The demand for pre-owned cars is climbing higher by the day. This trend has left almost everyone, including car manufacturers wondering, what could be the reason behind the trend?
Well, pre-owned cars can serve the basic function of a new car, and they cost less. But it’s all a matter a choice, and people have different wants and needs.
We say if you are happy with your choice of car, whether new or pre-owned, then you should go for it.
Having said that, buying a pre-owned car isn’t as easy as it seems. It does come with its challenges, and first-timers usually get their fingers burnt when buying without enough information to help them make the right decision.
When buying a used car, you have to be cautious with how you deal with salespersons or private owners. Why? If you are not observant, you will slip into scam deals, and that could drag on for a very long time, especially when the police get involved!
A common scenario is falsified car registration and car title. In the excitement of the moment, when buyers are engulfed in the joy of getting a car, they tend to miss important clues about why they shouldn’t proceed with the purchase.
This one of the reasons why we usually suggest first-time car buyers and most especially those buying a pre-owned car should get a car reg check done right from the start of the negotiation.
There are factors to consider when buying a pre-owned car, and it usually comes back to bite you if you take them lightly. Let’s look at the mistakes car buyers make, and hopefully help you avoid them.
Let’s dive right in.
1. Odometer Rollback
It may interest you to know that unprofessional mechanics and private owners, including car dealerships, go as far as tampering with odometer readings. Yeah, you didn’t see that coming. Right?
Well, now, you know. Such mechanics or whoever is involved adjust odometer readings with the intention of cheating and misleading the buyer. So, when next you see the mileage on a used vehicle, you should care to know if it’s genuine.
How Can You Verify the Mileage Readings?
The easiest and most effective way of verifying odometer readings is to employ the services of a car reg check. A car reg check can help you verify if the milage on display is true. This is usually done by cross-checking with what’s on reliable authorities (like DVLA and MOT) databases.
2. Title Problems
Regardless of whether you are a first-time car buyer or you are buying a car for the up-tenth time, it would be best if you always took a minute to read through the car’s title. If you miss any inconsistencies in the car title, you could be signing fraudulent papers, and that is not a good thing.
You can use a number plate checker to verify the vehicle’s history. You will get a comprehensive report of the numbers of people who have had the car before you, verification of the car registration certificate, plate number, and colour changes, and lots more.
In addition to verifying the vehicle’s title certificate and registration, a number plate checker can also provide reports on accumulated tax and insurance fees.
So, you should always scrutinise every car paper with a fine-tooth comb.
3. Insurance Write-Off
Fraudulent private car owners or dealerships have tactics and tricks with which they would want to rip-off unsuspecting buyers. Some of their schemes include changing car number plate, colour and adjusting odometer readings.
They also attempt to keep important information like the condition of the vehicle from you. If a car is stamped as a write-off by an insurance company, it means you would spend more on repairs that exceed the value of the car.
In simple words, a write-off is a bad investment, and you should steer clear. But then again, it takes close inspection to spot such a scam. A number plate checker can also run an insurance write-off check to save you from such unfair deals.
That’s it for now. We have shared common mistakes in car purchases and how to get around them. It will be our pleasure to help run important checks before you proceed with payment for any vehicle. From police check to car reg check and mileage issues, we do it all. Get in touch with us and enjoy amazing offers on all our professional car check services.
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