THE DANGER OF BUYING NEW CARS IN CAMEROON

29 Oct 2026 18:12 • 1 source

Résumé

HE PAID 5.5 MILLION FCFA FOR A PICK-UP—THEN CUSTOMS TOLD HIM THE VEHICLE DIDN’T EXIST! A valid registration card, a signed sales agreement and matching chassis numbers were not enough to save Didier from a costly vehicle scandal. Didier, a Douala resident, thought he had found a bargain when he bought a Toyota Hilux 4x4 for 5.5 million FCFA in Akwa. Confident that everything was in order, he spent another 400,000 FCFA on new tyres, paintwork and maintenance. Three weeks later, a routine customs check in Melong turned his excitement into a nightmare. After checking the vehicle’s chassis number in the COSMOS customs database, officers reportedly found no record of its clearance. Despite having a registration card bearing his name, Didier risked losing his pick-up to seizure. Further checks allegedly revealed a disturbing contradiction: the registration existed in the Transport Delegation’s records, but the vehicle’s chassis was absent from the customs database. According to the account shared by Maliano LAW Consulting, the buyer filed a complaint against the seller and obtained an official customs assessment. The clearance bill reportedly reached 2.3 million FCFA. Following negotiations, the seller agreed to pay half, leaving Didier to cover 1.15 million FCFA. Final cost: 7.05 million FCFA—1.55 million more than he originally planned. THE WARNING TO CAR BUYERS Before buying a second-hand vehicle in Cameroon, the account urges buyers to: Demand the customs clearance certificate and payment receipt. Verify the chassis number through the appropriate customs channels, including COSMOS. Confirm the registration details with the Transport Delegation. Insist on a legally documented sales agreement and verify the seller’s identity. The lesson is clear: a registration card alone may not prove that a vehicle has been properly cleared through customs. Before handing over millions of francs, verify the paperwork—and the vehicle itself.

Sources

• List It Africa Insights