{"id":21003,"date":"2026-10-25T08:43:24","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T08:43:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T08:43:24","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T08:43:24","slug":"informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\/","title":{"rendered":"Informal Car Deals and Fine Traps in UAE"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Never buy a used car in the UAE on a handshake<\/h2>\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re shopping for <a href=\"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/dubai\/used-cars\/search\">used cars in Dubai<\/a> or anywhere in the UAE, do the ownership transfer through official channels \u2014 RTA in Dubai, the traffic department in Abu Dhabi or Sharjah. A private handshake sale where you hand over cash and get the keys, but skip the paperwork, can leave you legally responsible for someone else&#8217;s fines, toll charges, and even criminal violations. The Reuters and Emirates 24|7 reports this month made it clear: UAE authorities are cracking down, and buyers in informal transfers are getting caught.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#F4F5FA;border-inline-start:4px solid #141652;border-radius:6px;padding:18px 22px;margin:28px 0;\"><p style=\"margin:0 0 10px;font-weight:700;font-size:1.05em;color:#141652;\">The short version<\/p><ul style=\"margin:0;padding-inline-start:22px;line-height:1.7;\">\n<li>A car&#8217;s fines stay with whoever is registered as the owner \u2014 not whoever is driving it.<\/li>\n<li>In Dubai, transfer ownership at an RTA service centre or authorised typing centre. In Abu Dhabi, go through the traffic department.<\/li>\n<li>Clear all outstanding fines before you transfer. The system won&#8217;t let you complete it otherwise.<\/li>\n<li>Get an inspection before you buy \u2014 hidden mechanical problems are just as real a risk as hidden fines.<\/li>\n<li>A documented sale through a trusted platform protects both buyer and seller from surprise liabilities.<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n\n<h2>What&#8217;s actually happening with informal used car sales in the UAE<\/h2>\n\n<p>The pattern is straightforward. A seller lists a car on social media. A buyer pays cash. They exchange keys, maybe sign a handwritten receipt, and skip the RTA transfer. Sometimes the buyer drives the car for months \u2014 or years \u2014 without putting it in their name.<\/p>\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s the problem: every fine, Salik toll, and parking violation stays registered to the original owner. And every new fine the buyer racks up also lands on the seller&#8217;s record, because the car is still legally theirs. Both parties lose.<\/p>\n\n<h2>How unpaid fines trap both sides<\/h2>\n\n<p>UAE traffic fines don&#8217;t disappear. They accumulate. If they go unpaid, they can block your ability to renew your vehicle registration, renew your Emirates ID, or even leave the country in some cases. For the seller, fines keep piling up on a car they no longer possess. For the buyer, a car they can&#8217;t register means a car they can&#8217;t insure, and driving without insurance is another violation on top of everything else.<\/p>\n\n<p>According to CarSwitch listings data (July 2026), about two-thirds of all used cars listed in the UAE are in Dubai, where RTA enforcement is especially tight. You don&#8217;t want to be on the wrong side of that system.<\/p>\n\n<blockquote style=\"background:#F4F5FA;border:0;border-inline-start:4px solid #141652;border-radius:6px;margin:28px 0;padding:20px 24px;font-size:1.08em;line-height:1.65;font-style:normal;\"><p>&#8220;We see buyers come to us after a handshake sale went wrong \u2014 fines they didn&#8217;t know about, registration they can&#8217;t complete. A proper transfer takes a morning. Sorting out an informal mess can take months.&#8221;<\/p><cite style=\"display:block;margin-top:10px;font-size:0.86em;font-style:normal;font-weight:700;color:#141652;\">Kamel Abbou, Country Manager, UAE, at CarSwitch<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n<h2>The right way to transfer a used car in the UAE<\/h2>\n\n<p>Here&#8217;s what happens when you do it properly:<\/p>\n\n<ol>\n<li><strong>Clear all fines.<\/strong> Both buyer and seller should check for outstanding fines through the Dubai Police app, Abu Dhabi Police app, or the MOI website. Every dirham needs to be settled before the transfer goes through.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get a vehicle test.<\/strong> In Dubai, this means a technical inspection at a registered testing centre. The car needs a valid test certificate.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Visit an RTA service centre or authorised typing centre.<\/strong> Bring the original registration card, Emirates IDs for both parties, and valid insurance in the new owner&#8217;s name. In <a href=\"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/abudhabi\/used-cars\/search\">Abu Dhabi<\/a>, the process runs through their traffic department instead.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Pay the transfer fee.<\/strong> In Dubai, it&#8217;s typically AED 350 plus a knowledge fee. Small money compared to what an informal transfer could cost you.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Walk out with the registration card in your name.<\/strong> That&#8217;s it. Smoothly done.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<p>The whole process usually takes a few hours. No complicated steps.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Why this matters even more with used cars in the UAE right now<\/h2>\n\n<p>The used car market here is massive, and the savings are real. A 2018 BMW X5, for example, lists for around AED 81,000 on CarSwitch \u2014 roughly 83% less than the new price of AED 470,000. That kind of saving is exactly why people buy used. But it&#8217;s also why shortcuts are tempting, and why they&#8217;re dangerous.<\/p>\n\n<p>Cars with a minor accident history tend to list for about 9% less than clean ones, based on what we see on our platform. That&#8217;s useful information when you&#8217;re negotiating \u2014 but only if the car is properly transferred to you in the first place. No amount of savings matters if the registration isn&#8217;t in your name.<\/p>\n\n<div style=\"background:#FFFFFF;border:1px solid #E1E4F0;border-inline-start:4px solid #FF5450;border-radius:6px;padding:16px 20px;margin:28px 0;line-height:1.7;\"><strong style=\"color:#141652;font-weight:700;\">From CarSwitch data<\/strong><br>\n66% of used car listings in the UAE are in Dubai (CarSwitch listings data, July 2026)<br>\nA 2018 BMW X5 lists for around AED 80,750 used vs AED 470,000 new \u2014 83% saved<br>\nCars with minor accident history list about 9% below clean equivalents<\/div>\n\n<table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;margin:24px 0;font-size:0.95em;\">\n<caption style=\"caption-side:bottom;text-align:start;padding:8px 0 0;font-size:0.85em;color:#6B7280;\">Used vs new prices \u2014 popular models on CarSwitch (July 2026)<\/caption>\n<thead>\n<tr><th style=\"background:#141652;color:#FFFFFF;padding:10px 12px;font-weight:600;text-align:start;\">Model<\/th><th style=\"background:#141652;color:#FFFFFF;padding:10px 12px;font-weight:600;text-align:center;\">Year<\/th><th style=\"background:#141652;color:#FFFFFF;padding:10px 12px;font-weight:600;text-align:center;\">Used price (AED)<\/th><th style=\"background:#141652;color:#FFFFFF;padding:10px 12px;font-weight:600;text-align:center;\">New price (AED)<\/th><th style=\"background:#141652;color:#FFFFFF;padding:10px 12px;font-weight:600;text-align:center;\">You save<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:start;\">BMW X5<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">2018<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">80,750<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">470,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">83%<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:start;\">BMW 530<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">2018<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">79,500<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">322,500<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">75%<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:start;\">BMW 330<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">2019<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">76,000<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">277,500<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">73%<\/td><\/tr>\n<tr><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:start;\">Audi A3<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">2022<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">89,995<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">169,900<\/td><td style=\"padding:10px 12px;border-top:1px solid #E1E4F0;text-align:center;\">47%<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n<h2>What a documented transfer protects you from<\/h2>\n\n<p>When the car is in your name, you&#8217;ll know exactly where you stand. No hidden fines from the previous owner. No surprise Salik charges. No risk of the seller reporting the car as stolen because you stopped paying them in instalments on a private arrangement.<\/p>\n\n<p>A documented transfer also means you can insure the car properly, register it for renewal, and \u2014 if you decide to <a href=\"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/uae\/used-car\/sell\">sell your car<\/a> later \u2014 prove clean ownership to the next buyer.<\/p>\n\n<h2>How to avoid fine traps when buying used cars in the UAE<\/h2>\n\n<p>Beyond the transfer itself, a few practical steps keep you safe:<\/p>\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Run a fine check before you agree on price.<\/strong> If the seller has thousands in unpaid fines, that&#8217;s a red flag about how the car was driven, too.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Get the car inspected independently.<\/strong> Fines are one kind of hidden problem. Mechanical issues are another. An inspection-verified car through CarSwitch goes through a detailed check \u2014 so you&#8217;re not guessing.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Never pay the full amount before the transfer is done.<\/strong> A deposit is reasonable. Handing over the full price before the registration card is in your name is not.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Keep every document.<\/strong> Sales agreement, transfer receipt, insurance certificate. If anything comes up later, paperwork is your proof.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Looking for <a href=\"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/uae\/used-cars\/under-15000-for-sale-in-uae\">affordable used cars in the UAE<\/a>? Budget cars are where informal sales are most common \u2014 and where the risk is highest. It&#8217;s worth doing it right.<\/p>\n\n<h2>Buy your next car the right way<\/h2>\n\n<p>When you buy through CarSwitch, every car is inspection-verified, the pricing is transparent, and real people handle the transfer paperwork so nothing falls through the cracks. You&#8217;re not alone in this \u2014 we handle the details. Browse <a href=\"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/dubai\/used-cars\/search\">thousands of trusted used cars in Dubai<\/a> and buy with confidence.<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"schema-faq wp-block-yoast-faq-block\"><div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1792917785492\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">What happens if I buy a used car in the UAE without transferring the registration?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">All fines, Salik tolls, and violations stay registered to the previous owner&#8217;s name \u2014 but they can also block you from insuring or legally driving the car. Both buyer and seller end up in a mess.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1792917785493\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">How do I check for outstanding fines before buying a used car in the UAE?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Use the Dubai Police app, Abu Dhabi Police app, or the MOI website. Ask the seller to show you a clear fines record before you agree on anything.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1792917785494\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">How much does it cost to transfer car ownership in Dubai?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">The RTA transfer fee is typically around AED 350 plus a knowledge fee. It&#8217;s a small cost compared to the risk of skipping it.<\/p> <\/div> <div class=\"schema-faq-section\" id=\"faq-question-1792917785495\"><strong class=\"schema-faq-question\">Does CarSwitch handle the ownership transfer?<\/strong> <p class=\"schema-faq-answer\">Yes. When you buy through CarSwitch, real people help manage the transfer paperwork so the registration ends up in your name properly. No hidden steps.<\/p> <\/div><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Buying used cars in UAE through a handshake? Unpaid fines and legal trouble could follow you. Here&#8217;s how to protect yourself.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":21002,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2945],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21003","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rules-regulations"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Informal Car Deals and Fine Traps in UAE | CarSwitch<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Buying used cars in UAE through a handshake? Unpaid fines and legal trouble could follow you. Here&#039;s how to protect yourself.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21003\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Informal Car Deals and Fine Traps in UAE | CarSwitch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Buying used cars in UAE through a handshake? Unpaid fines and legal trouble could follow you. Here&#039;s how to protect yourself.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21003\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Guides to buy and sell any car in Dubai &amp; UAE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-10-25T08:43:24+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1536\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ramiz Islam\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ramiz Islam\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carswitch.com\\\/newsroom\\\/wp-json\\\/wp\\\/v2\\\/posts\\\/21003\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ramiz Islam\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/576cd39fc036b52edbff21cc9ee54f73\"},\"headline\":\"Informal Car Deals and Fine Traps in UAE\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-25T08:43:24+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carswitch.com\\\/newsroom\\\/wp-json\\\/wp\\\/v2\\\/posts\\\/21003\\\/\",\"wordCount\":1275,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carswitch.com\\\/newsroom\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Rules &amp; Regulations\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carswitch.com\\\/newsroom\\\/wp-json\\\/wp\\\/v2\\\/posts\\\/21003\\\/\"},{\"@type\":[\"WebPage\",\"FAQPage\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carswitch.com\\\/newsroom\\\/wp-json\\\/wp\\\/v2\\\/posts\\\/21003\\\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carswitch.com\\\/newsroom\\\/wp-json\\\/wp\\\/v2\\\/posts\\\/21003\\\/\",\"name\":\"Informal Car Deals and Fine Traps in UAE | CarSwitch\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carswitch.com\\\/newsroom\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-10-25T08:43:24+00:00\",\"description\":\"Buying used cars in UAE through a handshake? Unpaid fines and legal trouble could follow you. Here's how to protect yourself.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carswitch.com\\\/newsroom\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carswitch.com\\\/newsroom\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/10\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae.png\",\"width\":1536,\"height\":1024},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Buying Guides\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/buyer-guides\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Informal Car Deals and Fine Traps in UAE\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carswitch.com\\\/newsroom\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/carswitch.com\\\/newsroom\",\"name\":\"Guides to buy and sell any car in Dubai &amp; UAE\",\"description\":\"CarSwitch\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"CarSwitch\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/65.1.85.58\\\/newsroom\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/En_Blue_Bg_Horizontal-Format.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/65.1.85.58\\\/newsroom\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/08\\\/En_Blue_Bg_Horizontal-Format.png\",\"width\":1440,\"height\":1440,\"caption\":\"CarSwitch\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/newsroom.carswitch.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/576cd39fc036b52edbff21cc9ee54f73\",\"name\":\"Ramiz Islam\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db6b8b550db2aa36416287fd90272ab69ef7c6def7f41fdde7d63234c3d37909?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db6b8b550db2aa36416287fd90272ab69ef7c6def7f41fdde7d63234c3d37909?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/db6b8b550db2aa36416287fd90272ab69ef7c6def7f41fdde7d63234c3d37909?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ramiz Islam\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Informal Car Deals and Fine Traps in UAE | CarSwitch","description":"Buying used cars in UAE through a handshake? Unpaid fines and legal trouble could follow you. Here's how to protect yourself.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21003\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Informal Car Deals and Fine Traps in UAE | CarSwitch","og_description":"Buying used cars in UAE through a handshake? Unpaid fines and legal trouble could follow you. Here's how to protect yourself.","og_url":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21003\/","og_site_name":"Guides to buy and sell any car in Dubai &amp; UAE","article_published_time":"2026-10-25T08:43:24+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae.png","width":1536,"height":1024,"type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Ramiz Islam","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ramiz Islam","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21003\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\/"},"author":{"name":"Ramiz Islam","@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/#\/schema\/person\/576cd39fc036b52edbff21cc9ee54f73"},"headline":"Informal Car Deals and Fine Traps in UAE","datePublished":"2026-10-25T08:43:24+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21003\/","wordCount":1275,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae.png","articleSection":["Rules &amp; Regulations"],"inLanguage":"en-US","url":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21003\/"},{"@type":["WebPage","FAQPage"],"@id":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21003\/#webpage","url":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21003\/","name":"Informal Car Deals and Fine Traps in UAE | CarSwitch","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae.png","datePublished":"2026-10-25T08:43:24+00:00","description":"Buying used cars in UAE through a handshake? Unpaid fines and legal trouble could follow you. Here's how to protect yourself.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae.png","width":1536,"height":1024},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/informal-car-deals-and-fine-traps-in-uae\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Buying Guides","item":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/buyer-guides\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Informal Car Deals and Fine Traps in UAE"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/#website","url":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom","name":"Guides to buy and sell any car in Dubai &amp; UAE","description":"CarSwitch","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/#organization","name":"CarSwitch","url":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"http:\/\/65.1.85.58\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/En_Blue_Bg_Horizontal-Format.png","contentUrl":"http:\/\/65.1.85.58\/newsroom\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/En_Blue_Bg_Horizontal-Format.png","width":1440,"height":1440,"caption":"CarSwitch"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/newsroom.carswitch.com\/#\/schema\/person\/576cd39fc036b52edbff21cc9ee54f73","name":"Ramiz Islam","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db6b8b550db2aa36416287fd90272ab69ef7c6def7f41fdde7d63234c3d37909?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db6b8b550db2aa36416287fd90272ab69ef7c6def7f41fdde7d63234c3d37909?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/db6b8b550db2aa36416287fd90272ab69ef7c6def7f41fdde7d63234c3d37909?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ramiz Islam"}}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21003","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21003"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21003\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21002"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21003"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carswitch.com\/newsroom\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}