How To Avoid The Used Car Sales Trap

Buying a used car involves a lot of risks.

While consumers are protected by several regulations in place, none are available when

buying a car from a private seller.

Used car buyers also need to deal with hidden histories and pushy sales tactics.

Below are some tips on how to avoid the sales trap when buying used vehicles.

Don’t Buy Another Person’s Debt

When a car owner borrows money to purchase the vehicle, the car is used by the

lender as security for the loan.

Once the owner defaults on the payments, the car will be seized by the lender to

recover the funds.

An unscrupulous seller might try to sell a used car to you and default on the payments.

When the lender repossesses the car, you are left with nothing.

That’s why before buying a used car; you should check its debt status first.

That way you’ll know if there is a problem beforehand.

Check the Registration of the Used Car

When buying a used car, you need to check whether its registration is in order.

You should also check the engine number that is stamped on the engine.

Make sure that the numbers match the car’s registration documents.

If they don’t match, then the car that you are looking at is literally not the same car

that you are buying.

You should do more research and investigation of the used car if you really

want to buy it.

Or better yet, find another one.

Look for Crash Damage

If you want to make sure that the car is worth your money, then have a trusted

mechanic look at its mechanical condition.

Make sure that the mechanic looks for signs that the car has had some crash repairs in

the past.

Some of the indicators include missing fasteners and over spray.

If you have discovered evidence of major crash repair or damage, it is recommended

to forget about the vehicle and look for another.

Get Updated Fair Value Assessment of the Used Car

Another thing that you need to consider, is to get an updated fair value assessment of

the vehicle you want to buy.

The values are for vehicles that have an average condition with average mileage.

If the car is still in good condition, then slightly increase its value.

Adjust the price downward if the condition is poor.

Test Drive the Car

Before sealing the deal with the used car seller, you should be able to take it for a test

drive.

A test drive will give you an idea of how it drives, as well as alert you to any problems

that the seller forgot to mention.

It is a good idea to let a friend, or a trusted mechanic drive the car as well.

One might notice an issue with the used car that you failed to see.