Friday-Ad - Tips for dealing with car sellers

Our Used Cars Checklist:

Some may think that buying cheap used cars opens you up to a lot of risk, but this isn’t the case if you when you view a car you thoroughly check it and its background. Here are some handy tips to consider when viewing a used car.

• Never view a car in the dark or in the rain. It will make it very difficult to spot dents, scratches and rust.
• Try to take a quick look at the car before you ring the seller’s doorbell. It’s surprising how much a seller can distract you and steer you away from questions and parts of the car they want you to avoid.
• Always start used cars with a cold engine. This will make it easier to spot starting problems or excessive smoke.
• Crouch down in front of each front wheel and look along the length of the car. Both front wheels should be directly in front of the rear - if they're not, it could mean this second hand car has been in a crash with a slightly twisted chassis. This is known as crabbing.
• Make sure the tyres are in a good condition - The minimum legal tread depth for tyres in the UK is 1.6mm. Take a good look under the bonnet of the car for any leaks and the you can get a general feeling for how well maintained it has been.
• Finally your first impression means a lot, what did you think when you first saw the car? A clean a tidy car from the outside can often reassure you that it has been kept in good order.

The car paperwork you should check for:

When you go to view a car make sure you ask to see the original copies of the car paperwork. Photocopied versions shouldn’t be accepted.

• Any documents of the car’s service history
• M.O.T details
• The Logbook - Check the seller’s details are all correct.
• The tax disc
• You can run checks on registration numbers so it would be worth making a note of this.

Sold!

If you have read our buying cars checklist and have been to view a car and are 100% sure that you are buying a car which is right for you then it’s time to make your purchase. Don’t forget to ask for a receipt when you make your payment and it would be a good idea to make sure both you and the owner have a copy.

If you still haven’t found the car you are looking for why not have a look at cars for sale in your area on Friday-Ad.