If you are looking at used cars, you’re probably wondering whether to go for a private sale or to buy through second hand car dealers. Private sales can be risky, you might get a great deal or you might end up with your fingers burnt so, if you want to take the safest route to buying a good quality used car, it’s always best to start your search with the dealers. There are three main advantages to buying from established dealers.

Trust
Dealers with established businesses have a reputation to maintain. It’s in their interests to make extensive checks on the used cars they sell and to offer reasonable, market-related prices. Their business is built on their reputation and you know where to find them if you have a problem.

In a private sale on Gumtree or through classified ads, you are dealing with someone you’ve never met before and never will again – there are no guarantees and all risks are yours. Sellers may be genuine or they may be trying to palm off accident damaged cars on unsuspecting buyers by offering an attractively low price. The worst case scenario was when a Cape Town man was killed when he went to meet potential buyers of a BMW he’d advertised on Gumtree (more on that tragedy). Now that is an extreme and rare case but it did happen in 2012. Private sales really are a case of ‘buyer (and seller) beware’.

Expertise
Car dealers are experts in their field. Unless you yourself are a mechanic, buying a used car in a private sale is a matter of luck. You have no way of knowing whether it has been well-maintained, or for that matter whether it has been in an accident, other than the word of a stranger.

Car dealers have the facilities and skilled mechanics to make sure that a car is mechanically sound before re-selling . You can expect that the tyres, wheel balance, brake pads, shock absorbers and so on will have been checked and that a roadworthy certificate will be forthcoming. Generally small dings and dents will have been taken care of too, so the car you buy from a dealer is likely to have had some time, expertise and care spent on it.

The purchase price may not be as low as that offered by a private sale, but if you add up the cost of the basic maintenance work that has been done on it and factor in what it would cost you to do the same work yourself, you are actually better off with the second hand car from the dealer.

Finance and Warranties
While it is possible to obtain finance for a car bought through a private sale, it can be more complicated and may not be granted. The same goes for extended warranties. Buying second-hand cars through an established dealer gives you easy access to vehicle finance and warranties, making the whole process of buying used cars that much more secure and stress-free.

Author: Pierre Theron