Private Sale, What to look out for?
Private Sale, What to look out for?
22 February 2006, 12:04 PM
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Best tip - if you dont know enough about cars, take someone who does ( a lot of local garages will check over a car for you for a couple of hours labour ) or get one of those RAC reports done on it.
There is no such thing as sold as seen anymore unless you are buying as a trade sale ( in which case the receipt from the dealer will specifically mention this ).
It is the sellers legal responsibility to accurately advertise the car, and truthfully answer any questions you ask them ( e.g. has it been in a crash etc... ).
There is no such thing as sold as seen anymore unless you are buying as a trade sale ( in which case the receipt from the dealer will specifically mention this ).
It is the sellers legal responsibility to accurately advertise the car, and truthfully answer any questions you ask them ( e.g. has it been in a crash etc... ).
22 February 2006, 12:13 PM
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are you buying or selling? confused....
If buying then realistically its no different to buying from a garage, find out as much about the history of the car and see if it all adds up.
Mike, thought Sold as Seen is pretty much how things are if its a private sale? once you hand over cash its a done deal, up to you to check out what the owner is saying is correct, you dont do an HPI check then its tough titty if theres something wrong with it further down the line?
If buying then realistically its no different to buying from a garage, find out as much about the history of the car and see if it all adds up.
Mike, thought Sold as Seen is pretty much how things are if its a private sale? once you hand over cash its a done deal, up to you to check out what the owner is saying is correct, you dont do an HPI check then its tough titty if theres something wrong with it further down the line?
22 February 2006, 12:48 PM
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Dave - the 'sold as seen' law went out a while ago - mainly to stop dodgy sellers who know there is a problem with a motor advertising it as being OK - a lot of scummy dealers used to sell off their problem cars through the paper and pretend they were personal sales to get shot of stuff they couldnt sell on the forecourt.
Also, a lot of private sellers are less than honest when advertising cars and just happen to not mention major problems !
The onus is now on the seller to mention anything wrong with the car and make sure they advertise it truthfully - this covers everything like mileage, mechanical condition, history etc.... - obviously you cant always expect a seller to know absolutely everything, or foresee future problems, but the argument comes down to if it was likely the seller new about a problem.
Of course, you should always get an HPI done, and get it checked out by someone who knows about cars.
Also, a lot of private sellers are less than honest when advertising cars and just happen to not mention major problems !
The onus is now on the seller to mention anything wrong with the car and make sure they advertise it truthfully - this covers everything like mileage, mechanical condition, history etc.... - obviously you cant always expect a seller to know absolutely everything, or foresee future problems, but the argument comes down to if it was likely the seller new about a problem.
Of course, you should always get an HPI done, and get it checked out by someone who knows about cars.
22 February 2006, 12:54 PM
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The problem I see is after the sale proving the seller knew anything about the car within reason.... Playing dumb is too easy Id say and in alot of cases unless there is something major wrong or expensive to sort the buyer would have to go out of their way to get any sort of compensation.
22 February 2006, 01:03 PM
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It would depend on the fault TBH, but most major things could be easily inspected and proved the fault was there before the buyer bought - for example, engine wear, knackered suspension, worn brake discs etc...
A savvy seller will write out a receipt that includes any specific faults or problems they mentioned to the buyer before the sale went ahead - e.g. if they were selling it a few hundered quid cheaper because they knew it was going to need new discs and pads in the next couple of months, then the buyer wouldnt have any comeback as they have been informed of it.
It generally comes down to the law that private sellers also have to sell things that are 'fit for the purpose' - a car that only lasts a couple of hundred miles before the engine blows is not fit for the purpose it was sold for.
Of course, in most cases if you buy a car with FSH and MOT you pretty much know its been looked after, and if it has a pile of bills for work done, that also helps. Its when buying cars that are suspiciously cheap that most problems arise for buyers.
A savvy seller will write out a receipt that includes any specific faults or problems they mentioned to the buyer before the sale went ahead - e.g. if they were selling it a few hundered quid cheaper because they knew it was going to need new discs and pads in the next couple of months, then the buyer wouldnt have any comeback as they have been informed of it.
It generally comes down to the law that private sellers also have to sell things that are 'fit for the purpose' - a car that only lasts a couple of hundred miles before the engine blows is not fit for the purpose it was sold for.
Of course, in most cases if you buy a car with FSH and MOT you pretty much know its been looked after, and if it has a pile of bills for work done, that also helps. Its when buying cars that are suspiciously cheap that most problems arise for buyers.
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