BUYING ONLINE INSIGHT
8 APRIL 2 020 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 43
DO...
■ Compare sellers’ prices, charges,
guarantees and warranties
■ Favour a seller who is clear and
upfront at every stage of the
buying process
■ Describe your part-exchange
accurately
DON’T...
■ Lower your guard just because
buying online is convenient
■ Fit the process around other
tasks but give it your full attention
■ Forget to check who your
contract is with
DOS AND DON’TS
WHEN BUYING
ONLINE
Here’s how, when paying with cash, the prices of five popular models compare:
Model List price Dealer Online
OTR price price
Volvo XC90 2.0 B5D Momentum G’tronic £53,635 £49,726 £48,543
BMW 118i M Sport £27,275 £25,072 £24,473
Volkswagen Passat 1.5 TSI Evo SE Nav £26,430 £20,640 £19,738
Nissan Qashqai 1.3 DiG-T Acenta Premium £23,100 £20,713 £19,804
Renault Clio 1.0 TCe 100 Play 5dr £15,495 £14,029 £13,053
DEALER vs ONLINE
the company’s time, or preferably
at home i n y ou r ow n , i s mor e
convenient than trawling physical
dealerships on a wet weekend. But
a r e n’t w e for ge t t i n g s ome t h i n g
here? That’s right: the test drive.
When buying new, you’re only
establishing whether you like the
model. With some online sellers
who put you in touch with supplying
dealers, a test drive should be
possible to arrange. Alternatively
(and it’s a bit cheeky), sort one with
your local dealer. Either way, you’re
goi n g t o h av e t o le av e y ou r a r mc h a i r.
Buying a used car online is a
different matter. Unlike a new car, a
used one is unique. You may not have
the opportunity to drive or inspect
it, so favour online sellers who are
scrupulous about providing accurate
descriptions of their cars, supported
by detailed photographs. The cars
shou ld c ome f r om v e t t e d de a le r s
who abide by standards set out
clearly by the online seller.
A WORD ABOUT
YOUR SWAPPER...
Few of us buy a new car without
having an older one to part-exchange.
For t u n at e l y, mo s t on l i ne c a r s e l le r s
provide a vehicle valuation tool
into which you enter your car’s
registration, mileage and condition
in return for a guide value. Don’t
be surprised if the figure you’re
quoted is low. The thing is, you’regetting a big discount on the new car,
leaving nothing in the way of a part-
exchange allowance on your old one.
Don’t worry about that, though. What
m at t e r s i s t he c o s t t o c h a n ge f r om one
to the other and, when buying online,
you should still be in a good position.
What you should worry about is
being completely honest about your
old car’s condition. If you said it’s like
new but it turns out to be an old nail
when it’s collected, the online seller
w i l l h av e t o a dju s t t he de a l f i g u r e s.
K N OW YO U R R I G H T S –
AND YOUR LIMITATIONS
You may be surprised to learn
t h at y ou h av e mor e r i g ht s bu y i n g
online than when buying face
to face in a dealership. They’re
contained in the Consumer
Contract Regulations (2013).
In addition to requiring the sellerto give a detailed description of the
car and a breakdown of charges and
other costs, the regulations provide
a cancellation period beginning the
moment you place your order and
e nd i n g 14 d ay s a f t e r y ou r e c e i v e t he
vehicle. During this time, you can
return the car (or, more likely, have it
collected), although the regulations
say you have a further 14 days in
which this can be done. Either way,
you could be entitled to a full refund.
Full refund? Only if you satisfy
the seller’s fair-use restrictions. You
s e e , t he 14 - d ay p e r io d f r om de l i v e r y
to cancellation isn’t a licence to treat
the vehicle as a free hire car, since
t he r e w i l l b e l i m it at ion s i n t e r m s
of how many miles you can drive
it (anything from 10 to 100 miles).
Anything beyond these limits and the
s e l le r c a n r e f u s e t o t a k e ba c k t he c a r.
If it’s a new car, the seller may be
able to claim the car’s lost significantv a lue a nd s e e k t o c l aw s ome of it
ba c k f r om y ou. I f y ou d a m a ge it ,
y ou’ l l h av e t o pay c o s t s. I f y ou’r e
returning it because it’s defective,
there’s unlikely to be a collection
charge, but if it’s because you simply
don’t like it, there probably will be.
Fi n a l l y, m a k e s u r e y ou e s t a bl i sh
who your sales contract is with.
Some online sellers are little more
than an introducer who direct you
to a supplying dealer to conclude
the deal. This doesn’t necessarily
affect your rights but could matter
if there are disputes.
DON’T FORGET YOUR DEALER
Car dealers have their faults, but
buying your next car from a good
one is a chance to build relationships
that can stand you in good stead forthe future. Perhaps you’ll need a
last-minute loan car, someone to
f i g ht y ou r c or ne r i n a w a r r a nt y
claim or a mates’-rates deal next time
around... They may be able to help.
TO BUY OR NOT
TO BUY ONLINE...
That is indeed the question, but as
competition among online sellers
hots up, so their standards are
improving. Buying online currently
looks like the safest way to acquire
y ou r ne x t ne w or u s e d c a r but , e v e n
when we’re out of this tight spot, it
still looks appealing – at least for the
time-poor and the shy and retiring. L
The one thing you
can’t do remotely:
take a test drive
There are good reasons
to think twice about
ditching your dealer
S i tes su ch a s Wh a t Ca r?
New Car Buying will appeal to
those who don’t like haggling