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Want to buy a previously owned car but don’t know where to begin?
Our sister title What Car? has just announced its Used Car Awards for 2018, a guide we hope will help direct you to your next car. But how do you go about buying it? Autocar’s svengali of the secondhand, James Ruppert, guides you through the used car jungle.
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Private sale
Here’s where you could get lucky and meet a very lovely person who has a truly lovely car to sell. You could be buying from someone who is passionate and protective and has clearly cherished what you want to own, plus they have a folder full of service history and a plausible reason to sell. So the rule is always to buy an enthusiast’s car from an enthusiast, if you can.
On the other hand, they may regularly sell cars for cash without a word to the tax man. That makes them car dealers without any of the responsibilities or warranties.
Genuine private sellers may have the balance of a factory warranty, or an independent one, or one that applies to specific parts, be they tyres, batteries or alternators, so do ask. There’s no comeback if you have a problem, provided they haven’t misled you or sold an unroadworthy car.
WHY YOU WOULD
They have the perfect car
WHY YOU WOULDN’T
There are no comebacks
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Franchised main dealer
The point here is that you’ll pay more for the car because franchises have big, big overheads. The upside, of course, is that the cars should be the very best available and they’ll come with a great warranty. The car should have a main dealer service history and the dealer should be able to sort out any issues to your total satisfaction. Ideally you should be getting something pretty close to the new car buying experience, and the whole deal is completely manufacturer backed. There should even be a no-quibble 30-day return policy. Oh yes, they will take whatever you have in part exchange.
The downside to main dealers is that because of space and these sorts of policies, the dealer’s used range may not be all that big, so you will be offered nearly new or fairly expensive two or three-year old models. For many used car buyers, though, that’s about as risky as they would ever want to get.
WHY YOU WOULD
Cast-iron cars sold with cast-iron guarantees
WHY YOU WOULDN’T
Too pricey and not enough choice
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Car supermarket
Well, the main reason to go to a car supermarket is that they have loads of cars to choose from, which, of course, is good, plus it’s often arranged in related rows to make it even easier for you to browse, just like a real supermarket.
What you will find, though, is that the windscreen prices are plus an admin fee and are usually non-negotiable. Some of the stock also comes direct from company & car hire fleet auctions and can be scruffy, so you might need to offset the asking price against refurbishment, a service and a thorough valet.
WHY YOU WOULD
Choice – masses of it, as far as the eye can see
No haggling (for some a plus)
WHY YOU WOULDN’T
No haggling
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Independent dealer
These can vary hugely when it comes to both customer care and the quality of the stock. Specialists in a particular marque or type of car can be particularly good, however, and long-established family concerns often have a local reputation to keep. Independents will part-exchange your old car and should offer a warranty, but check what it actually covers. Their stock should be spring cleaned, serviced and given an MOT before sale. If not, they’re not doing a proper job, so look elsewhere.
WHY YOU WOULD
Friendly, local and hassle-free
WHY YOU WOULDN’T
Sometimes scruffy cars
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Auctions
Buying at auction presents several major drawbacks which can make it a less-than-ideal used car buying experience. First off, you can’t drive the cars before bidding begins, or until you have actually bought and paid for it, plus you can’t look inside until the last minute when it’s driven into the ring.
So the twin tenets of buying a decent used car are broken right there. Then there are the fees. You might think you’ve paid less than the market rate, but the hammer price goes up once all the fees are tagged on. Also things happen really, really fast. That’s exciting, but it’s also a worry, as you can quickly become the owner of something that you believe has four wheels but otherwise remains something of a mystery.
So not for the novice, then, or the purist for that matter. Experts only should bid.
WHY YOU WOULD
You might get a bargain
WHY YOU WOULDN’T
You might not
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Buying online
The joy of the interweb is that the whole wide world of used car classified ads is there on a screen in front of you. Obviously the flipside is that it puts temptation at the tip of your bidding finger. What you must remember is that just because the car is online, there is no reason why the normal rules of buying a used car should be ignored.
You really do need to see it in the flesh, especially if the vehicle is in the same country as you. If it isn’t then you must speak to the owner by phone/Skype and use clever modern-day devices to view the car and documentation. Do a ton of research about the seller, check feedback and, like a real live auction, set a bidding limit and stick to it. There are many frauds out there, the most common of which is advertising a car for well below market value; when contacted, the seller will say they will ship the car to you from some faraway location – after you pay them via Western Union or similar services. Don’t do it – these are ALWAYS FRAUDS. They will take your money and never be seen again.
WHY YOU WOULD
It can be fun and you might get a bargain
WHY YOU WOULDN’T
Trust issues. Does it actually exist?
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The roadside once-over
You don’t need to get your hands dirty — just use your senses and take a knowing mate.
● Tyres: You want the same tread pattern and make on each axle at least, not some remoulds you’ve never heard of. Different tread depths suggest alignment/suspension issues.
● Alloy wheels: Chipped, scraped and caked in brake dust? An owner who doesn’t care.
● Vin plate: Make sure the VIN on the car (usually on the bottom of the windscreen) matches the logbook aka V5C aka Vehicle Registration document and haven’t been tampered with.
● History: Old MOTs are worth studying for continuity and will usually contain odometer readings. Plus you might find a bill for a new front end after an accident.
● Electrics: Press and prod everything and use your mate to tell you if the lights work. Air-conditioning often goes wrong on older cars - make sure it blows very cold air on its coldest setting shortly after starting the engine.
● Levels: Look at the oil, water and hydraulic fluids. all should be fresh and at the max level.
● Bodywork: Panel gaps, bits of dirt in the paint, overspray? it’s all about observation.
● Locks: Make sure they work smoothly. If they catch, perhaps there’s been a big prang.
● The owner: Do you trust them? Can they afford to run the car they’re selling?
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Independent checks
When buying a specialist car, especially privately, it’s a good idea to call in an expert. An independent report on a car’s condition by an engineer is vital to avoid making a costly mistake. Having an inspection means faults can be pointed out so you can negotiate on the price or insist that the seller fixes the problems before you buy. It isn’t worth paying for an inspection on every car you see, though, just the one you actually want to buy. The AA charges from £128 for members and the RAC asks for £99, but Click Mechanic starts at £50.
For classics and sports cars you may need to get a specialist to do it through a car club. At the very least you should never look at a car alone, however mechanically competent you are.
An inexpensive check could save you a fortune; a new engine for a 2011 Range Rover runs to nearly £16,000, while a new braking system on a 2007 BMW Z4 will set you back £1300, to give just two examples.
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Warranty worries
Like any form of insurance, a car warranty is a precautionary measure that could save you paying out unexpected mechanical and electrical breakdown costs. Before purchasing a car warranty, you should weigh up the pros and cons and take certain factors into consideration. Is the car warranty worth the cost in comparison with the car’s value and costs to fix? How likely is your car to break down? Unfortunately, you should read the small print.
Warranties can vary widely, so make sure you are clear on what exactly is covered. Most cars sold under manufacturer approved-used schemes have some sort of warranty.
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How to pay
If someone wants cash, well, it’s their right to ask, but do you really want the hassle of carting thousands of quid around? Also, some sellers don’t have the car and just want to meet you in a lay-by and cosh you for the money. Don’t have nightmares, but it does happen. So keep it virtual.
Cheques are so last century and will take an age to clear, but they’re okay if you and the seller are prepared to wait. Dealers will, of course, take anything, including your old motor as part exchange, but put what you can on a credit card, as you stand an outside chance of getting the money back if things go pear-shaped.
A debit card is instant. Also consider a bank transfer, which, depending on your account, will see the money instantly transfer, although it doesn’t always show up online straight away. But many transactions under £10,000 done via a bank transfer on your smartphone go through more-or-less instantly. This is a good route for private transactions where the parties trust each other, and avoids bankers draft hassle. Another good way to pay privately is PayPal. This shows up instantly and has a degree of buyer protection, like a credit card.
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Your rights if your used car goes wrong
We could get bogged down by legal speak here. In the simplest terms, you have six months to complain to a dealer about a fault. A car should also be free from defects, unless they were pointed out to you by the dealer, or are the sort of fault which should have been revealed by an inspection. The car should also be as described, so a one-owner car must be just that and fit for any normal purpose, meaning it must be reasonably reliable and capable of any tasks you specify, such as seating seven passengers, or towing.
The longer any dispute goes on, the less chance you have of rejecting the car. Some dealers will string it out and then invoke the warranty, so you end up paying for repairs. Just reject the car, take it back and ask for a refund. Letters of rejection are downloadable from the web, so don’t be fobbed off. When it comes to private sales, unless the seller has misdescribed the car or sold you one that’s unroadworthy, sorting out issues will depend on how reasonable they are and how confidently you approach them.
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Admin/final checks
There are three checks you can make from the comfort of your sofa. The DVLA’s free MOT Status Check Request, MOT History Request and Vehicle Enquiry will confirm the car’s details and give an indication of the recorded mileage. When it comes to checking whether the car is stolen, still on finance or a write-off, an HPI check does the job. It will cost £19.99 for the peace of mind, but dealers will do this as routine.
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