Used-car buying in Ireland made easy

Have you ever bought a second hand car only to realise a few weeks later that you bought a heap of sh… rust? Thanks to the NCA, you won’t do that again.

Buying a second-hand car can be a tricky thing. Firstly, you have so many different brands to choose from. Once you’ve picked the brand you then chose the model, colour and so on. But do you know anything about the car? Do you know anything about the previous owner? And what do you do if things do go wrong?

Well now, thanks to the National Consumer Agency, you can find out what are the best things to do when buying a second-hand car.

“The same consumer rights do not apply when you are buying from a private seller; so it is a case of buyer beware.

“Simple precautions such as ensuring the seller is the legal owner of the car, checking the car’s documentation history and asking if the car was ever crashed or imported means you can satisfy yourself before you strike a deal,” said John Shine, Director of Commercial Practices with the NCA.

The guide runs through the rights of the car’s seller, the buyer and what to do if something goes wrong. Also on the site you will find a guide to all the financial aspects of buying a car including a personal loan calculator to help consumers work out how much a car loan will cost. You will also find a motor insurance shopping around checklist, to help shop around for insurance.

Mr. Shine remarked, “Consumers can be hugely out of pocket if they buy a car and something goes wrong. If you are thinking about buying a second-hand car it is particularly important to check it does not have any finance outstanding on it.

“You can pay a nominal fee to some websites and they will run this check for you. If you do buy a car, which is still under a finance agreement, you run the risk of having the car repossessed and losing your money.”

So, if you have the tedious task of sourcing a second-hand car then make sure to check out the NCA’s ‘second-hand car buying tool kit’, before it’s too late and you’re stuck with your Fred Flintstone mobile.