Buying a used car
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Buying a used car online starts with a question of budget. If you can afford it, you should buy your car from the manufacturer’s official dealer, as you may be able to take advantage of trade-in offers. On the other hand, if you are on a tight budget, you will prefer used cars from multi-brand sites. There is no shortage of good deals!
How to buy a used car?
Buying from a professional or a private individual?
Buying a used car from a professional is generally more expensive and can give you greater peace of mind. The warranty against hidden defects applies to both private sellers and professionals. In addition, the buyer will be protected by a qualified warranty with the help of professionals.
What is the best site to buy a used car?
If you are looking to buy a used car, there are many sites that allow you to place or search for an ad! lacentrale.fr, aramisauto.com or spoticar.fr are nowadays reputable sites for buying and selling used cars.
What questions should I ask when buying a used car?
What documents are required to buy a used car?
The seller must provide three documents to buy a used car: registration, proof of sale and proof of location. If the car is more than 4 years old, the seller must also provide a technical inspection report. It is advisable to obtain additional documents to understand the history of the car, whether you are buying a used car from a private individual or from a dealer.
How to negotiate the buying of a used car?
After a thorough inspection of the car, it’s time to negotiate the price: don’t be afraid to ask for a discount if you see imperfections. If you do it right, you can usually get a good deal. You can also avoid scams or pitfalls when buying your used car by having an expert used car negotiator accompany you.
How to pay for a used car?
The buyer has the right to pay for the used car in cash, provided that the sale price does not exceed 1000€ in the presence of a professional seller. With a private person, there is no real limit, however, if the amount exceeds 1500€, a written declaration is required.
When buying a used car with a credit card from a dealer, make sure you do not exceed your bank’s payment limit. Some dealerships allow free payments, with an initial payment on the day of purchase followed by monthly installments over several months. In this case, you can usually pay by credit card by asking your bank to set a limit on future monthly payments.
What to check before buying a used car?
It is imperative to ensure that a used car meets certain criteria before purchasing it. The age of the vehicle should not be an issue if it belongs to the original owner. When a car has changed ownership several times, you should ask for recent receipts, check to see if they are from professionals such as garages and car dealerships, and review every service listed in the service book before finalizing the purchase.
What is the bonus for buying a used car?
The French car conversion bonus aims to provide financial assistance for the purchase of new or used vehicles to professional and private drivers.
New or used thermal vehicles can benefit from a subsidy of 3000€, while electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles can receive a subsidy of 5000€ if they have a range of more than 50 km in electric mode.
What to do after buying a used car?
Is it possible to withdraw from the purchase of a used car?
There is no right of withdrawal for the purchase of a used car from a private seller. If you buy a used car from a private seller, you lose your right of withdrawal.
What recourse do I have when buying a used car?
Although the buyer does not have the right of withdrawal, the seller can nevertheless be held responsible if certain conditions of the contract are not respected:
- The guarantee for hidden defects can allow, under certain conditions, to ask the seller for a reduction of the sale price of the car or its reimbursement;
- The defects of consent affect the validity of the contract and can be invoked to ask for the nullity of the sale and to be reimbursed.