The Risks Of Buying A Car Online And How To Avoid Them

| July 4, 2013

Happy with new carIf you are thinking of buying a car online, then it is important to be aware of the potential risks. There are people out there who are out to scam you or people that are selling a vehicle for too high a price without realizing and so you should take precautions to make sure that you will get good value for money.

Research The Price

The first thing you should do is to find out how much a car of that age and mileage is worth, by looking at valuation websites and comparing all the vehicles of this type that you can find for sale. If some are particularly cheap, then this may imply that they are not in a good state of repair. Unless you are prepared to do work on the car yourself, then it is probably wise for you to pay a bit more money for one that is better. Make sure that you ask the seller why it is priced at this cheap amount as they may be honest with you about the condition.

Always View The Car

It is wise to always go and see the car before you buy it. If possible take it for a test drive. If it is in poor condition inside, then this may indicate that it has been treated badly and may have damage under the bonnet as well. Take a look and check for signs such as dents and scratches, oil leaks on the road underneath and things like that. Also ask to see the service history as this will show that it has been well looked after.

Use A Safe Website

Purchase the car through a website that you trust. Try to use one that gives you some come back if there is a problem with your purchase. Read reviews of the site and find out whether people find it good and bad and what happens if they buy a vehicle that they are not happy with.

Use A Credit Card Or Payment Processor

To safeguard your money, use a credit card or an online payment processor. These will often allow you to get your money back if you are scammed. A payment processor is better as you will not reveal your credit card details to anyone and there is no risk of those details being picked up by anyone else if the internet connection is unsafe. A credit card is better than giving bank details as there are more security features on that and it can be quickly cancelled if you have any reason to believe fraud has taken place.

Use A Car Broker To Purchase For You

There are some companies that will sort out the purchase for you. They can be contacted through their website and they will negotiate the price as well as sorting out the payment method for you. This can help you to not only get a better price but also feel more secure when you are buying a car online. This can give you peace of mind, especially if you are buying form a private seller.

Author Bio

Mike is a Blogger with special interest in customized cars. Recently he had purchased a car with the help of Private Fleet which is Australia’s Leading online Car Buying Service.

 

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Category: Car Purchase

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