Be careful when considering an offer made by a car-maker to “buyback” your VW or Audi 2.0 liter diesel car,

The VW “Buybacks” could be deceptive, says the federal government.

warns the Federal Trade Commission. Even the term “buyback” – which isn’t typical car trade-in language — is deceptive, says the FTC. That’s because selling car now might cost you money in the long run.

VW admitted to circumventing the emissions control systems in 550,000 vehicles sold in the United States. VW’s settled with the government and agreed to give $10 billion to owners and lessees. That means VW will buy back affected cars for at least the current replacement cost and often more.

But VW and Audi aren’t yet buying back cars and may not start until  late Fall, 2016. On top of that, environmental regulators haven’t yet approved a modification to the cars, which might just let folks get their car modified and take money in compensation. So, right now, there’s nothing to do besides going to VWCourtSettlement.com, finding how much money you could get, and selecting your preference for a buyback or modification. (You have until September 1, 2018 to submit your claim.)

So, what if you get an offer to buy your car now? If you can, wait for the buyback, advises the government. If you can’t, be sure you have the bottom line in mind. That’s the buyback amount from VW vs. how much they’ll compensate you for keeping the car. Can you live with that difference? Know this: if there is extra money, whoever buys your VW or Audi 2.0 liter diesel car now will pocket that cash. Test drive that idea before selling.