The Car Data Check and the Pre Owned Buyer: Cautionary Measures When Buying Second Hand
Buying a second hand car can be a nightmare. There is effectively no law to protect the new owner from reprehensible behaviour on the part of the old. All private sale pre owned cars are "sold as seen" – a legal phrase essentially giving the seller licence to do what he or she likes, and leaving the onus on the buyer to be absolutely sure that he or she is purchasing what he or she thinks he or she is.
One of the key problems with a car is that its history may conceal things significantly affecting its actual value: while a private seller can charge whatever he or she likes for it. Given that the majority of buyers are untutored individuals who wouldn't know how to check for any of the potential problems a pre wonder car can present – let alone find out its real history – it seems prudent to rely on any help you can get before you part with your money.
A car data check may point out any serious problems with a vehicle's history. It cannot – and this should be strongly emphasised to all potential second hand buyers – tell you much about the current roadworthiness of the vehicle.
The car data check uses the registration plate to reveal all data relevant to the search. That is to say, a searcher may find out how many previous owners the car has had; when it was made; whether it has been imported or exported; and most importantly, whether it has ever been in an accident, or reported as stolen.
From a pure data standpoint, these last two pieces of information are deal breakers. If a car has been in an accident, been written off, or been stolen, don't buy it. A stolen vehicle isn't yours even if you pay for it in good faith; and it certainly won't be yours if you pay for it knowing it has been stolen. The police are required by law to impound any vehicle known to be stolen and attempt to return it to its rightful owner.
If a vehicle has been in an accident, check the accident damage category against a current list of definitions. Very minor accidents, for example a simple dent and a replacement bumper, can usually be safely regarded as inconsequential. A serious accident, though, could denote that the car has been illegally repaired, or even that bits of the chassis (known as a "cut and shut") have been replaced with bits of another car.
In terms of less tangible information: the car data check can show the checker if there have been an unusually high number of owners for the vehicle's age; or whether its actual mileage is different from what appears on the milometer. In most cases, where the information revealed by the search differs from the information known about the car the best thing to do is walk away.
In certain cases, dealers and motoring businesses can take advantage of new car data check apps to drive their own sales. After all, there can be few better ways of restoring public confidence in an industry renowned for its inherent difficulties, than by giving customers the ability to check the real data on a forecourt vehicle as they decide whether or not to buy it. IN the motor trade, consumer confidence is a big deal.
Read Things to consider before buying a new car
