Buying used. When it comes to car purchases, determining between the two predominant options – pre-loved or brand-new from the dealer’s – is crucial. However, if you go down the used route, there’s potentially more risk involved. Luckily, so long as you know what you’re looking for, negating the potential risks becomes easier. Fortunately, the tips and ideas we’ve outlined today might prove helpful for this decision.
Seven Crucial Things You Should Look for From Used Cars
When looking for your new purchase, there’s lots to keep in mind. As part of this, some of the most integral points you should look out for include the following.If you’re planning to travel extensively or relocate with your vehicle, considering options like https://www.shiply.com/
- Make sure the seller has the V5 logbook. If the seller does not have the V5, they are likely not the registered owner of the car.
- Legitimate listing details. One of the first things you need to watch for is a legit listing. Try to make sure information in the advert matches with the photos and videos of the car.
- Check the seller’s history. When choosing a vehicle, always verify the seller by checking their account. Many scam sellers will have brand new accounts or may have sold suspicious numbers of vehicles, among other factors.
- Ask for additional photos. If the seller is genuine, they should be happy to get extra (potentially specific) photos. If they won’t do this, it could be that they don’t own the car.
- Check the bodywork for scratches and damage. Many damaged cars will be touched up before sale to make them look better. As such, checking the bodywork for scratches can help you see if the car has previously suffered damage.
- Look inside to check the upholstery. The inside of a car is often overlooked. However, the internal upholstery and equipment can say a lot about how the car has been used and cared for.
- Take the car for a test drive to see how it runs. You may not be able to see many problems when a car is still. As such, always take the car for a test drive to ensure it’s running smoothly. Always make sure you have insurance to cover this first, of course.
These are just a few of the main points you should look for. Hopefully, by looking for these, you should be able to find a vehicle that works for your unique needs.
Don’t Take a Chance
At the end of the day, sellers aren’t always truthful in what they’re saying. Of course, we often like to hope they will be; however, there’s always the chance they could be trying to mislead you – or could even have been misled themselves. In this case, we strongly recommend taking your checks a step further than just taking the seller’s word. The simplest way to do this is to run a car check on the vehicle to help.
All you need to get started is the vehicle’s plate. Once you have this, simply enter it into the software; in moments, you’ll receive information about the vehicle. This can include the basic cosmetic features, mileage and MOT records, financing, and write-off/stolen status, and so on. This can help you make a more informed choice.