It’s the first time I’m going to buy a used car and would like to know about the process.
So do you just turn up, do a test drive, make an offer, pay and once all the paperwork and insurance is done go back and collect the car?

I’d like to go through the service history in detail, is that something they allow you to do at the dealership? (I’d also like to inspect the car’s know wear points in some detail).

I know the car I want, but I just feel I need to see more than one car and not just buy the first one I see, so my plan is to view one or two cars which are my second options and then go to view the one I will probably buy, so I can compare with the previous ones.

Any other suggestions?

If it’s your first time, take someone with you who’s done it before and/or knows a bit about mechanicals and servicing/consumables etc.

And yes, you can ask any question you want and demand to see any bit of paperwork – remember the trader makes his living selling cars, so he’ll want you to buy it (but only at a price that enables him to make his living).

Also remember there is always another car, so be prepared to walk.

When you hand over the cash they will tax the car online for you – you don’t actually need insurance to do this (but obviously you should have some in place anyhow). If you are trading in make sure you cancel the insurance on your old car asap (if your insurer won’t let you transfer the policy over).

Thanks for the advice.

I’ll pay with credit card, and I don’t have any trade in.

And most importantly…I don’t know anyone who knows about mechanicals or has done it before … it’s not a high mileage car, so I was hoping that MOT history and service history would give me a clear idea of the vehicle status.

I just checked my first option and it has a lot of failed MOTs, while second and third options don’t despite having slightly more miles, so I will probably discard option 1.

Perhaps you need to take a grown up with you? 😆

A failed MOT isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it depends on what it failed on. Although it may hint at the previous owner not really looking after the car.

I’m 40 … it’s just that I moved over to UK recently … I know tons of bike mechanics, but little of car mechanics…

Most significant failures of the car are these:

Tyre worn close to the legal limit front tyres wearing to inner edges
Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 40mm circle outside zone
Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)
Nearside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)
Offside Rear Tyre has ply or cords exposed (4.1.D.1b)

Nearside wing mirror cracked.

Nearside Front Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Nearside Rear Body has a sharp edge caused by damage (6.1.C.1)

While the other 2 don’t have a single failure.

plenty of cars out there. get a straight one. above suggests someone didn’t give a stuff about it, may not have hit the services on time.
don’t pay on CC unless you’re prepared to pay more – dealers don’t like it as it costs them.
if you’re buying older i wouldn’t count on any dealer warranty helping you out and you’ve no idea where the car came from. quite possible it’s just been picked up at auction.
better off buying privately in some ways. you get a chance to weigh up the vendor.

It’s often advised to follow your gut instinct when buying cars, and I think you have the right instinct about car 1. I would also avoid it as those failures indicate the owner was not the most conscientious.

I know, but with the MOT and service history you can have a good picture of the state of the car. I wouldn’t but a car with full service history.

The only private vendor selling this car has part service history, and that’s a no for me.

yes, if the previous owner has run the tyres down past legal limit to the cord, then they were probably not having any other work done on the car.

So unless its a rare model/colour etc, go and find another

Probably a moot point if you’re not massively knowledgable about cars but rather than focusing on picking apart the service history focus on the condition of the car you can see in front of you.
The example you posted above would set alarm bells ringing for the headlight aim on one side (potential accident damage) and the sharp body work (definite accident damage).
Look closely at the paint, is it all the same shade, is there any overspray (from bad masking on body repairs)/orange peel (where the paint isn’t smooth and looks dimpled like an orange skin)? Look underneath, is it clean (by that I mean rust free), even newer cars, if they’ve come from near the sea for example can show signs of corrosion, especially on components as body shells are very well protected these days.

Most important stuff comes from the test drive. Does it drive straight? Any bad noises (clunks, vibrations)? Does the exhaust smoke? It’s always best to view as many cars as you can and take someone with you for a second opinion.

Process I just followed buying from dealer:

1) Inspect the car visually inside & out
2) Inspect the documentation the dealer has and MOT history online
3) Test drive if 1) & 2) look good
4) Make offer
5) Pay for car
6) Buy car tax online whilst doing 5)
7) Phone insurance company to switch over from existing vehicle

There may be a gap between 4) and 5) where you can sort 7) if the car needs any prep before you collect it. It is’s already prep’ed and ready to go then it can all happen on the same day.

don’t pay on CC unless you’re prepared to pay more – dealers don’t like it as it costs them.

So what, if its £30 on a £3000 car it’s all part of the negotiation.

don’t pay on CC unless you’re prepared to pay more – dealers don’t like it as it costs them.

I would advise the opposite – DO pay with credit card – but just the deposit so the dealer doesn’t lose out on fee’s, etc. As long as the deposit is over £100 it covers you for the whole transaction – the credit card company are then liable for any faults with the purchase, as per your rights under S75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

http://www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/regulation/section-75-of-the-consumer-credit-act

If you have a credit card you would be mad not to do this, it doesn’t cost you anything (and very little to the dealer) and another way of resolving any disputes that may arise down the line.

Check with local trading standards office ic ghe trader is known to them – has any previous problems.

Doesn’t matter on the size of the deposit, just the total cost of the goods. I agree though, deposit on the CC and then your are protected for the whole purchase price (assuming it’s under £30k).

Check with local trading standards office ic ghe trader is known to them – has any previous problems.

Highly unlikely this information will be passed on to a member of the public.

I want to pay by CC because I can spread the cost through 20 months without interest, so I don’t have to ask for finance and don’t have to pay any extra fees.

Thanks for the advice!

you can usually check service history with the a main dealer of the car, have a squint at the log book for previous owner and try and contact them , to ask about the car,

oh and don’t believe a word of anything a car dealer tells you

ha, ha, loved this! ‘oh and don’t believe a word of anything a car dealer tells you’

One thing I was always told is be prepared to get up and walk away. Even if it’s the one car you love, don’t show the dealer this is the one for you or they’ll be less likely to deal.

Plus when dealing in used cars there is always compromise so don’t expect a car to be immaculate or the exact spec you want, be flexible and you’ll save some pennies.

The service history doesn’t really reflect how the car has been treated, and even a fairly low mileage car can be abused, while still being sound as regards the drive-train.
My job at the moment involves picking up cars and driving them to and from dealers and auction sites, and it’s been pretty eye-opening, especially cars given to people via a certain mobility charity.
One of the first cars I had to inspect before driving it to auction, a Qashqai, had a bit less than 20k miles on the clock, but it was filthy dirty, there were stains all over the upholstery, and externally the only things that weren’t chipped, scratched or dented were the alloys!
I picked one up yesterday, though, a Meriva, that the dealer had already sold before I delivered it, that had a few little tiny chips and some small scratches, and there were a few stains, but a good valeting would sort it out, it had a shade over 16k on it, and it was lovely to drive, and another I picked up today, again an ex-mobility charity car, was also pretty grubby, pet hairs all over the inside, but otherwise no marks that valeting wouldn’t remove, and the bodywork was perfect, that had 1642 miles on it! It was a Grand C-Max, turbo petrol, 6-speed box, and whoever buys it from the Ford dealer I delivered it to is going to have a superb car, it was a delight to drive.
I did have to drive a Citroen C1 the other day which was a hateful little thing, the gearbox was like stirring a bowl of porridge, just bloody awful.
The main point is, lots of these go to auction, some have no documentation at all given back with the car, so the term caveat emptor really does apply!