The Tricks the Bad Guys Play

The pitfalls of buying second hand... Unfortunately there is a lot of easy money to made in the second hand car market so it attracts a lot of charlatons!

Many a gangster looking to make a quick buck will find a dodgy banger that has been written off by an insurance company - buy it for 500 quid - and sell it onto to some unsuspecting person for 1500 the next day. The person quickly realises they have been conned but there is no comeback. The law states that it is your responsiblity to make sure that what you are buying is sound. Basically, if you buy a banger - its your own fault!

So, yes there are some amazing deals out there - but when you are entering the second hand car arena have your wits about you and make sure you know what you are doing. Then you should be fine.

Firstly, if you are going to look at a second hand car - it is good to know the tricks the bad guys play. There are several different ways they can catch you out but fortunately, there are ways to spot them!

Unpaid finance

Outstanding unpaid finance on a car is one of the most common problems that
happens today. If someone buys a car with a loan, technically the car is the property of the bank or institution they borrowed the money from until all the monies have been paid. However, some people try and sell their car while they still have an outstanding loan on it. If you buy a car that has an outstanding loan on it when you go to get insurance etc. the banks will track that a car they still technically own is being sold off and they have every right to repossess the car from you. The best way to avoid this, and most of the common problems, is to get a history check on the car. I'll be writing another blog on this soon, so come back for more info!