There are a number of things that people ignore when buying second hand cars. Most times, the owner is eagerly waiting for that clueless, impatient buyer so that they can dispose of that car. We came up with a list of things you shouldn’t ignore when buying a car. Here’s what you need to do before you sign that last cheque.
Determine The Range of Cost
Always make sure you have researched about the cars resale value. Know its retail price and the price it should go for when sold as a second-hand car. There are a number of reasons provided online telling you why a particular car model doesn’t sell fast. Maybe because its spare parts are hard to find or because a particular part is never durable. This information will help you decide whether you can oversee some faults the car has.
Renegotiate
Once you have done proper research on the car’s price, don’t hesitate to renegotiate. Remember you are probably buying a second-hand car because of its price so it won’t hurt to try and renegotiate. You never know, you just might get it cheaper than you anticipated.
The Legitimacy of The Car
Did you know you can determine the legitimacy of the car you want to buy by cross-referencing ownership details through Kenya Revenue Authority and National Transport Safety Authority (NTSA) website?
You will get full details of who owns the vehicles and previous owners as well, and better yet know whether the car’s taxes have been paid. This information will help you know whether the seller is the real owner of the car or whether he is a scam.
Take The Car to The Mechanic
The car owner may be selling the car because of faults that are not manageable, faults that will continue to damage the car. Be sure he will not inform you. It is very important for you to take the car to your trusted mechanic so that he can look for some hidden faults. Some may be manageable and others may not be. So you have to be very careful.
Test drive the car with your mechanic so that he can inform you of all the faults that you may miss out if you did it on your own. At the end of it all, make sure your mechanic gives you a detailed report of the faults and estimated price of their repairs.
Complete The Purchase
Make sure all the paperwork is done and in the right way. Once you have done proper verification of all the car details, the seller should log into the NTSA website, create a profile for you (the new owner) and upload the sales and transfer of ownership documents for processing. You will be alerted once the transfer is complete. If this is not carefully done, you may be shocked at the fault surprises that will resurface.
Conclusion
Always be careful when buying a second-hand car. If not you will end up spending so much time and money at your mechanics. To top this, selling that car will be very difficult.
You can always find used quality cars, and from trusted sellers on Cheki. Being slow but sure when car shopping will ensure you drive back home a car that will last and serve you a very long time.