Buying a used car on CC, extra protection?

Mr.Boy

I’m looking to buy a cheap used car to use for a few months, perhaps around the 2k mark. It’s hard to find any dealer who doesn’t have at least a couple of reviews “it exploded 500m down the road and they wouldn’t fix it” so I’m nervous.

 I’m aware of the 2015 consumer rights law (lemon law) but even so, you could end up having to go to small claims court.

 So I wondered, would the additional consumer protections you get using a credit card apply? Anything up to 5k I could pay that way if needed

 thanks

retiredbanker1

What protection are you expecting?
Will it cover you for repairs for something not expected to last (eg brakes clutch timing chain etc) the answer is no but if they misrepresent the car to you you may have protection.

If it was me I would get an independent report before buying from RAC/AA/Green Flag etc.
Also get a warranty (read what it covers and what is not covered again before you purchase).

Good luck.

Mr.Boy

I’m thinking more if it breaks down in the first couple of weeks and they refuse to do anything.. a very cheap car may come with no warranty and claims “sold as seen” but the law says if it’s not acceptable for use it can be returned for a refund within 30 days. So my specific case was if that happens and the dealer refuses - it could take months to resolve through the courts and I thought that’s the sort of thing you can go to the CC provider for?

Brie

Saw a great exchange for a local car place where someone complained about their car breaking down so quickly.  The guy that sold the car replied with a "!!!!!! did you expect for that price?"   Definitely the sort of place to avoid.  

Must admit this is why when we've bought cars we've stuck to places we know have a good reputation, weren't pushy about making a sale, didn't follow you around while you were looking etc.  Or main dealers selling trade ins.  But at your price the main dealers won't keep a car that cheap so see if you can find out who the dealers sell the cars on to.  We discovered a place that bought the cheap trade ins from the Honda and VW dealers and they were very good cars, dirt cheap and nice to deal with.  

eskbanker

If you pay (any of it) by credit card then you have the same rights against the creditor that you have against the supplier, so it's not a silver bullet - in the event of a breach of contract then you still have to make a case to convince the card company to stump up, which would often entail obtaining an independent expert report for example.

fatbelly

Dealers seem to prefer payment by debit card so you will have to check in advance whether they will accept credit cards