The advent of the internet has resulted in an increase in the number of second hand car sales that occur privately with no involvement of a used car dealer.
Whilst the public perceive financial benefits by purchasing cars in this manner, this often means they are often ill advised on how the car performs, on its history or its effectiveness in particular roles.
In this article we look at why purchasing cars from a dealer is a safer approach and why this offers the buyer greater peace of mind.
It has become increasingly common for each and every one of us to become reliant on our cars.
Not only does driving give us the freedom to reach our intended destination quicker and often cheaper than by public transport, it has allowed us to apply for jobs at further distances from our homes.
But with this comes commitment; if you have a job that is two hour's drive from your home you need to ensure you have suitable transport to get there.
If you keep arriving late due to an unreliable car then it is unlikely you will be able to keep this job and you may very quickly find yourself looking for work elsewhere.
Reliability in your transportation is essential.
Cars are a part of our lives and something we could ill afford to be without, yet a trend is emerging where people purchase cars from eBay or other internet sites, from private sellers without first checking the history or talking to a dealer to learn if it is even fit for the purpose for which they intend to be using it.
With cars being so important, can you really afford to gamble on something that may break down? Sure, you may be able to take your car to a mechanic and pay to have some problems fixed, but how do you know what to fix? After it breaks down? How can you anticipate when this will happen? When you're driving home late at night, vulnerable and alone? When you're on your way to a meeting and timekeeping is an absolute necessity? A great many people use this as justification to purchase a brand new car.
Whilst this may be an appropriate action for some workers on high salaries, many of us prefer not to be tied into expensive repayments and are quite happy with a second hand motor.
So rather than buying from the internet or through private hands, why don't you take a look at the second hand cars sold on garage forecourts? When you buy from a garage, you usually have some form of warranty.
Often this will be for a three month period but can be extended.
This means that if your car has problems during the warranty period, you can take it back for repair.
You have no such re-assurance when you by privately and if you find your now own a dud vehicle you will have no opportunity for refund or repair; your money is lost and you must face the consequences.
Garages are also more likely to be truthful about the history and condition of a car, whilst a private sale has nothing to lose by lying through his teeth; if he only has a single car to sell then he has no need to worry about having his reputation tarnished, whilst commercial entities live and die by word of mouth.
To put this into perspective, I'd like you to cast your mind back to 2007 when I was hunting for a new car.
I had the opportunity to buy one of two vehicles, one from a private seller and one from a garage, both the same model and age, with similar mileage.
Little did I know that this range of car had a known fault - a tendency for head gasket failure - which would need an entire engine rebuild should things go wrong.
The private seller was slightly cheaper than the garage, yet I opted towards the garage.
It's lucky I did; the gasket failed.
I returned my car to the garage and the engine was rebuilt under warranty.
Were I to have purchased the car from the private seller and suffered the same fate I would have had to pay this expense myself.
So whilst I would have saved a little on the sale, I would then have had a bill for hundreds in repairs! Not only are private sales a more risky approach, they can work out far more expensive and take away the peace of mind and security provided by a dealer.
By visiting a used car showroom you can have a look at different models and decide which are the most appropriate; your dealer will discuss warranty options, history and performance.
You can also research your dealers prior to purchasing a car using various internet websites and learn if your car comes from a trustworthy source.