Ford Direct, Das WeltAuto and Vauxhall’s Network Q are a few car schemes offered by many main dealers.
Warranties backed by manufacturers are alright, but these give you a great deal of peace of mind. However, they do cost a lot.
Nonetheless, you should consider paying a visit to franchised dealers after you’ve done a bit of shopping around. Franchised dealers have been long known for being able to beat the prices of the big car supermarkets. Not only that, but their prices often include a warranty. The bottom line is you might be better off doing business with a franchised car dealer.
Franchised dealers often are the best places to go to when you want to part-exchange your old vehicle. They typically give you the best dealers. Just make sure you compare the entire cost to switch, and not just the allowance for the part-exchange.
Purchasing From An Independent Dealer
There is no shortage of used car dealers across the country, and many of these dealers are independently owned. They often offer excellent cars at good prices. However, there are dealers that don’t care about customer service or whether or not you get a good deal. That being said, how can you avoid doing business with a company that will likely rip you off? You can by keeping the following tips in mind:
Tips & Advice
Many dealers only have a mobile phone number. However, you should still be able to go to their premise to look at vehicles. If the owners ask you to go somewhere else, such as a car parking lot, then this is a red flag and you should shop somewhere else.
Before going to a dealer, view their website to see what vehicles they sell. Furthermore, check local trade associations to see if they belong to any of them. If not, then see if any accreditation or anything of that nature are mentioned on the website. Remember, belonging to an association doesn’t guarantee you’ll receive a great deal.
A lot of independently owned dealers rely on a solid reputation that they’ve built among the local community. This is why you should ask people you know who they recommend. The chances are someone you know has an idea of what dealers are reputable and which ones should be avoided.
Another thing you should do is check the history of a vehicle. You can do this by using the registration number. Many dealers will do this for you, but it is best if you do the check. This will reveal if the car is subjected to outstanding finance or if it’s been stolen.
Check the MoT history before visiting a dealership. You’ll learn whether or not the mileage correlates to what you saw in the advertisement. Then you can decide whether or not to do business with that dealer.
What was the car described as in the advertisement? A good dealer will be as detailed as possible when describing the cars they sell. This includes everything from the service record to the miles to the age and the overall condition to name a few. If they have purposely left something out, then ask them about it.
Always trust your guts. If you are speaking to a salesperson and they are trying to put you in a vehicle that you don’t want, then this is a bad sign. Dealers do this when they simply want to get rid of certain cars or to just make a sale.
Always take the car out for a test drive for at least 30 minutes. Drive on roads you’ll likely be driving on regularly. Any good and reputable dealer won’t have an issue with letting you take the car out for a test drive. Plus, they’ll take care of issues as long as they fall within the price they want for it.
If you’re happy with a vehicle you’re interested in buying and have secured your car finance, then you should do a bank transfer or credit card. A lot of dealers sometimes try to charge a fee if you pay with a credit card. If the one you’re dealing with does, then maybe use your card to put down a small deposit on the vehicle. If the used car is a necessity and you need to make ends meet, then this can be done with a payday loan direct lenders high acceptance rate. Doing this usually gives you more protection in the event there’s an issue later down the road.
Before signing any paperwork, you should receive all the documents associated with the car. If the dealer says they’ll send you over the service history later on, then tell them you’d rather get the history before making a payment. Always get documentation first.
Honest dealers will put the vehicles they sell through an MoT test. If they don’t, then think twice about buying from them. This is a major red flag.
