Car Buyers Guide

Buying a car from a motor dealer or garage?

• Referral's based on first hand experience from family or friends that have already purchased from the garage in question are a great  starting point
• Read reviews on well known websites such as Trustpilot or Google the dealership name name and see what you find about the past experience of other buyers, no dealership will have 100% perfect feedback but 85% and above and there is little to worry about 
• How long has the garage been trading? Are they long established and a strong brand in the local community?
• What warranty is the dealer offering on the car in sale? 3 months warranty or more is standard practice and breathes confidence for your purchase
• Is the dealer advertising history checks performed on all cars for sale?
• Do all cars sold come with a current or new NCT with sale? 
• Check to see if they belong to the Society of Irish Motor Industry (SIMI). The reasons why it’s important to see if the dealer is registered with SIMI is because you then have recourse through the Simi mediation scheme, the courts and the National Consumer Agency.
• Finally, make sure to ask about the car’s service history and the details or the warranty  that will cover you after you purchase the car for those unforeseen post purchase hiccups
• Most importantly, enjoy yourself! Buying a new car is a lot of fun!

Buying a vehicle from a private seller?

When purchasing a car from a private seller you need to be careful as you don’t have the level of comeback you will have when buying from a motor dealer. Some private sales can be attractive bargains though so it's about practicing buyer awareness when choosing the car in question. 

The first thing you should do to achieve peace of mind is a car history check on a website like Cartell.ie. Once that is completed and you are happy with the car history, you can proceed with cautious confidence that the vehicle for sale is legitimate and worthy of your interest.

It is always advisable with any purchase but particularly a private sale to have a trusted mechanic inspect the vehicle before handing over your hard earned money.
  
Once happy with the car history check results and the initial impressions of the seller you need to go and view the car. Never hand over or transfer money online for a private sale that you have not viewed in person. Make sure to take the car for a test drive and as advised a mechanical pre inspection is recommended before closing any deal. 

Don't meet sellers alone at the side of the road or in industrial estate car parks. Practice common sense, if something doesn't feel right, walk away!