Buying a used car

BuyingACar

I am planning to buy a 2.5 year old car from a reputable nationwide car dealership chain. I've researched the price and it seems fair. I've checked the car registration details on the DVLA website, and they are accurate.

What else do I need to check?

Thank you!

Ultrasonic

Have you driven the car?

GJ_WRX

If its from a big group then they will no doubt have HPI'd it, jsut ask them to see a copy of it.

Check the Co2 level on the car so you can work out the road tax band to make sure its not too high. Worth checking how much the insurance will be.

Make sure its had its first services, may even be worth asking if they will do the next one as may well be due soon.

Sure you will be make sure you take it for a nice long test drive on various road to check its the car for you. When you take it out test all the buttons and switches to make sure they all work. Check the condition of the interior for rips and tears. Also check mirrors and bumpers for damage. If anything is damamge make sure they will fix it prior to collection.

Seen as its so new I wouldn't worry to much about the mechanical side as will still be covered by the original warranty.

Hope that helps a bit

gilbert_and_sullivan

In whose eyes is this national chain reputable, do some googling of your own with sensible keywords to be sure.

A sales bod at such a place will be pushing you to take out finance, gap insurance, warranty, superfleeceyouguard and anything else he can think of to load his wallet, so have all these things covered or priced up elsewhere if you want any of them before entering those icy shark infested waters.

Read any small print and assume every word that he utters is a lie until proven different.

The most important thing is to research the car model you are buying as much as possible for all its faults before going to see it, you need to know its or its makers weaknesses before wasting a second or a penny on travelling to view the thing.

jm2926

What's the mileage? Check the tyres, look for stone chips and scuffs on the alloys. Make sure the car is viewed clean and in the dry. So you can assess the bodywork/paint.

Are you paying cash or taking finance/loan? If not cash compare the total price to pay not the "screen" price

BuyingACar

Thank you for all the information.

The dealer is Evans Halshaw. I will hopefully be driving it and having a good look at it tomorrow (obviously won't buy it until I've done this!)

I will be paying cash.

It's done 20,000 miles

worried_jim

Reputable nationwide car dealership chain and Evans Halshaw don't belong in the same sentence.-

eg-
I can't even be bothered to write a full review on Evans Halshaw - they are such a shambles.
Here is my story, cut short:

A) I had a Mercedes and needed to downsize.
Because my car would be worth more that the car I would be buying, I needed someone I could trust to pay me the difference.
Cue Evans Halshaw:

1) I phoned them (from AutoTrader) and got put through to a salesman
2) Told I didn't need to book an appointment to test drive the car, I turned up on the afternoon
3) When I turned up to the garage, no one would help me because the salesman I spoke to was with some one else
4) I waited half an hour to see the salesman - even though others were clearly available.
5) After speaking to the salesman, he told me to meet him round the front where he would bring the car
6) It took a further 15 minutes for the car to brought around - it was now wet and clearly, they had washed the car while I was waiting
7) The test drive was less than ten minutes.
8) Into the office and I agreed a cashback deal (where the dealer pays you because your car is worth more than the car you buy)
Right, I had wasted 45 minutes of my life waiting around. But now I am a customer, I will be treated better, yes? Well, read on:

I phoned on the day the car was supposed to be ready for collection and was told 'everything was ready'.
1) I was asked to go to garage at around 4pm to collect the car I had chosen
2) The salesman was not available
3) I waited until ten past five (another 1 hour and ten minutes) to see the salesman
4) Paperwork was signed and the salesman tried to get my cheque (as they were paying me)
5) Oh dear, no cheque was ready (I though 'everything was ready') and it couldn't be arranged now because the staff that sign cheques leave at 5pm. Really.
6) Ok, I take the replacement car and as I am about to leave I suddenly get told that a problem was found with the car and I will need to bring it back in when the new part arrives (I thought 'everything was ready')

I am now left with no cheque for money they owe me and no spare part, so much for a 'service'.
Well, a week passes, no sign of the cheque, no call for the spare part to be fitted (I am unsure what it was because the salesman "couldn't remember").

I decide to chase the cheque:
1) I phone 6 days later to ask where my cheque is to be told no one can help but I should turn up the next day to collect it because the salesman will be in
2) The next day, I go to the garage to be told the salesman is not in
3) I speak to a different salesman who takes the paperwork to the admin department
4) Put in reception, a receptionist asks me why I am there after 30 minutes, I explain and she says she will sort it out
5) Another 15 minutes later (45 minutes of waiting), I get fed up and tell them I am taking them to the small claims court unless the cheque is with me the next day
6) I drive home and within minutes of me arriving, I get a call - oh, the cheque is ready
7) I now have to drive back to collect this cheque and the person I deal with states that the 'administration department cannot just drop what they are doing' - even though the customer is waiting and it should have been done a week ago?

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Reviews/Evans_Halshaw__21702

GJ_WRX

Thought you said it was a reputable dealer... joking!

Evans Halshaw work on the premis of buying them cheap and selling them cheap and turning over a lot of vehicles. See if you can check the log book to see who the previous owner was, they tend to buy a lot of ex fleet, motability and rental cars. Nothing wrong with any of them but nice to know what its been doing the past few years.Fleets cars tend to have higher miles but good history, Motabiltiy tend to have lower miles with good history but may have damage from adaptions and rental cars can be somewhere in the middle. Just be aware that the latter will have had a lot of drivers over the years who do not care about the car.

EH customer service isn't always great so best to make sure you are 100% happy with the car before parting with your hard earned!

cardinalbiggles

GJ_WRX wrote: »

If its from a big group then they will no doubt have HPI'd it, jsut ask them to see a copy of it.

Why are people worried about this when buying from a dealer?

If its not been paid for the car still belongs to you and the dealer is responsible. Private sales are of course a different kettle of fish.

BuyingACar

HPI-wise then, I don't need to bother with a £20 check from the AA or Autotrader? Because the dealer should have done it, and even if they haven't it's their problem not mine?

I've googled the weaknesses of the car - it doesn't really seem to have any!

OddballJamie

BuyingACar wrote: »

HPI-wise then, I don't need to bother with a £20 check from the AA or Autotrader? Because the dealer should have done it, and even if they haven't it's their problem not mine?

I've googled the weaknesses of the car - it doesn't really seem to have any!

What car are you buying?