Avoid being taken for a ride when buying a used car.

 

Once you have gone through the laborious task of finally short-listing the cars you would like to actually see, there is a whole another  process that may be even harder to tackle. Most cars you see advertised are being sold by traders who are selling it for a profit. This may not be such a bad thing until you realize that they make the most profit with women in Dubai because generally, we don’t know a gasket from a cam belt, which is a car dealer’s dream come true!

There are a few steps you should follow when you are buying a car to minimize your losses and hopefully, happily drive away in a good, used car.

1. Ask before you view if there are any faults with the car. Chances are, if there are problems that haven’t been advertised, the owner will tell you when you asked directly. If the owner says there are minor problems, you will have the time to research the cost and severity of these and then re-assess your desire for that car. (When you go to see the car you must ask this question again. If additional problems arise, it might be worth contemplating if that seller is trustworthy enough for you to buy a car from)

2. Google the Chassis number and make sure the car has not been written off. This commonly happens and is extremely dangerous and potentially fatal. Be aware of American imports as this seems to be the trend amongst car traders to import write-offs into the UAE and sell to unwitting customers that are none the wiser, that end up driving a time bomb that is worth no more than the Sales Agreement paper it’s written on.

 

3. Conduct research on the car you wish to purchase in Dubai. Google the car’s common faults and key features.  Also, see what people say about the car in forums. This will give you a little context on the car. It will be good for your knowledge and will also show the seller that you have above average familiarity with cars and deter any temptation for the seller to cheat you.

 

 

4. When you go to see the car, bring someone knowledgable about cars with you.

 

5. Ask the seller the reason for selling the car. A lot of people have a genuine reason for selling, however, there is a minority that is selling to get rid of a liability and you would not want to pay for something that’s bound to cause you problems and with very little, if not without, any resale value.

 

6. Ask for the car’s full service history. Every car should be serviced every 6 months and big gaps in the history are never a good sign. If the owner doesn’t have it and says it has been fully serviced by the manufacturer, they can get another one from them. Never part with your money on a car that you don’t know much about. Check through the mileage of the car, if the car has been clocked back, you will often be able to easily spot this on the recorded mileage. (A car’s mileage is important as it usually determines how much life is left in the car).

7. Always test drive the car. The feel and drive of a car are very important and if you are not satisfied, think about whether you can get used to it or not.

 

To make sure that you always get a fair price and simple, honest service, evaluate your car with us today.