So, you’re in the market for a used car? How are you going to buy one? The main 2 options are from a used car dealership or through a private seller.
When looking for a used car, there are many things to look out for and in this blog, we want to highlight the plusses, negatives, and red flags to look out for.
How detailed is the car description?
Used car shopping can be a stressful and long-winded process. Some adverts barely give you enough information to even find out if it’s worth looking at.
A good car listing will include the year, make, model, mileage, history, and main features. These are obviously important in deciding on a car and the more you know upfront, the better!
A bad car description can leave many unanswered questions, which means you will have to try to find out more by getting in touch with the owner.
You could also waste time by making an appointment to see the vehicle yourself. At this point, you risk the owner not showing up, the car not being described correctly in the advert, etc. The private owner may not know too much about cars and it could be a genuine mistake, but it is still a laborious process and a waste of your time!
Pictures… How many are there?
There are many platforms for private sellers to list their cars nowadays – Facebook marketplace, Gumtree, and eBay are just a few examples. These platforms generally let the seller upload pictures of their vehicles for sale – that sounds super simple, right? You would be surprised how many people get it wrong!
A minimum of 12 pictures is what you should expect, covering all angles of the car, from the bumper to the interior. Many private sellers do not do this and again, it could be a waste of your time! The last thing you want to do is travel to view a car and discover a stain on a rear seat which was not in the pictures for example!
Communication is key!
Communication is key to a sale and the process can be hard sometimes with a private seller. You want to know information about your potential purchase, but the seller is not returning your messages in a timely fashion or has not included all the details you require in the advert description. It can lead to a frustrating transaction!
Haggling over price
One of the main reasons private owners decide to sell their car on their own is to get a better value than trading it into a car buying company or dealership.
If you are happy with the advertised price, then great. But what if you are not? The process of haggling can be stressful for both parties, and most private owners are very reluctant to budge from the original asking price.
Aftersales care and warranty!
A dealership has a reputation to protect and maintain by doing the right thing for the customer.
A private seller does not have these concerns, if you decide to buy a car from a private owner and it turns out to have issues the seller did not tell you about, there is no place where you can leave them a review, and even if you could, it is not like they have a steady stream of customers they’re trying to satisfy.
A private owner selling their car is usually a one-off event and the only way for you to address a problem is if the seller is willing to address it as well.
If the owner will not make it right, then your only choice is to sue them in small claims court, which is a whole new level of hassles and headaches.
Avoid the hassle and experience the Lindleys Vehicle Sales experience
We’re sure there are thousands of private sales that happy every year with no issues and a generally happy outcome, but we believe there is a better way to purchase a used car!
Avoid all the potential headaches and hassle and choose Lindleys Vehicle Sales.
Vehicle shopping at Lindleys Vehicle Sales is a pleasurable experience! We only sell high-quality used cars, so you never have to worry about any issues. We have over 50 years of mechanical experience, so all our cars are fully checked over before they go up for sale, and they all come with a guaranteed 12-month MOT and 3 months warranty!
Looking for finance on a used car? Lindleys Vehicle Sales is the place to go! All cars are priced competitively so you do not waste time or get stressed out and about haggling over the price!
Want to use your current car in part exchange? We will happily accept it and give you a fair value.
Looking for a used car in Nottingham? Try Lindleys Vehicle Sales today.
