How to buy safely
Buying an aircraft or a part from someone you have never met? Here is how to protect your money.
An aircraft is often the most expensive thing a person buys from a stranger. That is exactly why scammers target aviation marketplaces: one successful fake ad can be worth tens of thousands of dollars. The good news is that almost every scam follows the same script, and a few simple checks stop it.
This guide is what we, as pilots and aircraft owners, check ourselves before buying. It is general advice, not legal or financial advice: for large purchases, talk to an aviation lawyer or a specialised title company.
1. Warning signs of a scam
If you see two or more of these, stop and verify before going any further:
- The price is far below the market for that type, year and engine time.
- The seller is in a hurry: "other buyers are interested", "I am moving abroad next week".
- You cannot see the aircraft, not even on a live video call, and there is always an excuse.
- The seller wants to move to email or WhatsApp right away, before answering basic questions.
- They ask for a deposit to "reserve" the aircraft, by bank transfer to a personal account, gift cards or crypto.
- They suggest their own escrow or shipping company and send you a link to it.
- The registration on the photos doesn't match what the seller tells you, or the photos appear in other ads.
Selling? Watch out for the mirror image: a "buyer" who sends a payment larger than the price and asks you to refund the difference. The original payment is fake or gets reversed days later.
2. Check the seller and the aircraft
Look up the registration
Ask for the registration mark and check it in the national aircraft register: the FAA Registry for N-registered aircraft, G-INFO for UK aircraft, and the register of the civil aviation authority in other countries. The registered owner should be the seller, or a company they can prove they represent. Check that the type, model and serial number match the ad.
Search for liens and debts
An aircraft can carry a loan, a mechanic's lien or unpaid fees that pass to the new owner. A title search by a specialised aviation title company tells you what is recorded against it. For larger aircraft, helicopters and engines, interests may also be recorded in the International Registry under the Cape Town Convention.
See it, or at least see it live
Visit the aircraft if you can. If it is far away, ask for a live video call in which the seller walks around it, shows the registration on the fuselage, the data plate and the logbooks. A genuine seller will agree. Photos alone prove nothing: they are easy to copy.
Read the logbooks
Airframe, engine and propeller logbooks tell the real story: total time, time since overhaul, damage history, airworthiness directives and recent annuals. Missing logbooks lower the value of an aircraft considerably and are a reason to ask more questions.
3. Pre-buy inspection
Before signing anything, have the aircraft inspected by an independent mechanic you choose, ideally one who knows the type well. Not the seller's mechanic. A pre-buy usually covers:
- airframe condition, corrosion and signs of past damage;
- engine checks such as compression and borescope, plus an oil analysis if possible;
- avionics and equipment working as described in the ad;
- logbooks and compliance with airworthiness directives.
The buyer normally pays for it. It costs a small fraction of the price and is the best protection against expensive surprises. If a seller refuses a pre-buy, walk away.
4. Pay safely: use escrow
In a private sale, escrow is the safest way to pay. You send the money to a neutral escrow or title company; it reaches the seller only when the paperwork is done and ownership has actually been transferred to you. If something goes wrong, your money is still with the escrow company, not with a stranger.
The escrow rules that matter
- Choose the escrow company yourself. Fake escrow websites are one of the most common aviation scams.
- Find its contact details independently (search, aviation associations, your lawyer), never from a link sent by the seller.
- Call it on a phone number you found yourself to confirm the transaction and the bank details before sending money.
- Agree in writing on the price, the deposit, what happens if the pre-buy finds problems, and when the money is released.
Never pay by gift cards, crypto or a transfer to a personal account abroad, and never pay a "reservation deposit" before you have verified the aircraft and the seller. MarketplaceAviation never asks you to pay for an aircraft or a part through a link in a message.
5. Buying parts
- Check compatibility: part number, dash number and effectivity for your exact aircraft and serial number.
- Ask for traceability documents. Serviceable parts normally come with an airworthiness release such as an FAA Form 8130-3 or an EASA Form 1. Without paperwork, a part may not be installable on a certified aircraft.
- Ask for photos of the data plate and serial number, and check they match the documents.
- Pay with buyer protection when you can, for example by credit card or a payment service that covers goods. For expensive items such as engines or propellers, use escrow as for an aircraft.
6. How MarketplaceAviation protects you
Contacts for members only
Seller phone numbers and messaging are visible only to registered members, so bots cannot harvest them.
Suspicious messages flagged
First messages that try to move the conversation off the platform with emails, links or messenger apps are flagged and shown with a warning.
Report this ad
Every ad has a "Report this ad" button. Ads reported by several members are hidden until our team reviews them.
Scammers suspended
Accounts that break our Community Guidelines are suspended, and all their ads disappear from the site.
We are a marketplace that puts buyers and sellers in contact: we do not take part in the sale and we do not hold payments. That is why the checks above are still up to you. Read our Community Guidelines to see what is not allowed on the platform.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common scam when buying an aircraft online?
A fake listing at a tempting price, often with photos copied from another ad. The "seller" is in a hurry, cannot show the aircraft in person or on a live video call, and asks for a deposit by bank transfer or through an escrow website they suggest. Once the money is sent, the seller disappears.
Should I use escrow to buy an aircraft?
For a private sale, escrow is the safest way to pay: the money sits with a neutral company and reaches the seller only when ownership has been transferred. Choose the escrow or title company yourself and contact it through details you found independently, never through a link sent by the seller. Fake escrow websites are a known scam.
How do I check that the seller really owns the aircraft?
Ask for the registration mark and look it up in the national aircraft register (for example the FAA Registry for N-registered aircraft or G-INFO for UK aircraft). The registered owner should match the seller or the company they represent. A title search through a specialised company can also reveal liens or unpaid debts on the aircraft.
Is a pre-buy inspection really necessary?
Yes. A pre-buy inspection by an independent mechanic you choose, ideally one who knows the type, checks the airframe, engine, logbooks and airworthiness directives. It is the best protection against hidden damage and expensive surprises, and a genuine seller will not refuse it.
How does MarketplaceAviation protect buyers?
Seller contacts and messaging are for registered members only, so bots cannot harvest phone numbers. First messages that try to move the conversation off the platform are flagged, every ad has a "Report this ad" button, ads reported by several members are hidden until we review them, and accounts that break our Community Guidelines are suspended.
Something doesn't feel right?
Use "Report this ad" on the listing, or write to us. We look at every report.