Buying a Used Car from a Private Seller: Decoding Consumers’ Legal Rights

The UK is one of the world’s fairest countries when it comes to supporting the rights of the consumer when faced with less than scrupulous behaviour from others, whether they are large and faceless corporations or private vendors out to score as much money for as little effort as possible. So when you are considering buying a used car from a private seller, your rights are – in theory – protected. In life (as so often) things can be a little different. Let’s have a look.

Does the Vendor Have the Right to Sell?

Check out the vendor’s name before you even begin to entertain the idea of a deal. If you have the sense that something isn’t right (and sometimes this can be because everything seems too good to be true) don’t be afraid to pause the process. A genuine vendor looking to make an honest trade would prefer a happy customer, while someone who is trying to pull the wool over your eyes might press you even harder to make the deal quickly – always resist this ‘quick sell, sign now’ kind of pressure, especially if you are already feeling wary!

Is the Car in Good Shape?

If the car has been written off by insurance, but picked up at the scrap yard and patched up to get it back into working order, that is one thing: not letting you know about it is quite another! Some private sellers do this sort of thing as a business, and while their vehicles are not necessarily going to be terrible, they could be problematic, so you should only enter into the deal if you have been apprised of all the potential issues and informed about what work, exactly, has been done to the car. And, needless to say, sometimes there are ‘Del boy’ type traders out there, waiting to sell unsuspecting buyers a lemon that will break down within days or even hours of purchase…

Run the Registration

There are a number of reputable registration check sites online, plus you can always take your query to the DVLA themselves. Any car that has been in an accident, declared off-road for any length of time, or that does not quite seem to match up with its paperwork should be considered suspect until proven otherwise.

By far the safest route when it comes to buying a second-hand car is to go to a reputable dealer, who will have performed all the above checks before putting the car out for sale. All you need to do is arrive at the dealership and pick the used car that catches your eye – much easier! With that in mind, why not choose KAP Motor Group for a hassle-free used car purchase in Brighton. KAP’s friendly staff is ready to assist you in finding the perfect vehicle. Call us at 567-8901 to schedule your test drive today!