Sale of Goods Act 1979 is enough to choose dealership over private seller?

CakeIsALie

I'm talking about buying an used car.

I've read somewhere, apparently, that if a car bought from a dealership breaks down within a specified time period (I think it was 6 months) after the sale, they are liable for it and thus so they have to prove it that it wasn't their fault which is notoriously difficult. Essentially, it's free warranty.

This perk isn't available when bought from a private seller.

Is it worth it?

Quentin

Depends how old the car and how much you are paying.


The warranty isn't free, as you would expect to pay less to a private seller than a dealer would charge for the same car.

CakeIsALie

Quentin wrote: »

Depends how old the car and how much you are paying.


The warranty isn't free, as you would expect to pay less to a private seller than a dealer would charge for the same car.

I'm looking at cars from between 2004 to 2006. They all cost between £1000 to £2000.

Dealers surcharge isn't very high in this case. They're typically £100 or so. Some dealers price it same as private sellers.

forgotmyname

Buying from a dealership is OK. But at the price range your looking at then you have to take into account age and general wear and tear.

Some dealers price it the same as private sellers because private sellers see the adverts and assume their car is worth the same. In reality the dealer will give them substantially less money for it.

Haggle that private sale down and you can save a lot of money.

There isnt a great deal that wont be worn on a 8 - 10 year old car. And if the dealer claims to be a new business then you wont see a penny.

CakeIsALie

Thanks. I think I'll go for dealers and try to haggle the price down. I doubt that money saved by haggling the price down with private sellers would completely cover the cost of parts if the car breaks within 6 months.

Bantex_2

A car of that age will not be fully covered by SoGA for 6 months.

AdrianC

SoGA doesn't even promise a brand spankin' new car will be perfect for six months. It _certainly_ doesn't do anything of that kind for a decade-old car for a grand...

If that's your budget, buy privately - you will get a MUCH better car for the same money, or the same car MUCH cheaper. Just think about how a dealer can make money on selling a car for a grand, whilst taking his overheads and legal outgoings and responsibilities into account...

arcon5

The soga excludes 'fair wear and tear'. And you can bet there will be a lot of wear on a ten year old car.

example,
clutch goes at 80k. 70k on the clo ck when you bought it. Fair wear imo - having lasted 80000miles. If though it was advertised as having had a new clutch 10k miles ago you could well have a case for a remedy by the dealer

arcon5

And of course remember there are alot of fly by night dealers in this price range so enforcing potential rights can be difficult. So choose dealers carefully

salubrious

arcon5 wrote: »

And of course remember there are alot of fly by night dealers in this price range so enforcing potential rights can be difficult. So choose dealers carefully

This is very good advice. Small independent dealers for the most part are past the 1-2k bracket, especially the more reputable dealers.

Be careful what you're buying in that price range - It might be a wise idea to invest in paying someone who knows his/her stuff to come along with you over and above trying to knock a dealer down in price.

motorguy

CakeIsALie wrote: »

I'm talking about buying an used car.

I've read somewhere, apparently, that if a car bought from a dealership breaks down within a specified time period (I think it was 6 months) after the sale, they are liable for it and thus so they have to prove it that it wasn't their fault which is notoriously difficult. Essentially, it's free warranty.

This perk isn't available when bought from a private seller.

Is it worth it?

This understanding is wrong.

The SOGA refers to FAULTS, not wear and tear.

If your car breaks down 4 months after you bought it because say the clutch went or a throttle cable broke, if it was a 2004 car with 100,000 miles it would be reasonable to assume it was wear and tear - which is NOT covered under the SOGA.

The process goes along the lines of :-

• Car has a problem.
• Dealer has the right to examine the car (ie, you cant just take it to your local mechanic then bill the dealer)
• The dealer then decides if its a fault or wear and tear.
• If he decides its wear and tear then hes not obliged to cover it.
• If its a fault, he can decide to repair it, refund you, or replace the car with a similar one - at his discretion. ie, if theres a £2000 turbo failure on a £500 car it would make more business sense for him to refund.
• Also, its a sliding scale - the longer since you bought the car, the less liability he has. And if he has to refund you after 6 months (extremely unlikely), he can make an adjustment in the refund price

Of course if he declines - rightly or wrongly - to repair the car, then its not just a matter of waving the SOGA, or ringing Consumer Direct or trading standards - YOU have to take the dealer to court, which may take months or years.