Tips For Finding a Car Online

We’ve pulled together some tips for buying a new car online, and what to look out for to avoid getting a bad deal.

17:03 15 September 2017

Whether you’re looking for the best used Renault Glyn Hopkin in Essex has to offer, or are scrolling through pages on eBay looking for the only listing that doesn’t seem to be a complete rip-off, buying a car can be daunting. It’s a big purchase and when you hear about how many customers seem to be being scammed, it can be hard to trust what you read. However, we’ve pulled together some tips for buying a new car online, and what to look out for to avoid getting a bad deal.

 

Know your vehicle

 

Make sure you look for a car that is of a make and model that you are familiar with. It’ll help you in the long run when it comes to searching for the best deals, whether or not the mileage is good on your particular model and how reliable they are. A car may look good to you, but without the knowledge of its strengths and weaknesses, buying one second hand can be risky. It will also help you avoid being sold a car that isn’t functioning as it should when you know how it should run and what it should be like to compare to.

 

Avoid looking out of town

 

Keeping to offers close by to your home will help when it comes to checking over the car in person. Never buy a car without having looked at it first, so buying a car within a few miles of you makes this more convenient, and can give you better access to help if the purchase turns out to fall through or the car is faulty. It can also mean that you have more knowledge of the area and whether the area you are buying the car from is known as being trustworthy, or whether to avoid it altogether.

 

Be sceptical

 

You can never be too sceptical when it comes to buying used, especially when you’re searching online first. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. No car that is worth over a certain amount used is going to be sold at less than that, no matter how good of a deal it looks to be. If the deal looks too good and makes you question the integrity of the purchase, then don’t buy it. At least, not until you’ve had a good look at the car and everything it and the seller have to offer.

 

Get an independent mechanical report

 

Have someone look at the car that knows enough about them to give you a full mechanical report. If you know someone personally, even better, but if not, see if you can hire a mechanic that is known to be trustworthy to have a look at the vehicle. If the seller refuses the checks, then call the deal off because it’s very possible that the car is in bad mechanical condition. While a mechanical fault isn’t a deal breaker completely, it should affect the price and be stated if the previous owner knows about it.

 

Inspect before you buy

 

Not only do you need to have a mechanic inspect the car before you buy it, but you need to look it over too. Be prepared to look at it, and arrange a time where both you and the seller will have the opportunity to go over every inch of the car. You’re making a big purchase, so it’s important to be completely sure that it’s in a good enough condition for the cost being asked, and that it’s exactly what you’re expecting and wanting. Poke around underneath the car if you can, even if it’s just to look at the bodywork to ensure there’s no rusting.