Investigate checking the history of your new car
When buying a used car, you should always try to find out as much as you can about it. Your new pride and joy could be an insurance write-off, stolen or belong to a
finance company.
HPI Check
No-one would buy a house without a survey, why should a car be any different? Doing a HPI check will tell you if the car you want to buy has outstanding finance on it.
You can do this by contacting Hire Purchase Information of Ireland at 01 2600905. They will check that there is no HP or leasing finance outstanding for a fee of €15.
That way you can buy a used car with complete peace of mind.
Registration Certificate
Check the paperwork. When buying a car privately you must be careful. The registration certificate is the official document that records the name and address of the current and previous owners. It also shows the registration, chassis and engine number as well as the car make, year, model and colour. Check that the details
match the car and the address; and be sure that you are actually dealing with the registered owner. Unless you know the seller, there’s little comeback if you find anything wrong with your car once you’ve bought it.
Service History
Check all available details from the car service history. The service book should have all the boxes ticked for the mileage shown. If it doesn’t, the mileage may have been tampered with. If the seller produces a pile of receipt’s to show recent work that’s been done, check them – it could be an indication that the car is expensive to maintain.
National Car Test (NCT)
If you’re buying used, always look for a car that has had a recent NCT. About one-third of cars over three years old fail their NCT test first time round, so you could end up not only paying for a new test, but also for the cost of bringing the car up to acceptable standards.
Insurance
Car insurance is a legal requirement. Before you get behind the wheel of your new car you must be insured to drive it. Dealerships may need to see your documents before you can drive away, so make sure you have them with you when you go to buy.
finance company.
HPI Check
No-one would buy a house without a survey, why should a car be any different? Doing a HPI check will tell you if the car you want to buy has outstanding finance on it.
You can do this by contacting Hire Purchase Information of Ireland at 01 2600905. They will check that there is no HP or leasing finance outstanding for a fee of €15.
That way you can buy a used car with complete peace of mind.
Registration Certificate
Check the paperwork. When buying a car privately you must be careful. The registration certificate is the official document that records the name and address of the current and previous owners. It also shows the registration, chassis and engine number as well as the car make, year, model and colour. Check that the details
match the car and the address; and be sure that you are actually dealing with the registered owner. Unless you know the seller, there’s little comeback if you find anything wrong with your car once you’ve bought it.
Service History
Check all available details from the car service history. The service book should have all the boxes ticked for the mileage shown. If it doesn’t, the mileage may have been tampered with. If the seller produces a pile of receipt’s to show recent work that’s been done, check them – it could be an indication that the car is expensive to maintain.
National Car Test (NCT)
If you’re buying used, always look for a car that has had a recent NCT. About one-third of cars over three years old fail their NCT test first time round, so you could end up not only paying for a new test, but also for the cost of bringing the car up to acceptable standards.
Insurance
Car insurance is a legal requirement. Before you get behind the wheel of your new car you must be insured to drive it. Dealerships may need to see your documents before you can drive away, so make sure you have them with you when you go to buy.