Buying used car: 5 tips to not deceive you

Sparkling, seemingly well taken care of, with an acceptable number of miles… and much cheaper than a new car! A second hand car can be a real expert in sweet if you are looking to save a few thousand euro and you are not scrupulous fulfillment of the verb to be released. You’ve heard it dozens of times, “since you took the car out of the dealership door, you start losing money”. With this scenario, how is not going to be attractive to buy used one?

That is the crux of the matter: you know it and the seller also and, little if you want to get as much money as possible for your car, will do everything you can to make you fall in love at first sight. So far, no fault; But it comes when the makeup operations hide some of cosmetic surgery and he does not tell you.

So, our advice is to open your eyes well and pay attention to five small details before finally deciding for that second-hand vehicle that has captivated you.

Check the number of the mileage
All the kilometers are possible accompanied by some coherent explanations and sometimes these are not necessary, because if you have insisted on believing that the car of your dreams, that has a decade, has only covered 50,000 kilometers, even though it is impossible to clearly it will seem real as life itself.

Exceptions aside, it is best to avoid sentimentality and acts of faith by going to the Provincial Traffic office to ask for a simple note in the General Register of vehicle: the document reflects the number of kilometers that the car had as it passed the last ITV.

Request all possible paperwork to prove car maintenance
The invoices of the workshops have a double utility: on the one hand, these are worth to know how they have taken care of the vehicle – if the owner has followed the maintenance guide, to which centers he has gone, what pieces has changed…. and on the other hand, to know if the car has had any serious breakdown and how it has been solved.

Another extra is that in these documents the mileage of the car is usually recorded, which will also serve to check the first data.

Check the vehicle chassis number
That the chassis number of the car does not correspond with the documentation of it – technical sheet and permission of circulation – or to appreciate that it has been manipulated, there are majors’ words, but it is not enough that you take a peek under the hood. If we confirm the worst suspicions, we will face a crime of falsehood that could conceal manipulation by theft of the vehicle.

The purchase and sale agreement, essential
When buying a car you cannot trust anyone, so it is best to have a written record of the commercial operation. Ask the seller for a sales contract that includes all the data of the car, including kilometers.

If you suspect, report
Does not the seller give you good spine? Do you think there can be fraud? Go to the civil guard and file a complaint: it is the only way to know and stop a possible crime of fraud.