vehicle or a refund. It's not an isolated story — ads promising a "ready to transfer" car at a good price, a deposit paid to "hold" it, then silence and excuses until the buyer gives up chasing. Some buyers say paying part upfront is unavoidable: sellers with other interested parties won't wait, and losing a good deal to someone who pays faster is a real cost too. Others say never hand over serious money until you've physically seen the vehicle, checked the original book against the chassis number, confirmed the seller's NIC matches the ownership, and ideally do the payment and transfer at the RMV on the same day. Dealers argue this is exactly why their margin exists — a business you can trace and chase, not a stranger from an ad who can vanish. So where's your line: how much would you ever pay before seeing the car in person, and has anyone asked you for a deposit that felt off? මුදල් කලින් දීලා අත්දැකීමක් තියෙනවද? කතාව කියන්න.