Buying used car - advice please

roadsidetree

Hi,

i posted this query on the "Marriage, Relationships & Families" fora. based on the advice that I got there, I am posting my query here. Here I go -

today OH passed car practical test.

currently we have a 5-door Peugeot 106 1997 reg. we are thinking of exchanging this and buying a similar small size car - ideally a jap make, 5 door one with decent boot. This will be necessary to take 3 month old SM out and about.

now the question is how to go about buying an used car

- we checked out honda/toyota used company car showrooms and what we saw was way beyond our budget.
- a mate of OH is a mechanic but they are not in good terms now. so can't go to that person.
- we both are skeptical about ebay. heard lots of sad stories so want to stay well clear from ebay

we have a budget of £1500 on top of exchange.

any idea how to go about buying a quality used car? can some kindly help me please :question:

JBsplit

hi,i wouldnt buy from ebay, if you go to a honda dealer they normaly get rid of the cheap cars rather than offer them out because they simply look bad on the forcourt along side rows of spanking new ones.
ebay is where people get-rid to hide upcoming problems and there is no comeback you cant often test drive them either.

go back to your honda dealer and get them to call you if any cheap ones come in, they do get them as trade ins but dont normaly sell them on directly.
the auto trader website is a good place to source local cars and at least you can view them.

things to look out for, make sure all the numbers match the logbook should match the numbers on the car, look out for etched windows often the registration number is eched on windows and headlights if you find an odd one or one missing it could mean it was once stolen or broken into.

does the wear on the pedals and seats seem to match the mileage.

if you buy from a local garage dont assume its all kosha do your own checks.

i personaly would have an HPI check done regardless of where you buy from and get the best check you can some of the cheaper services from hpi only confirm basic details, pay for the best.
if your a total novice mechanic its worth paying for an AA/RAC vehicle inspection and any honest seller wont mind you doing this(even a main dealer)

so try the auto trader website and your local press can often hide a bargin, keep going to main dealers to see if they have any trade ins,go to non-honda dealers as well they might be hiding a honda 'round the back' waiting to trade it out to an auction.

chris73

I've bought a car and van from Ebay in the last 3 years, also my Stepfathers Brother-in-law bought his Mondeo from there too, non of us have had any problems, and they were all bargains!.

Like any 2nd hand car purchase always make sure that you do a comprehensive HPI and History check before you visit the Vehicle just to make sure that you are buying a car with clear finance or accident history. Also make sure that its got full service history, ideally from a main dealer but a lot of independants can be just as good.

Its also a good idea to get several insurance quotes, find out how easy consumables are to obtain and how often the servicing is and how much it costs. MPG is also a huge factor, with petrol rumoured to go well over £1 a ltr shortly. Running costs can obviously marr an otherwise perfect "bargain".

Buying from Ebay is no more risky than buying from an ordinary car auction IMO, in fact if you can visit the sellor before placing a bid you actually have a chance to have a run out in it, unlike a conventional car auction were you arrive on the day and bid sold as seen with limited opportunities!. So in comparison Ebay is less of a risk!.

Its a fact that most people who criticise buying vehicles from Ebay have never ACTUALLY done so themselves and are speaking from their own prejudices (or internet chinese whispers) rather than having had a negative experience themselves.

Remember that buying a car on Ebay is no different in practice than any private car sale from the local paper or Auto Trader, you just need to be aware, know what to look for and spend a small amount of money doing the background checks.

At the end of the day, if you buy a car on ebay without seeing it and its been wrongly described when you arrive to pick it up then simply don't hand over the payment and walk away. The worst that can happen is that you'll get negative feedback - Big Deal its better than buying a dog!. Besides common sense dictates that It's highly unlikely anybody selling a genuinely dodgy car is going to report you to ebay for ducking out of the deal and draw attention to themselves is it!.

I've actually had more negative experiences dealing with mainline dealers than I have on Ebay.

Mookfish

I bought my current car on e-bay, a 1991 renault 19 auto. It passed its mot on monday after replacing part of the exhaust and the headlight switch. Given that the headlight switch broke the day before and the exhaust had lasted 6 months after I bought the car, I don't think buying from ebay was a problem.

Remember, a car sells every 2 mins on ebay (so the ads say anyway) thats approx. 5040 a week, so yes there will be a few horror storys, but thats true of private sales and dealers as well.

ArsenalFC

Buying from ebay can sound daunting but if you know a little about cars then its a good place to buy. I too got a bmw coupe last year from ebay for £2050 and this year I have written it off and got £2850 from the insurance company.The car gave me no trouble whatsoever.

Buying from ebay doesn't mean you cannot test drive the car, I will always test drive them to make sure the condition as described. I will walk away if the car wasn't as describe, couldn't care less about feedback, in fact i will give the seller bad feedback if this ever occur.

I would recommend you to get a toyota yaris if your budget with the pug106 stretch that far. It is one of the best small cars made.

I actually also got a nissan micra from ebay too for our work a 2000w for £1500 a year ago, it was worth £2000 at the time. Changes all the tyres and had oil change for £125 immediately, then this year got a second alternator and new disc and brake pads for it costing £150. Still did not come to the value of last year.

JBsplit

just so you know, you CAN return a car to an auction within 7 days for major mechanical faults or if you discover its stolen.

John_G66

I've bought cars at the auction before kept em for a year or more and have always got what I paid back = free motoring.

Tell you what, find out were your local BCA or Manheim auction is, get yourselves down there, buy a catalogue (2 quid) and write down on it what the cars go for. Then, when you get home, go on the parkers website and put in the vehicle details (in the car valuation guide) and you will be amazed. You will have nothing to lose just going and seeing how the traders pick something up for 3k give it a valet and put it on the forecourt for 5k, go and see !!.

tomstickland

I've always bought cars privately and it's the method I prefer, though I would consider Ebay auctions as an extension of this. Obviously, don't pay until the car has been seen and taken for a test drive.

JBsplit

if you go to a BCA auction go an a day that sells EX-motability cars there always low milage and as there ex-contract hire there always fully serviced.
they can be cheaper because there often dirty inside but cheap.
90% of our cars are sourced from the motabilty scheme.