Would you buy a one year old car from a private seller?

rubble2

I am looking at a particular make and model of car and have found one being sold by a private seller.

The car has done 3,500 miles on a '75' plate. The asking price is quite low for the spec of the car (it is selling for around the price of a '25' plate from a dealer.)

I realise of course that I would have little if any comeback if things go wrong but is it a chance worth taking, and if so what precautions should I take to minimise the risk?

(owner has stated that the arrival of a company car is the reason for sale)

Thanks

born_again

Just do the normal checks.

Such as it is not crash repaired.

WellKnownSid

Make sure the V5 matches the ID of the owner and the address of the car - ignore claims of “I’m selling it on behalf of my sister / brother / cousin”.

Don’t send any money to “reserve” the car.

Car_54

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81979121#Comment_81979121

How does one do that?

ladruid

Use one of the car check companies, total car check for example. There are hundreds out there that check the history of a vehicle.

LightFlare

what car/model etc and how much are you looking at ?

Myci85

Private used car sales are usually better value than from dealers, and the seller probably realises that for someone to choose to buy a 1 year old car instead of a brand new one, they need to price it competitively.

As mentioned above, pay a small fee to get a few checks done (I've used the RAC checker before but there are lots) and this will tell you if it's ever been written off/got a CAT marker on it, been registered stolen, or got outstanding finance on it. That last one might be key for such a new car as I expect 90% buy new cars on finance.

Other than that just the usual things to be aware of with a private sale, don't send any money before seeing the car, test drive it and satisfy yourself that all seems legit.

Altior

Important to remember that many cars are crashed and repaired, under the radar of the marker system. That is only relevant if it has gone through insurance. Salvage Rebuilds UK turnover numerous vehicles that have no marker. It's a real eye opener to be honest.

The odds are you'd probably be fine, but at that level I would leave private sales to the professionals. Unless you have one that you can use.

Ayr_Rage

Get a good inspection and check for outstanding finance.

victor2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6665898/would-you-buy-a-one-year-old-car-from-a-private-seller

Also check if the manufacturer warranty will transfer in full to a new owner. Most do, but still worth checking. They generally require that the maintenance schedule has been followed. Can't be much on a one year old car, but make sure it's been done.

chuffinnora

If its only 1 year old I'm guessing its a fairly significant sum you are looking to pay (car dependant)? Personally I think you are right to be cautious on such a private sale. Most will be genuine but improve your chances.

You could consider paying an expert to attend and check it out, I believe RAC as an example sell this service.

Better that than end up many £1k's out of pocket if this was suspect.

Having said that I have sold relatively newish cars when getting a company car in the past. But i've gone the extra mile to prove history, purchase and circumstances, including the company car. Important to make the buyer confident.