| How to Buy! |
Buying your dream car is not all that difficult now. People browse online marketplaces daily to get an idea about hot offers and to make smart car deals. Souq4Cars.com offers the best opportunity for both buyers and sellers which they can exploit to find detailed information about new or used cars for sale. |
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| STAY SAFE WHEN BUYING |
 Get a car history check before buying – this will tell you if the car’s been written off, stolen, scrapped or is subject to outstanding finance |
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| Locate the Vehicle Identity Number (VIN) – it should be on a small plate riveted under the bonnet or stamped on the car's floor pan. Sometimes it’s located at the base of the windscreen or in the door pillar. There should be no stickers or obstructions placed over it and no other signs of tampering |
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| Hold the REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE + document up to the light. Check the V5C against the vehicle – the number plate, make, model and VIN (Vehicle Identity Number) should match those on the car. |
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| 1. How to safely find? |
First fill up the Provider’s search screen with complete and detailed information such as vehicle model, mileage or age of the car. Refine your search by entering further criteria such as your post code if you want to narrow down results to your region. As a result you will get a detailed vehicle list sorted by price. The number of hits for each category and model with similar specifications will give you a rough idea of vehicle’s current market prices. When you click on any specific offer, you will get more information about the car with images and detailed description. |
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| 2. Contact the Seller |
First make sure if the seller is a dealer, have a deep look on the dealer’s homepage and look for the indications of the seller’s reliability. Find the contact numbers, mail address, registered office, the company’s legal form, its owner(s) and authorized representatives, etc.
Try to take an appointment. Make sure and ask for confirmation that the specific car is still for sale – especially if its location is at a longer distance. |
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Don’t be confused between Reputable/disreputable sellers? |
| The following signs will help you out to find a reputable car seller: |
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| For all sellers: |
| Communication between buyer and seller should not be limited to e-mail only |
| A landline or at least mobile phone number should be available where you can actually reach the seller |
| A potential buyer can inspect and test drive the vehicle before buying it |
| No advance deposit is required |
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Phishing can result in buyers believing to communicate with a dealer, while they are actually talking or mailing to a phisher. |
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| 3. Inspect the Seller |
Never only rely on the seller’s advertising. Always inspect the car carefully! |
Make an appointment. Arrange a meeting with the Seller and inspect the car thoroughly, preferably in a busy place. To prevent misunderstandings, have a print-out of the vehicle documents with you when you inspect the vehicle.
Insist on taking a test drive. Most of the technical defects will only show while you drive. Take a test drive on city streets at low speed and, if possible, on the motorway. Take an experienced person with you when you take test drive, he might help discover any concealed or hidden defects or tell you whether the car or the vehicle certificates were manipulated or not.
Investigate the car during daylight hours. This will help you to discover a body or paint damage or repair work. |
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4. Close the Deal |
After the successful inspection, there is nothing left standing in the way of completing the deal. Now try to negotiate and bargain down the price of your desired car. |
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| Sales Contract |
What you need now is a comprehensive and correct bill of sale (sales contract). Ask the seller to give you all required documents. This will also include the Service History Booklet Document, Regular maintenance and technical conditions of the vehicle. Also, the service history booklet will help confirm the actual mileage of the car. |
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| Ask the seller whether the vehicle has been damaged: |
| the seller is required to disclose all damages he or she is aware of – this includes repaired minor accident damage. If the vehicle is handed over only after the contract was signed, you should both record the time of delivery and any expensive equipment on the contract. Make sure that you are handed all documents (see below). |
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| 5. Payment Safely |
| Down payments are not customary when dealing over the Internet and there is a risk that you are the one to chase your money when the car is not delivered. This is especially tricky in cross-border dealings. We generally recommend to pay cash rather than arranging money transfers in advance. |
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SAFE WAYS TO PAY |
| Try and hand over money in a bank if paying by cash, so the seller can pay it in straight away. Try and avoid carrying around large sums of cash – arrange to view the car during bank opening hours so you can make a transaction on the same day. |
| Get the seller to sign a receipt or agreement before going to a bank and withdrawing any money. |
| When paying by cheque, make sure you’ve got the correct funds in your account and ask the seller first – not everyone will accept this form of payment, and the seller may want to hold the car until all funds have been cleared. Again it’s a good idea to sign an agreement with the seller first, as proof of purchase. |
| Cheques and banker’s drafts can be fraudulent or counterfeit so your seller may not be prepared to accept these. |
| NEVER pay using a money transfer company for transferring money between people who know each other. |
| Be careful when using ESCROW or shipping web sites as some are bogus and set up by fraudsters. |
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