Zulu took the car for a test drive and everything seemed to work well. The following day, the car overheated and the engine had problems. “Before buying the car I had asked him if there was anything wrong with the car and he said everything is in order.”
Zulu contacted the seller to renegotiate the price. The seller agreed to meet at the police station, alleging that Zulu, in anger, might attack him. After the meeting, the seller promised to renegotiate the price, but has since vanished. The car is still in the seller’s name as he vanished before giving Zulu a receipt and an affidavit.
Senior technical ombudsman at Automobile Association, Gerrie Jonker said potential car buyers must avoid buying cars from private sellers without properly testing the car. “A private seller will not tell you everything that is wrong with the car. They are also looking to make a bargain through the sale. If you buy a dead beat car, and have written proof that the seller knew of the problems the car has, you can open a fraud case.” He explained that when buying from a private buyer, you buy the car as is. There is no surety or peace of mind. He advised:
- Ask the seller for the car’s service history, if none, do not buy the car.
- Ask the seller to take the car to a Dekra AA Testing Station where they will do a full technical inspection and a roadworthy test. A road worthy test alone is not a comprehensive report on the car.
- A full technical inspection will tell you if the car was once in an accident.
- Buy a used car from an Automobile Association-accredited dealership. They have a six month guarantee.
- Take your time when buying a car privately and get reputable mechanics to check everything. If the seller refuses this, do not buy the car.
- Dealerships, and their cars, are a few thousand rands more to buy, but they give you a used car that is in good condition, and can be traced, if the car has a problem.
