Campervan & motorhome viewings
Found the perfect van 200 miles away? We'll be your eyes.
SafeBuy sends someone to view the van for you, checks the seller is genuine and tests the living area — before a penny of your money leaves your account.
- Seller ID checked against the V5C
- Live video walk-round
- You pay the seller only at handover
Buying a van online has never been riskier
Purchase scams have more than doubled since 2020
Money lost to purchase scams in the UK each year (columns) and the number of cases reported (line).
Chart data, UK purchase scams reported to UK Finance: 2020, £51.1m lost across 84,292 cases. 2021, £64.1m across 99,733 cases. 2022, £67.0m across 117,170 cases. 2023, £85.9m across 156,516 cases. 2024, £98.7m across 166,798 cases. 2025, £118.1m across 175,809 cases.
Sources: UK Finance Annual Fraud Report 2026; Lloyds Banking Group vehicle scam data (2023).
Why it matters
Photos don't show damp. Or fake sellers.
A van can look perfect in twenty photos and still hide soft floors, rotten seams and a seller who doesn’t own it. The costly problems in campervans and motorhomes hide in two places: the paperwork and the living area.
- Fake adverts using real vans' photos
- Deposits sent for vans that don't exist
- Hidden damp that costs thousands to fix
- Sellers who aren't the registered keeper
How it works
Four steps between you and a safe buy
1. Send us the advert
Tell us which check you want, paste the advert link and say where the van is. We reply within one working day.
2. We book the viewing
We contact the seller, agree a time, then send your quote with the travel fee and a secure payment link. A seller who won't allow a viewing is a warning sign in itself.
3. Watch it live
Join a video call while we walk round, start it up, open the lockers and test the habitation side.
4. Get your report
Photos, readings and our notes. Then you decide — and if you buy, we can drive it home for you.
Free advert check
Is that advert too good to be true?
Scammers follow the same script. Tick any warning signs you’ve spotted in the advert or your messages with the seller, and we’ll tell you how worried to be.
Nothing you tick is sent anywhere — it all happens on your screen.
What we check
Everything a photo can't tell you
- Seller’s photo ID matches the registered keeper on the V5C
- V5C details match the van: registration, VIN and colour
- Vehicle history and outstanding finance check
- MOT history and mileage pattern
- Service records and receipts the seller has
- The van matches the advert and its photos
- Bodywork, underside, sills and signs of accident repair
- Tyres, including the age of the tyres
- Engine start-up from cold and dashboard warning lights
- Photos and video of everything we look at
- Damp readings around windows, roof lights, seams and lockers
- Gas system, hob and heater operation
- 12V and 240V electrics, leisure battery and charging
- Fresh and waste water, pump and taps
- Doors, blinds, beds and fixtures
Book it on its own or add it to a viewing. We arrange a local qualified mechanic to inspect the vehicle to the SafeBuy checklist, and you get a written report.
- Engine: cold start, running, leaks and smoke
- Gearbox, clutch and drive
- Brakes, steering and suspension
- Exhaust, cooling system and fluid levels
- Tyres, wheels and corrosion underneath
- Battery, charging, lights and dashboard warning lights
£149, or £199 for vehicles over 3,500 kg. No travel fee.
Prices
Simple prices. Travel quoted before we go.
Viewing & Verify
£149
- Seller and document checks
- History and finance check
- Live video walk-round
- Photo report
Most thorough
Viewing + Habitation Check
£299
- Everything in Viewing & Verify
- Damp readings throughout
- Gas, electrics, battery and water checks
- Detailed habitation notes
On its own or add-on
Mechanical Inspection
£149
£199 for vehicles over 3,500 kg. No travel fee.
- Book it on its own or add it to a viewing
- Done by a local qualified mechanic
- Engine, gearbox, brakes, steering and suspension
- Written report to our checklist
Add-on
Drive It Home
By mileage
- Add to either check
- We drive your new van to your door
- No second trip or long train home
- Fixed quote before you commit
Viewings are plus a travel fee based on the distance to the vehicle. The Mechanical Inspection is a fixed price with no travel fee. Send us your request first: we confirm we can get there and quote the full price, and you only pay once you’re happy with it. Introductory prices; they may change.
Drive It Home
Bought it? We'll bring it home.
No second trip across the country and no long train journey with a one-way ticket. Once you’ve bought the van, we can drive it straight from the seller to your door. Priced by mileage and quoted before you commit.
Paying for the van
You pay the seller. Only at handover.
SafeBuy never handles the money for the vehicle. Once our checks are done and you’re happy, you pay the seller directly by bank transfer when you collect — not before.
SafeBuy will never ask you to send money to anyone except the seller at handover. If someone claiming to be us does, it’s a scam.
Before you transfer
- The seller's name matches the name on the V5C
- Your bank's name check matches the seller's account name
- You have the keys and the V5C in your hand
- The seller tells DVLA you're the new keeper — keep your new keeper slip
- You've taxed and insured the van before driving it away
Questions
Good questions, straight answers
No. A viewing records what we see and measure on the day. If you want the mechanical side checked properly, add our Mechanical Inspection: we book a local qualified mechanic to inspect the engine, gearbox, brakes, steering and suspension to our checklist, and you get a written report. It’s £149, or £199 for vehicles over 3,500 kg, with no travel fee, and you can book it on its own or alongside a viewing.
We’ll tell you straight away. A seller who won’t let anyone see the van before you pay is a major warning sign.
No. You pay the seller directly by bank transfer at handover, once our checks are done. What you pay us covers the viewing, travel and any drive-home service only.
Yes. If you buy, we can drive it from the seller to your door. It’s priced by mileage: fill in our Drive It Home form and we’ll send a fixed quote before you commit. The van needs to be taxed, MOT’d and insured for us to drive it.
Send us a viewing request and tell us where the van is. We’ll confirm within one working day whether we can get someone there and quote a travel fee based on the distance. You don’t pay anything until you’ve accepted the quote.
No one honestly can. We find and show you what’s visible on the day, so you can decide with your eyes open.
No. We’re booked and paid by the buyer, and we report to you.
Found a van you like? Get it checked before you pay.
Send us the advert and we’ll be in touch within one working day. Nothing to pay until you’ve accepted our quote.