Buying a Used Car? Why Two Amateurs Always Need a Professional

Do you like to trust people at face value? This is the best approach to take after all, as life would be rather miserable if you always eyed everyone with suspicion. However, sometimes you do have to be wary, and this is especially the case when you're buying a used car. You may not be very mechanically astute yourself and don't have the luxury of buying a brand-new vehicle from a swanky showroom, so you need to take some additional steps for protection. What is on the line here?

What If They Are Just like You?

It's true to say that most people are fair and honest, and you will be very unlucky if you come across somebody who is "out to get you". This is not the point, however, as the person you are buying the car from may be very similar to you and they don't know their flywheel from their fan belt. If they're not aware of a significant defect and something that has been developing in the background for some time, they may not have encountered any tell-tale signs to alert them. They may, therefore, sell this to you in good faith and you could encounter this issue in the near future instead, costing you a deal of money.

The Downside

In the normal scheme of things, you will not get a guarantee from a private seller in this situation. They will usually sell a vehicle to you "as is", which is the standard terminology used; if this is the case, you may have to work a case through the Small Claims Court to try and get redress. This is, of course, a major hassle, and doesn't help when your car is off the road in the meantime.

Bringing in the Expert

Nine times out of ten, a seller like this will be perfectly okay with you employing the services of an independent mechanic to carry out a pre-purchase inspection. They will be able to look at all suspect areas on a vehicle of this type and age, and may uncover something that is brewing in the background. You could look at this report as an investment in your confidence and it will help you come to better terms with the seller.

Better Deal?

You never know -- you may be able to renegotiate a price with the seller based on this discovered issue, confident in the knowledge that it can be fixed and that you know what the potential repair costs will be. After all, you will have discussed this with your mechanic and may even have made an agreement with them to do the work post-sale.

Ready to Roll

You can go into the second-hand car market with full confidence, as long as you have a mechanic waiting in the wings.