Watch Out For Dodgy Used Cars
If you are buying a used car, Citizens Advice have been issuing a warning to be on the lookout for dodgy used cars as they were the most complained about consumer issue in April and June this year. Over 12,000 complaints were made about used cars purchased from independent dealers. That is three times as many as there were complaints about second hand cars bought from franchised dealerships or private sellers.
Worryingly, two thirds of the complaints were over the car being faulty, while more than 10 per cent were due to sales staff giving misleading information about the car they were selling. More than two years ago the Office of Fair Trading issued guidance to traders selling used cars but they don’t seem to be employing any better practice.
While you might expect private sellers to be less reliable, this isn’t how it is in practice, perhaps due to the personal, face to face nature of the transaction. Similarly, with franchise dealerships you often have more comeback if the car turns out to be faulty. Citizens advice would like to see a more robust approved code created for the used car market to help consumers choose the better dealers who are more likely to help ensure the car you are buying is in good condition.
When you are buying a new (to you) car, you should always try to keep your eyes as open as possible. Look the car over thoroughly, rather than just kicking the car tyres! If you don’t know much about cars, perhaps take a friend who does know about them to give you a second opinion on the quality of the car you are looking at.