The Car Insurance » The smart girls’ guide to buying a car
Site: www.covergirlcarinsurance.co.uk Article Release details:Immediate Date: 29 July 2005
The smart girls’ guide to buying a car
Buying a new car, or a car that’s new to you, can be aminefield. Women are traditionally vulnerable to con men whenbuying cars, taking their cars for a service or anything elserelated to motoring for that matter. Although we’d like to thinkthat times have changed, and in the most part they have, thereare still car sales people waiting for an innocent lookingfemale to trot through the door. This applies to men too, sodon’t be offended! At CoverGirl Car Insurance we want you to getthe best deal, cheap insurance and above all a great car. So,we’ve compiled a concise guide to what can be one of the mostexpensive purchases you’ll have to make.
The first thing you will need to do is decide whether you want anew or used car. You probably have a make and model in mindalready, so it’s best to do as much research into the car aspossible. You can look in trade guides and on the internet toget some ideas about the production and engineering of yourdesired car. If you go to the dealer armed with this informationthen you will know what to look for and will know about anyparts of the car that are particularly expensive to replace.Whilst doing your research you could also look out for anycommon problems with your car. For example certain vehicles havenotoriously bad electrics and you could be left having to pay alarge bill to have them repaired.
So what’s the best bet, new or used?
Buying a new car Buying a new car gives you the peace of mindthat your car hasn’t been rescued from an accident and ‘cut andshut’ (more about this later). Plus you don’t have to worryabout service history and recurring problems.
If you decide to buy a new car then you have three options. Youcan either buy from dealership, from a broker or by personalimport from Europe. There are pros and cons to each option soyou should look carefully at each to decide what’s best for you.The benefits and pitfalls of each are as follows:
Dealership: Many dealers offer cheap finance schemes withfrequent special offers, you can take the car for a test driveand you also may be able trade in your existing car. This isoften a more expensive option so it’s worth looking around.
Broker: It is often cheaper to buy through a broker andrelatively easy to organise. You may not be able trade your carin.
Personal imports from Europe: Cheaper in the majority of cases.However this is not the easiest way to buy a car. You’ll have toput in quite a bit of work.
What to check when you collect your car We advise that you checkyour new car over before you drive off the forecourt. There area few key things to check:
‘That you’ve got a copy of the dealers pre-delivery inspectionform ‘Check that all lights, electrics, sound systems, alarms,door locks and windscreen wipers work ‘Check for any scratchesand check that there is no damage to the interior ‘Check you’vegot the spare tyre and any tools that are supposed to come withthe car ‘Make sure you’ve got the manual and service book
Buying a used car When you buy a used car there are a few morepitfalls to look out for but you can bag yourself a bargain ifyou look in the right place. It can also be great fun decidingwhether you want a sexy classic like an Alfa Romeo Spider or abargain run-around like a Ford Ka. Whether you chose to buy froma dealer or from the private market you’ll need see the historyof the car. This is really important. You can either buy from afranchised dealer, a used car dealer or privately. Here are someof the pros of buying from each:
Franchised dealer: One of the safest places to buy a car. You’llget a great choice from a franchise. You can get used or nearlynew cars. A franchised dealership also might know the entirehistory of the car. They will also provide you with a warranty,so if anything goes wrong you can take it back and they will fixit.
Used car dealer: They will usually have checked that there is nobad history or outstanding finance. Most dealers have anexcellent reputation but you should exercise some caution andagain, do your own research about the type of car you’ve chosen.You will usually get at least a 3 month warranty from a used cardealer. But check to see what it covers. Service items liketyres, exhausts and brake pads are not usually covered.
Private purchase: Best place for an excellent bargain. This isthe riskiest way to buy a car as the car could have beeninvolved in an accident, and might not belong to the seller. Youshould ask to meet at the sellers’ home or work and ask thefollowing questions:
1.Is it your car? 2.Has the car ever been in an accident? 3.CanI have a signed receipt?
‘Cut and shut’, counterfeit parts, car ringing and clocking
Unfortunately there are many unscrupulous people out therewanting to make a buck out of the innocent car buyer. Some ofthe tactics undertaken by an unethical minority leave driverswith dangerous, illegal and unreliable cars. Many cars arestolen and sold on or taken from accidents and patched up tolook like new. The following are some ploys that con men use tocheat the buyer:
‘Cut and Shut’ This is when two cars are taken from a scrap yardafter write off accidents and welded together. This is extremelydangerous and potentially difficult to spot. Look for mismatchedpanels, traces of paint on window seals and door handles,mismatched upholstery and signs of serious repair work. It isvery difficult to spot a cut and shut but it’s worth a closerinspection in case the person who carried out the work has cutcorners.
Counterfeit parts These are fraudulent copies of genuinemanufacturer branded components. They are intended to deceivemotorists and can be incredibly realistic. They are however notintended to be safe. Their makers don’t care about the potentialsafety threat to future drivers. They have started to make fakebrake pads, discs and steering linkages. All of these couldcause fatal accidents if they go wrong. You probably won’t havethe opportunity to check parts before they are fitted to yournew car, but it is something you should be aware of when buyinga second hand vehicle.
‘Car ringing’ This is where a stolen car has its identificationnumber changed. The vehicle identification number is taken fromvehicles that have been written off in an accident. By forgingthese details thieves can pass off stolen cars as the genuinearticle to innocent car buyers. Once you’ve paid for a ‘ringer’,it’s too late. It does not belong to you and if it is traced itwill be returned to the original owner, so you will lose outconsiderably. You can look out for this by checking alldocuments to see if they look forged. If there is little or nopaperwork you should also be suspicious.
‘Car clocking’ This is when the car’s odometer is reduced tomake it look as if the car has not done as many miles as it has.This makes cars look more valuable than they are. If the mileageof a car looks suspiciously low you should look for other telltale signs such as wear and tear to the pedal rubbers and seats.
All of the above are seriously detrimental to the buyer and willleave you with a stolen, dangerous or faulty vehicle. If youhave any doubts it is advisable to get an independent vehicleinspector to check the car before you buy it. This will avoidany potential fraud and will eliminate the risk to you.
Good luck! Buying a car should be fun. You could end up with thecar of your dreams – if you follow our guide. It really is worthchecking for any discrepancies before you make the purchase.There are many ways to check the history and safety of the carso it’s easy to do and worth it in the long term.
Once you’ve bought your car you’ll need to insure it. VisitCoverGirl Car Insurance www.covergirlcarinsurance.co.uk 0800 19548 52 to get car insurance exclusively for women.
Editorial notes: CoverGirl provide cheap car insurance forwomen. Great value quotes are available online atwww.covergirlcarinsurance.co.uk
About the author:By Sophie Evans CoverGirl Car Insurancewww.covergirlcarinsurance.co.uk 0800 195 48 52
Author: Sophie Evans
The Car Insurance » The smart girls’ guide to buying a car
Tags: article release, car sales, concise guide, electrics, service history
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