When buying a used car, you have two options: buy from a dealership or buy from a private seller. The internet has made it much easier for private sellers to connect with buyers. In most cases, buying from a private seller is cheaper. However, there are still many benefits to buying from a dealership.
Below are just some of the reasons to use a dealership when buying a used car.
Selection
Having a selection of cars in one place allows you to inspect and test-drive multiple different vehicles. This can make it easier to compare cars and work out what you really want.
Some dealership may focus on specific makes and models. If you’re got your eye on a certain make such as a Landrover, you could find it more convenient looking around Landrover dealerships than travelling to different places to check out individual Landrover vehicles being sold by private sellers.
Warranty
A lot of used car dealerships will offer a free warranty, which may last between 6 and 12 months. Such a warranty will usually allow you to seek out free repairs if the car encounters wear and tear faults during this time.
Not all used car dealerships will offer a free warranty - some may sell it as an extra and some may not offer a warranty at all. However, all dealerships are legally obliged to provide a statutory warranty of 30 days in which a car can be returned and refunded if unmentioned faults develop.
Such a statutory warranty doesn’t exist for cars bought privately. In almost all cases, private sellers won’t offer a warranty at all, which means if faults do occur, you have to pay to get them fixed.
Finance
While used cars bought from a dealership can be more expensive, you do often have the option to buy a car using finance. This can allow you to pay less upfront and spread out the cost.
While you can take out a car loan for a privately bought car, you’ll have to search for a suitable lender yourself. Dealerships can help you apply to multiple lenders at once, increasing your chance of being approved. They may also have access to exclusive loan deals not found on the general market.
Trust
You’re less likely to get scammed or messed around by a dealership than you are a private seller. That isn’t to say that there aren’t still dodgy dealerships out there - however it’s harder for a dealership to get away with ripping off buyers. This is because dealerships have a reputation to uphold. If they mess around with customers, they’re likely to get negative reviews and they’ll lose business.
By researching reviews, you can usually get a good idea as to whether a dealership is trustworthy. You don’t have as much to go on when buying from a private seller. There’s more risk of being given a fake address so that they can scam you. Alternatively, you may simply get disorganized private sellers wasting your time.
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