2 Simple rules to follow before buying a car

Hey there reader, you’re probably here because you want to buy a car sometime soon? This guide will teach you common mistakes buyers make when purchasing a car from websites such as the Auto Trader, Piston heads, and eBay.

Don’t be fooled by these dealers they will only tell you nothing but positive about the car of course it’s all a part of business but you need to know certain information to help you determine whether the car is used and abused or not, this will allow you to make a smarter choice.

Service History

A service book indicates every time the car has gone for a service, this is the best method of checking if the mileage of the car you are buying is indeed genuine and not played with depending on the age of the car you are buying.

Example:

You see an advert for a “Volkswagen Passat 2005 plate”.

This makes the car 7 years old; ideally the mileage should be around 60,000 to 80,000 – keep in mind the numbers do add up.

If someone bought the car in 2005 it makes it a 7 year old car so on average it would be doing around the 10K mileage per year (it makes sense) however…

Let’s say the same car was advertised but it has only done 25,000 miles, most people usually rush and think they’re getting a bargain without realising how a 7 year old car can only be driven 25,000 miles? It could be very possible that the car may have been in an accident which will be discussed later on in this guide.

To conclude, the “Service History” is a must when buying a car – make sure it has the full service history known as FSH.

HPI check

Many, I repeat many people make this mistake, never assume things no matter how genuine the buyer may seem, the car may have been bought under finance therefore has outstanding payments. By purchasing a car it means such finances are now transferred over for you to pay – in simple words you’ll have a loan company up your backside if you fall into this position.

Use my car check when purchasing a car. Inform the seller you will do a HPI check and take down the registration of the car as this will not only allow you to check if it has outstanding finances but if the car was involved in an accident in the past or the paint was changed then you’ll be aware. In addition if you pay an extra £5 with ‘my car check’ it will also give you data on the mileage which can be very handy as it gives you that peace of mind knowing the car is genuine. You can then either print off a hardcopy or the information for the particular car will be emailed to you.

Other points you should consider:

-          Take mechanic with you OR

-          Take somebody who knows about cars, engines, gearbox, body work etc.

-          Alternatively if you ask AA they will check the car for you A-Z and give you a report if something wrong comes out even after AA have given you a clear signal they will be responsible that is the benefit of taking this service as they are so confident that they will give you a proper report