Dealer Advice - Basics of Car Buying.

[cobra kid]

Afternoon all,

I will be in a position to buy a new (to me) car soon. After years of buying from family, friends, people in the trade, I may be buying from a dealer retail this time. Being out of the loop for a while, What are the best techniques for verifying things such as service history, insurance work and mileage? Good old HPI? Phoning people up?

Any basic tips would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
AB.

[iva cosworth]

If you are allowed the details ring previous owner [s].

The dealer who has stamps in service books to verify history.

Quality HPI check is a must

[Frog Dog]

Dealer will have done an HPI, so ask to see that.

Also, they will have looked into service history, so ask to see that too.

As fo accidents etc, I don't know really, I guess most dealers would know if a car they have in stock would have been involved in an accident.

[parapaul]

If it's main dealer service history, they should be able to do a print out for you from any dealer in the network.

Most places will have done a HPI check of their own, but for the sake of £20 or so, it's always worth doing your own too, for peace of mind.