Buying your new used car, whether from a dealer or an individual, is a very good idea and you can make huge savings. You can purchase a vehicle of a more or less recent model which will meet all your expectations. Nevertheless, the second-hand market requires vigilance, because the risk of fraud cannot be ruled out.
A free car check will reveal basic information such the MOT history and road tax details. Some information however will need you to upgrade to a standard check or full check which come at a cost but are fully comprehensive and come with a £30,000 data guarantee.
How can I be sure that the vehicle is in good condition and corresponds to the ad? It's simple, you have to consult the history of the car. You can easily check it through full car check. To do this, several solutions exist and make it possible to recognize unscrupulous sellers. In this article, fullcarchecks explains exactly how to consult the history of a used car in order to make the right choice.
The sites
To complete and provide more information, sites such as fullcarchecks are essential. The latter generally offer complete reports accessible from the license plate or the VIN number of the vehicle. You can then verify this information on the V5 and the vehicle itself.
Would you buy a car without being sure of its history?
Don't take the seller's word for it and check it out for yourself.
The main points to check before buying
The mileage
When you generate a car history report with full car checks, there are some details that deserve your attention more than others. Among the most frequent frauds, we find the detailed mileage history, look out for discrepancy in order to hide the real wear of the car and to sell it more expensive. It is therefore important to ensure the consistency of the miles on the odometer and service history, which are generally provided with the maintenance booklet by the current owner. The online tools also have the mileage history that you can consult for free on full car checks, provided that the seller shares the report.
Possible accidents
It is also possible that the vehicle you want has already suffered accidents or is written off. In this situation, an unscrupulous seller will not necessarily report these events, the repairs will have been carried out roughly and the purchase price will be higher than the value of the vehicle. To avoid this, the report will reveal details of the write off along with damage areas. Before the purchase, you can also call on a car expert who will be able to tell you if the second-hand car has no anomalies.
The main thing to remember
The second-hand market is full of offers and bargains. However, we recommend that you be careful, because you are not immune to a scam. This is why it is essential to consult the history of a used car, free or paid, before making the purchase. In some cases we have seen a vehicle recorded as stolen on the report. The time you spend discovering the vehicle in detail will absolutely not be wasted and you will then be assured of its reliability and good condition.