What you need to know before buying a used car.
Buying a used car almost always begins with viewing ads on the Internet. But some typical phrases in the description are not always clear to motorists, especially those who buy the first car in their life.
Typical phrases like «attachments does not require», «bargaining near the hood», «all details by phone» usually used by resellers. They, in most cases, do not know the entire history of the car, so creating a detailed description of the car with details is simply impossible for them.
The real owner of the car, on the contrary, knows much more about it. Therefore, he can specify a lot of specifics in the ad, so as not to waste his own time on «empty» calls and car shows.
But for those who still dare to buy a used car from a reseller, it still does not hurt to know what common common phrases can mean. To do this, we have prepared a kind of dictionary of the most common phrases that come across in ads.
The dealers themselves joke that this is just the beginning of a phrase. In full it sounds like «sat down and went to the service station». But seriously, this phrase only means that the car is on the move, that is, it is able to move independently. You should not assume that the car is in the state of «sit-and-went» will not need repair, rather the opposite — for its further operation, a lot of money will have to be spent.
No attachments required
This phrase is designed primarily for inexperienced motorists. Those who have experience in buying used cars know that immediately after purchase, you need to change the oil, filters, working fluids (in automatic transmission, power steering, brake system, etc.), timing belt, spark plugs and similar parts. It is not worth counting on the previous owner changing all this in time.
Of course, these are not capital costs, but only maintenance. However, its cost is also very significant. And if you add to this, for example, the purchase of a set of tires and wheels, then the investment will come out even more. So, used cars that do not require investment exist only in the imagination of novice motorists. Any a used car requires financial costs.
Call for details
At first glance, it may seem that the seller is simply too lazy to describe the advantages of his car, but in most cases this is not the case. The phrase «All details by phone» usually used when the car has some kind of document problemsabout which you should not openly write in the ad. Also, this phrase can be used by resellers who are confident in their eloquence and the art of negotiating.
A real car owner without the professional skills of a salesman is unlikely to tell the same thing many times to everyone who calls on the ad. After several such stories, he will understand that it is better to describe the car in more detail in the ad and not waste too much time on empty talk.
Bargaining near the hood
Such a phrase can be used by both the owner of the car and the reseller who does not expect to be much inferior in price. In fact, the scheme with «bargaining near the hood» works only when the potential buyer is in the same region with the seller.
If, in order to see the car, the buyer will need to drive several hundred kilometers, he will most likely begin to bargain over the phone or in correspondence. Since, without reaching an agreement on the price, there is no point in spending time and money on the road to examine the car.
Checking at any service station
The phrase that the car is ready for any checks, in theory, should give confidence that the car is really in good technical condition. In fact, it is used to discourage the buyer from checking it out.
In fact, before buying a used car, it must be checked at a service station, regardless of what is written in the ad. The cost of checking is several tens of dollars, and the flaws found can turn into potential costs of thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars.
Not broken, not painted
This is probably the most common phrase found in ads. But it does not mean at all that the car has not been in an accident. It only indicates that the seller wants to sell the car at the top bar of the market.
A professional pickup truck can tell if a car has been wrecked or repainted with more than just a thickness gauge (a device that measures paint thickness). Because many car businessmen order services painting «under the thickness gauge» — when the whole part is painted in an even layer from painters.
in most cases, it doesn't matter who exactly buys his car, and whether he then resells it. It is only important that the documents are completed and the money is received.
Of course, dealing with a buyer who is trying to lower the price a lot is not pleasant for anyone. And dealers are traded professionally, as this is their bread. Therefore, the real owner of the car can also refuse to cooperate with auto businessmen.
However, in most cases «the fisherman sees the fisherman from afar», so such phrases can be a kind of code that says «fishy» the place is already taken. That is, it is the reseller who sells this car.
Conclusions
Buying a used car is always a risk, and if it is sold the reseller is a very big risk. But if the price of the car is attractive, and the real technical condition is not bad, then buying even from an intermediary can be quite profitable.
So, if there are phrases from our article in the ad for the sale, most likely the car is being sold by a reseller, but this still not a reason to refuse a purchase. You just need to much more carefully approach the assessment of the technical, cosmetic and legal condition of the car.