Most used car transactions go through without a hitch. In general, the newer the car you buy, the less risk there is of having to pay for expensive repair work. But, sometimes, people can\u2019t afford to purchase a car that\u2019s only a year or two old.<\/p>\n
Are you someone that prefers to buy cars that are five to ten years old? If so, it\u2019s likely you might come across vehicles that aren\u2019t shining examples of how cars should get looked after by their owners.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why it is important to do plenty of checks before you hand over any money for a used car. Keep reading to learn about the most common checks you must do before you buy one.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s say that you\u2019ve come across a used car for sale that you like. You want to make an offer for it. The first thing you should do is confirm that the vehicle comes with all the necessary paperwork.<\/p>\n
In the United Kingdom, all cars must have a V5C document. In a nutshell, this is the British equivalent of the \u201ctitle\u201d that cars have across the water in the USA. Without these documents, you cannot sell a car to someone by law.<\/p>\n
They are proof of ownership and are essential documents to keep. After all; you can\u2019t sell a car you don\u2019t legally own! It\u2019s also important to scrutinise the documents themselves. Some unscrupulous sellers try to sell stolen cars with fake ownership paperwork.<\/p>\n
Check that the documents have watermarks, no spelling mistakes and show the name and address of the person you are talking to. If you suspect fraud is getting committed, walk away and contact the police.<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t matter whether you are buying from a private seller. Or even a trusted dealer like Car Giant,\u00a0always check the registration documents!<\/p>\n
Although not mandatory, it also helps if the car you\u2019re buying comes with a full service history. For some reason, many sellers \u201close\u201d their paperwork. In some cases, it\u2019s possible to track down where the car may have got serviced in the past and request copies of paperwork.<\/p>\n
While you got access to the paperwork, be sure to compare the written VIN with the one stamped on the car. The usual places you can find it on the car are by the windscreen and in the engine bay. Some cars also have the VIN stamped by the driver\u2019s footwell or door pillar.<\/p>\n
Be sure to do a HPI check and enter both the VIN and the car\u2019s licence plate number details. That way, you can confirm the vehicle wasn\u2019t stolen or written off by an insurance company in the past.<\/p>\n
Once you have confirmed that the car isn\u2019t dodgy, the next stage is to get some mechanical checks done before you hand over any money. If you\u2019re spending five-figure sums on a used car, it always pays to get these checks done first.<\/p>\n
They will flag up any significant problems with the car. And they can give you room for further negotiation on the price in case you need to do any repairs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Most used car transactions go through without a hitch. In general, the newer the car you buy, the less risk there is of having to pay for expensive repair work. But, sometimes, people can\u2019t afford to purchase a car that\u2019s… Continue Reading