Car Buyers Guide

Tips for Buying a Used Car

There are many pitfalls when buying a used car, this list of tips will help you to avoid them.

Clocking

This is the practice of altering the mileage on display. A car may have covered 150,000 miles but the display may only show 50,000. This is a serious offence as it completely misrepresents the vehicle and may radically alter the value.

To check if the car has been ‘clocked’ check for worn screws on the dashboard. If the car has low mileage for the year but has a worn drivers seat, steering wheel and lots of stone chips on the bonnet then heed these warning signs. Most cars cover around 10,000 miles a year except for ex-company cars that are usually higher.

Another way to verify a cars mileage is to check the services history and MOT certificates. If there is no service history and only the most recent MOT certificate then walk away. If there is a service history booklet then don’t be afraid to call the service centres listed in the booklet and verify the services were actually carried out.

Vehicle Identity Theft – Cloning

This is the practice of giving a stolen vehicle the same number plates and VIN plates of another straight car that is exactly the same make, model and colour. This is often done to enable the sale of a stolen car but is increasingly done so that unscrupulous vehicle owners can avoid speeding fines and parking tickets.

When buying a used car be wary of parting with your money if the owner doesn’t have a V5c Registration Document. Make sure that the V5 has the owners details present and even ask to see photo identification to corroborate this. Cars that have been looked after should have garage bills and receipts present. Make sure that these have the correct registration details and that they match with the vehicles service history.

If you in any doubt at all about the legitimacy of the vehicle then do not hesitate to have it professionally checked out. If you do end up buying a cloned vehicle then you will end up losing both the car and the money that you paid for it.

Cut and Shut vehicles

This is the practice of cutting two cars in half (usually ones that have been accident damaged), welding them together and giving the new vehicle the identity of one of the donor cars.

The garages that specialise in this type of work are usually very good at what they do and unless you work in the motor trade, spotting one of these cut-and-shut vehicles is very hard. To be absolutely sure that you are buying a legitimate vehicle you should order a car data check from a company such as HPI.

Tips for buying a used car

When calling the number on the vehicle advertisement, always open the conversation with the line ‘Hello, I am calling about the car’. If the seller has to ask which car you mean, they are more than likely a dealer selling multiple vehicles. It is important to establish this as when buying a car you have extra protection when buying from a dealer.

If you suspect the seller is in fact a trader then do not agree to buy the car on private terms. You may have heard the term ‘sold as seen’, when buying from a private seller, this means that you buy the car as it is, including any problems. When buying from a dealer, a period of warranty is implied so the term ‘sold as seen’ does not apply.

When arranging to view a vehicle, do not arrange to view the car at a service station, lay-by or such similar place. Always arrange to view the vehicle at the sellers home and in the daytime when there is sufficient light.

If you are going to pay cash for a car, always take someone with you. The extra person will give you extra security when carrying the money and can also act as a second opinion when viewing the car.

General Advice

Make sure that you work out what the car will cost including the purchase price, insurance, tax, petrol and maintenance. Make sure to actor in the costs that are sometimes forgotten, do not get caught up in the excitement of buying a new car.

View many cars before deciding on which one to buy. The first one you see may seem to tick all of the boxes but the next one may be even better. By viewing a few different cars you are also in a position of power with the sellers, make sure that they know that you have other options.

When viewing a car always make sure that you do it during the day and never at night or when it is raining. The darkness and rain will hide a multitude of sins.

Do your homework on the cars selling price. If you are viewing a car that seems cheap compared to others on the market then view this is a danger sign.

Make sure to thoroughly check out the vehicles documents. The V5c Registration document should be in the sellers name and the service history, MOT certificate and any receipts for maintenance should all tie-in together. If there is only one MOT certificate and no service history then be wary of a clocked car.

Since the MOT process was computerised it is possible to check out the validity of an MOT certificate, this can be done by calling the DVLA on 0870 330 0444.

Do not be put off if the car is dirty, it can be cleaned. Just make sure that the dirt isn’t covering any damage to the bodywork or interior.

For your piece of mind, get a vehicle data check carried out by a company such as HPI.

If you do buy the vehicle then make sure that you get a receipt showing all of the cars details and the amount paid. This should be signed by both yourself and the seller and you should be given the green slip that tears off of the V5c, this is the new keepers supplement and shows that you have bought the car. The seller will then send off the V5c to the DVLA and you will receive a new copy showing you as the registered keeper.

We hope that you find these tips useful and that you find a car that you are happy with, if you feel that there is something that we should add to this page then please feel free to contact us.