{"id":269973,"date":"2018-09-09T09:00:45","date_gmt":"2018-09-09T07:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=269973"},"modified":"2018-09-07T16:53:53","modified_gmt":"2018-09-07T14:53:53","slug":"3-major-warning-signs-you-should-be-aware-of-when-buying-a-used-car","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/motoring\/269973\/3-major-warning-signs-you-should-be-aware-of-when-buying-a-used-car\/","title":{"rendered":"3 major warning signs you should be aware of when buying a used car"},"content":{"rendered":"

Shopping for a used car can be quite overwhelming. There are so many choices and so many questions to be answered. If you do your research properly, you will find the right deal – but you also need to know what to look out for.<\/p>\n

Jamie Surkont, director at car retailer GetWorth, says there are three major warning signs that you need to take heed of when shopping in the used-car market.<\/p>\n

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  1. If a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is.<\/li>\n
  2. A seller\u2019s reputation \u2013 look for an online presence and for any reviews about the seller. This should give you an indication of who you are dealing with.<\/li>\n
  3. Any gaps or inconsistencies in the car\u2019s story \u2013 look for multiple missed services, wear and tear that doesn\u2019t match the claimed mileage, a seller with no papers for the car, or if a seller doesn\u2019t have the car available for viewing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Surkont said that one of the most important ways to get the best deal on a car you are after is to do your homework and to research sales prices of similar cars.<\/p>\n

    “Once you know how much you should be paying, you will have a much clearer understanding of all the deals you come across. It will give you confidence and help you to identify when things look suspicious,” he said.<\/p>\n

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    Surkont cited the above graph as an example.<\/p>\n

    This is a snapshot of actual current market list prices and mileages for a 2016 Hyundai i10 GLS. He pointed out that i10s don\u2019t normally carry dramatically different specifications, so the examples will be pretty uniform.<\/p>\n

    “The dotted green line represents a typical average price-to-mileage curve \u2013 the options under the line are better-than-average value, and those above the line are more expensive,” he said.<\/p>\n

    He said that this mix of prices provides an opportunity for a savvy car buyer to seek out decent car deals.<\/p>\n

    He believes that you don\u2019t need to be a great negotiator; you just need to do your research. “Let\u2019s say you were looking to spend R120,000. At that price, you are spoilt for choice \u2013 there are cars in the market with mileages all the way from 14,000km to 51,000km.”<\/p>\n

    “Generally, the cars with lower mileage represent better value-for-money. Some at this price might be in colours you don\u2019t like, some might be from sellers you don\u2019t trust, but there are 28 different options – plenty of choice to find one that both meets your requirements and is a decent price.”<\/p>\n

    By examining the market and comparing options, Surkont said that you can find decent deals\u00a0 without necessarily having to negotiate but beware, there\u00a0 may be danger lurking if the price seems too good to be true. He recommends that you buy from a reputable party with appropriate recourse, even if it isn\u2019t the absolute lowest price you can find.<\/p>\n

    While it might be appealing to buy a car privately and not through a dealership because of a potentially lower price, Surkont said that you need to understand the differences between buying privately or through a dealer and factor these in to your assessment of prices:<\/p>\n