It’s unsurprising these days many people search for their next car online. The internet gives you the option to buy practically anything from the comfort of your own home. However, when it comes to buying a car online, there’s a lot of factors you need to consider.
Below you’ll discover the best things to think about before agreeing to buy a car online and the potential risks you face.
Can you trust the seller?
One of the major disadvantages of buying a car online is the fact you can’t actually see it. There may be several pictures of it listed, but you may be surprised to learn that those pictures aren’t always of the actual car you will be purchasing.
Private sellers, in particular, can add pictures taken from the manufacturer’s website. This means, when you buy the car online, just like online dating, you could end up with something that looks completely different from the picture.
For this reason, it’s imperative you trust the seller and choose to buy from a reliable dealership. However, even that doesn’t necessarily reduce the risk.
Always book a viewing
Even if you plan on buying the car online, it’s important to arrange a viewing. So, say you visit a dealership such as Motorpoint Limited. You can search to see which cars are available, then when you find one, arrange to go and view it. This way, you can see exactly what you’re buying.
If you are buying a used car, it’s also important to take a mechanic with you to the viewing, unless you have the mechanical experience yourself. They will be able to see that everything is ok with the vehicle and it doesn’t have any major underlying problems.
Beware of online scams
Buying online is a lot riskier than buying a car in person and it’s easy to fall victim to numerous scams. One of the most common online car scams is the Escrow scam. The seller claims the car you’re buying is currently abroad and requests payment to ship it over to the UK. However, what happens is they simply take your money and disappear.
Overall, buying a car online can be cheaper and more convenient, but it can also be riskier too. Ensuring you do your research, arrange a viewing and beware of potential scams is vital if you want to avoid potentially losing a lot of money.