Buying a used car can be a daunting experience to the unseasoned second-hander. However, if equipped with the right knowledge, you could save yourself a lot of money, and walk away with a really great deal! Read these 10 tips to help you make a correct purchasing decision on your next vehicle before you set out on your search.
1. Do your research
There are numerous options when it comes to how you search for and select your used car. How you decide to search for a car is your preference – some people prefer pouring through pages of cars, others prefer conducting an online search, while others prefer to pick up the phone and outline their exact specifications, so that an agency can search for them.
2. Take your time
Unless you are buying a car due to your last car being stolen or written-off, you should be able to plan accordingly so that you aren’t put in a position where you have to make a rush decision. Scanning the various websites and options ensures that you become familiar with the options within your budget.
3. Be suspicious
Conduct some comparative pricing analysis – if a certain website or second hand portal has continually higher prices, ask yourself why. Is it because they include a roadworthy check or similar in the price of the car? Are they imposing a service plan or forced warranty with the purchase? Or are they simply just marking up their stock too high? A rushed purchase puts you at risk of missing these aspects, and of possibly being taken for a ride.
4. Know your budget
When looking at used cars, you will be tempted to go “just over” your initial budget for that little extra something – perhaps you can get a car that is 2 years newer for an extra R2000. While at the time the incremental cost seems minimal, this will add significantly to the price you end up paying if you are financing the vehicle, and your monthly payments will be pushed up. If paying cash, you need to set aside an amount in your mind and stick to it, even if it means a slightly older or less flashy model.
5. Be very wary of used car dealers
Used car dealers have a bad reputation for a reason – more often than not they will have adjusted something on the car to throw it in a more favourable light. Most of this is fairly harmless, although morally dubious, while other aspects of this are illegal. The practice of “winding the odometer back on a high–mileage car in order to raise the asking price” is called “clocking”, and is illegal. If you get a funny feeling from a car dealer, trust your instinct and walk away.
6. Be willing to bargain
This is a largely unregulated market – whether buying from a dealer or a private seller, if you feel that the asking price is incongruent with what is on offer, say so. The worst that can happen is that the seller won’t budge, in which case, you should feel free to walk away and keep looking.
7. Be aware of stolen vehicles and cars that have been in accidents
While this should be disclosed using a specific code, there are ways and means to cover this up. Ensure your own mechanic inspects the vehicle to check for “cover ups”.
8. View the car in the day
An important tip for buying a used car is that you should never view a used car at night, or in the rain. You need to be able to see the car in its most “naked” form, and viewing and test-driving in the day makes it much harder to cover up small indiscretions. Make sure you test drive the car until you have a true notion of what driving it feels like. If the buyer only lets you drive it round the parking lot, don’t bother.
9. Get registration papers
Never buy a car without valid registration papers and a valid and current licence disc.
10. Be realistic
Buying a new car means that you are inheriting someone else’s bumps and scratches – remember that you are saving money by going second-hand, and accept the small imperfections.
Keep these 10 tips for buying a car in mind, and you won’t go wrong!
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