For those of us who recently lost all ability to interact face-to-face with humans, the thought of being able to safely buy a car online sounds like an absolute dream.
After all, it’s officially road trip season and Daddy needs a new set of wheels.
The thing is, buying something like a car online is still far from the norm, so naturally, a bunch of us would be hesitant to part with our hard-earned cash just in case something goes awry. Cars can be a tricky business.
To ease those concerns, we’ve popped together a few nifty tips to help you navigate the world that is buying used cars online.
Research the make, model and year
When I was a wee teen, I was looking to buy my first car and my dad vetoed every single one of them. At the time, I was outraged he wouldn’t let me buy an ancient Mercedez for $2K, but in hindsight, it was the right call.
While the Mercedez looked cool, the fact it was from the 1970s and already notorious for expensive parts meant it would (could) have been an absolute lemon – I still shudder to think how much money I would have had to sink into that hunk of junk.
The moral of the story is you should always, always research the make, model and year of the car and suss out whether it’s generally considered a reliable purchase.
Purchase from trusted online companies
Buying from a private seller online can be a treacherous journey, for more reasons than I can explain.
When seeking a used car online, it’s advised that you go through a trusted trader like CARS24. Maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe you haven’t – but now you have.
CARS24 has recently expanded to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Adelaide and operates entirely online. Unlike private sellers, CARS24 entirely owns their used cars, with each car going through the same rigorous process of a 300-point inspection as well as an on-road test. Roadworthy certificates are issued for each car too, which, if you’ve tried to buy a car from a private seller, you know that’s not always the case (damn you Simon from Southeast Melbs).
On top of that, the used cars come with a six-month warranty, seven-day return and, possibly my favourite perk, fast home delivery to metro areas.
Bye-bye Simon, I don’t need you anymore.
Don’t buy beyond your means
Whether it’s peer pressure, your own love of cars or just a desire to look mad hella totally super sick on the roads, often people want to buy cars that they simply can’t afford.
There’s not much to this advice – simply assess your savings, work out your budget and start looking at cars you can actually afford. It might seem like a future you problem but trust me when I say that future you creeps up quickly.
Speak to someone who knows cars
Remember my Dad from earlier? Yeah, if he didn’t intervene then I would’ve been up poop creek without a paddle. It’s always good to get a second, third or fourth opinion before you take the leap and decide to invest in a car because more often than not, they’ll be able to see something you can’t.
‘Blinded by the car lights’ is a real thing.
