Buying a used car? Be careful. There are lots to consider when buying used. It's not just a question of mileage, but more a question of 'who's owned it?' and 'what's it's history?' and other such questions.
Here's a brief guide to helping you choose the right car.
1: The Budget.
Firstly, set yourself a budget, but be flexible. Refusing to be a little flexible leaves little room for negotiation, plus who would want to miss out on their perfect car if it happened to be some £200 out of budget? Obviously be sensible - Only go about 25% above your original upper limit - If you go much more, you may be spending more than you need to. Don't forget to factor in other costs, such as running costs, ie. fuel prices, tax and insurance.
2: Selection
Secondly, do some research. A fair bit of it too - it will help you to establish what car you want, as well as whether it's financially viable long term to want it. The key questions are as follows:
After developing a short-list based on the above question, it's then a good idea to ask a few more...
As you can appreciate, the answers the the questions posted above will vary. I know many people who've had great experiences with a particular car manufacturer, and they differ from my own, so it's good to get a fair few opinions before leaning towards anyone or writing anyone off.
Once you've sorted the wheat from the chaff and got answers to the most pressing questions, it's time to make some phone-calls.
3: Arranging To See The Car
Now you've got a short-list of potentials, it's time to visit a few. To help whittle them down even further, put your selections head to head against each other to see if any of them lag noticeably behind the competition. This may give you one or two less cars to phone about. Also, beware of mobile phone numbers in advertisements - If you should be dissatisfied with the car having purchased it, it's very easy for them to ditch that number and get a new one, making them difficult to trace.
It's also best to arrange to see the car in good daylight on a dry day and at the seller's home - This helps make it easier to spot damage. Also check if they're the registered keeper, and check their details (ie. address) on the V5C. It's entirely possible they may be using someone else's home as a backdrop, and not actually be living there at all, so this is important. It's good to ask if the vehicle has ever been in an accident, written off previously or whether it has any outstanding finance - If it does, by buying the car, you'd be buying the debt as well, making you liable.
If you ask the right questions, you'll find you can squeeze a good amount of information out of one phone call.
Here are a few good ones:
How many miles are on the clock?
you might be wondering why you'd bother asking, considering the advert probably tells you... Well that's exactly why you're asking. If the number they throw at you differs noticeably, be aware. If it varies considerably, I would be incline to walk away.
What did you think of the car?
This question doesn't really apply to dealerships - more private sales. It's a good question to ask nearer the end of the conversation as you and the seller will have hopefully developed enough of a rapport for him to be more relaxed and honest with you. If dropped in subtly, they'll be caught off-guard and won't have time to mentally prepare an answer that will cover their backs from every angle, exposing a potential problem or weakness with the car.
What's your reason for selling?
This is an interesting one. Obviously if they're trying to sell it, they're going to talk it up and tell you how fantastic it is. It being so brilliant, you'd expect them to want to keep it, so why aren't they? There are of course a multitude of answers to this, and there are different ways to look at them. If they say they've just bought a new one, or it belonged to a deceased relative, then the chances are they'd be looking for a quick sale, and would be more flexible than some in terms of negotiation. If the seller says the car is a little thirsty, then this is also scope for negotiation, as they would have just bought or be looking to buy a new one.
Are you the original owner?
If the answer is yes, this is ideal, depending on service history and what kind of person you believe the seller is. If they look as though they might like to drive enthusiastically, then this may not be so good, because the car will have been subject to this treatment for most/all of it's life. If it's a woman, the odds are that it's been driven sensibly. In most instances, if the car has had a lady owner since new, or had only one lady owner previously, then it'll probably be in good order.
Has it got a full service history?
This is a good one - this allows you to see whether the car has been regularly and thoroughly maintained through it's life.
Where did you buy it?
Not the most important question, but still a good one - cars sold on forecourts have to meet the criteria set out in CPR (Consumer Protection Regulations Act 2008) and SoGA (Sale of Goods Act 1979), and are therefore a safer buy, but they are more expensive. As such, if someone bought it from a forecourt at an elevated price, there's a good chance they'll pass this extra expenditure onto you, but you wouldn't have quite the same protection in a private sale, making that extra outlay a bit pointless. There isn't a lot you can do about their answer, but it is a factor to be considered.
It's never a bad idea to take a vehicle inspector with you to any viewing. The only downside to it would be cost. Critically, the VIN numbers in the windscreen, on the engine and on the chassis (usually under the bonnet) should all match up, and if they don't, a good solid explanation should be there to explain it. This helps to determine whether parts have been swapped round or whether the vehicle is the one it says it is in the V5C
Once you're happy, avoid paying in cash - You've got less to fall back on if anything should go wrong.
Hopefully this little guide will offer some insight into the world of buying used. I bought my car used and I love it! There were of course a couple of things I wish I'd checked, but all said and done now - It's working well and has done for a good while now, and I hope it continues to do so.
Resources
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/676408/oft1242.pdf
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/BuyingAndSellingAVehicle/AdviceOnBuyingAndSellingAVehicle/DG_4022402
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/advice/2010/09/buying/buying-a-used-car
Here's a brief guide to helping you choose the right car.
1: The Budget.
Firstly, set yourself a budget, but be flexible. Refusing to be a little flexible leaves little room for negotiation, plus who would want to miss out on their perfect car if it happened to be some £200 out of budget? Obviously be sensible - Only go about 25% above your original upper limit - If you go much more, you may be spending more than you need to. Don't forget to factor in other costs, such as running costs, ie. fuel prices, tax and insurance.
2: Selection
Secondly, do some research. A fair bit of it too - it will help you to establish what car you want, as well as whether it's financially viable long term to want it. The key questions are as follows:
- What do I want the car for?
- How long do I want the car for?
- What do I want the car to be able to do?
- What manufacturers can offer me these things?
After developing a short-list based on the above question, it's then a good idea to ask a few more...
- How reliable is the car?
- What are the potential repair costs going to be?
- Are parts easy to source?
- What's the insurance going to be like?
- Are there any common faults/trends with this car?
- What condition can I get one of these cars for the budget I've set?
As you can appreciate, the answers the the questions posted above will vary. I know many people who've had great experiences with a particular car manufacturer, and they differ from my own, so it's good to get a fair few opinions before leaning towards anyone or writing anyone off.
Once you've sorted the wheat from the chaff and got answers to the most pressing questions, it's time to make some phone-calls.
3: Arranging To See The Car
Now you've got a short-list of potentials, it's time to visit a few. To help whittle them down even further, put your selections head to head against each other to see if any of them lag noticeably behind the competition. This may give you one or two less cars to phone about. Also, beware of mobile phone numbers in advertisements - If you should be dissatisfied with the car having purchased it, it's very easy for them to ditch that number and get a new one, making them difficult to trace.
It's also best to arrange to see the car in good daylight on a dry day and at the seller's home - This helps make it easier to spot damage. Also check if they're the registered keeper, and check their details (ie. address) on the V5C. It's entirely possible they may be using someone else's home as a backdrop, and not actually be living there at all, so this is important. It's good to ask if the vehicle has ever been in an accident, written off previously or whether it has any outstanding finance - If it does, by buying the car, you'd be buying the debt as well, making you liable.
If you ask the right questions, you'll find you can squeeze a good amount of information out of one phone call.
Here are a few good ones:
How many miles are on the clock?
you might be wondering why you'd bother asking, considering the advert probably tells you... Well that's exactly why you're asking. If the number they throw at you differs noticeably, be aware. If it varies considerably, I would be incline to walk away.
What did you think of the car?
This question doesn't really apply to dealerships - more private sales. It's a good question to ask nearer the end of the conversation as you and the seller will have hopefully developed enough of a rapport for him to be more relaxed and honest with you. If dropped in subtly, they'll be caught off-guard and won't have time to mentally prepare an answer that will cover their backs from every angle, exposing a potential problem or weakness with the car.
What's your reason for selling?
This is an interesting one. Obviously if they're trying to sell it, they're going to talk it up and tell you how fantastic it is. It being so brilliant, you'd expect them to want to keep it, so why aren't they? There are of course a multitude of answers to this, and there are different ways to look at them. If they say they've just bought a new one, or it belonged to a deceased relative, then the chances are they'd be looking for a quick sale, and would be more flexible than some in terms of negotiation. If the seller says the car is a little thirsty, then this is also scope for negotiation, as they would have just bought or be looking to buy a new one.
Are you the original owner?
If the answer is yes, this is ideal, depending on service history and what kind of person you believe the seller is. If they look as though they might like to drive enthusiastically, then this may not be so good, because the car will have been subject to this treatment for most/all of it's life. If it's a woman, the odds are that it's been driven sensibly. In most instances, if the car has had a lady owner since new, or had only one lady owner previously, then it'll probably be in good order.
Has it got a full service history?
This is a good one - this allows you to see whether the car has been regularly and thoroughly maintained through it's life.
Where did you buy it?
Not the most important question, but still a good one - cars sold on forecourts have to meet the criteria set out in CPR (Consumer Protection Regulations Act 2008) and SoGA (Sale of Goods Act 1979), and are therefore a safer buy, but they are more expensive. As such, if someone bought it from a forecourt at an elevated price, there's a good chance they'll pass this extra expenditure onto you, but you wouldn't have quite the same protection in a private sale, making that extra outlay a bit pointless. There isn't a lot you can do about their answer, but it is a factor to be considered.
It's never a bad idea to take a vehicle inspector with you to any viewing. The only downside to it would be cost. Critically, the VIN numbers in the windscreen, on the engine and on the chassis (usually under the bonnet) should all match up, and if they don't, a good solid explanation should be there to explain it. This helps to determine whether parts have been swapped round or whether the vehicle is the one it says it is in the V5C
Once you're happy, avoid paying in cash - You've got less to fall back on if anything should go wrong.
Hopefully this little guide will offer some insight into the world of buying used. I bought my car used and I love it! There were of course a couple of things I wish I'd checked, but all said and done now - It's working well and has done for a good while now, and I hope it continues to do so.
Resources
http://www.oft.gov.uk/shared_oft/reports/676408/oft1242.pdf
http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/BuyingAndSellingAVehicle/AdviceOnBuyingAndSellingAVehicle/DG_4022402
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/advice/2010/09/buying/buying-a-used-car
