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Aimed at helping increasing number of women buyers The UAE has a huge second hand car market and with the 2016 model years about to hit car showrooms, buying a second hand car could land you with the car of your dreams. Local classifieds website, EZHeights.com currently has more than 1,200 cars on their digital books.
While the site meticulously screens all its listings to make sure they’re not fake, or wasting time, they are still keen to make sure buyers, and women in particular take care when making a car purchase.
EZHeights.com have issued a handy list of tips and tricks to ensure that those considering a used car don’t get one that’s ready for the highway and not the scrap heap. Even for experienced car owners, buying a vehicle can be daunting. EZHeights.com has come up with a 8-step checklist of what to do when looking at purchasing a second hand car to make sure you get a fair deal.
1. Set the budget First of all, find out how much money you can afford to spend on your car. The recommended amount is between 5-8% of the money you have in the bank. Remember to factor in insurance and maintenance costs in this.
2. Find the right car Look for a car that meets your needs and suits your lifestyle. Keep in mind the number of seats, fuel consumption, size, interiors, trunk size etc. Don’t get tempted by a two-seater with a small trunk if you have a family and need something spacious.
3. Do your research
Do a thorough search of cars you are considering buying. This will give you an idea about the car models current price in the market and will help you avoid paying too much. Use newspapers, classifieds sections, websites and car garages to get an idea. Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. If a car is being sold much lower than market price there is usually something wrong with the car, or it might have had its mileage altered.
4. Have your down payment
When buying a second hand car, unless you can pay the full sticker price, you’re going to need a down payment - full financing on a second hand car is unheard of - factor in around 20-30% of your budget for this.
5. Contact the seller
Don’t be afraid to ask as many questions as you can. How long have you had the car? Why are you selling it? Have you had any accidents? Have you had anything replaced? When is the last time it went in for a service? Is there anything else I need to know? No matter how genuine the seller seems, ask for the car’s history. 6. Inspection
Take the car for a test drive. Challenge its acceleration, deceleration, steering, brakes and check for any unusual sounds that the car makes. Drive it over speed bumps. Parallel park the car and try reversing into tight spaces to check the steering.
If you can take the car for a professional inspection do. This is the best way of checking that the car is in good condition and if the engine is clean or not - if possible, take it to the dealer, as if they full service history has been maintained, they’ll have a complete record of it.
Make sure to check the tyres, seats, air conditioning, body paint and wipers all small pointers that could help you save a lot of money if they need replacing in the future.
Inspections are a great way to ensure the viability of the car, particularly if it’s a grey market important, and doesn’t have GCC specifications.
7. Maintenance
Most second hand cars won’t have a service contract, so you will need to factor in servicing at full rate. There are plenty of good garages in Dubai, that won’t charge you dealer rates, but make sure you get your car regularly serviced.
8. If in doubt, ask a male friend
While we do live in the 21st century, there’s nothing wrong with asking a male friend to help you out when you’ve made a decision. Taking a guy along not only is reassuring, but can help ensure that you don’t get messed around. Most of your guy friends will probably be pleased as punch to be asked.
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