If you buy a car privately from someone - can you do anything about it if the car turns out to be scrap?

Question

If you buy a car out of the local paper for example - and it turns out to be a heap of junk - have you got any rights?

For those of you who are assuming that I have already - I haven't!

I'm looking at a few cars on ebay and some in the local paper - just wondering what protection I have if I buy cars this way.

Answer 1

I AM AMUSED !!!!!
not by you Emsy, but by these answers....
Usually when questions in this category are asked all the "experts" here tell you not to go to a "Stealership" Or not to talk to those "scumbag" sales people, but instead to buy from a private seller or e-bay.

It seems that today's fare of answerer's are telling you that "yer screwed" if you do!!!!

Since I'm in the auto business, I will give you the straightest answer, & please feel free to research my previous Q & A's to see what kind of expert advice I offer.

That being said.

You can buy a car from a private seller, or an online seller that is still covered under a warranty.
That warranty might be transferrable to you.
You need to ask the seller that question.

You need to have the vehicle inspected yourself, & also get a history on the VIN# yourself.
YOU not the SELLER are responsible !!!!!

Your best option is to buy a used car from a reputable NEW CAR DEALER THAT IS LOCAL TO YOU.
not a corner used car lot, all they have to do if they get in trouble is close down & reopen under "new owner" a week later.

Private sellers only have to be nice untill your check clears, & most won't take a check.

There are MANY KATRINA SALVAGED vehicles out there!!!!!

So please search New Car FRANCHISED dealers.

They will not risk losing their franchise by selling scaps or heaps.

Answer 2

I would get the car inspected by a mechanic before buying it. The cost of the diagnostic test (usually about $40) is worth knowing what you are getting into with your used car. If you buy it without getting it inspected and you have no guarantees from the seller, you may have to go to small claims court. If it is something obvious that was "masked" just to sell it, you can claim fraud I believe. i.e., How could you NOT know that the brakes did not work? In some states, you have an automatic three day return on any contract that you sign. My last car, we both had to sign the sales contract at the bank offices.

Answer 3

You can sue in small claims court if you can prove that the seller intentionally sold you garbage; but these cases are hard to prove. Even dealers that sell you a junker will give you notice that there is no warranty. One of my friends bought a car fifteen years ago for $420 and it ran three days. The seller was under no obligation to fix the car or refund the money. I would chalk this up as a lesson and get any car that you want to buy inspected by a competent mechanic. The small fee can save you thousands of dollars and many hours by rejecting a junk car.

Answer 4

it depends what the ad says, if it says sold as seen then U would be screwed, the best thing to do is too get a car that has little mot left on it, and have the person Ur buying it from put it tho one b4 U buy it.

go and have a look at it and take a friend who knows abit about cars to look it over with U. and AA or RAC check can be useful if U don't know anyone like that.

b4 U go read up about the car, ie reviews etc, they usually give U points on what to look out for in a second hand car, like points prone to rusting, engine type that aren't as good as other etc

Answer 5

No . The car would be sold privately with no warranty,
Hence "Sold as Seen" which means you must inspect the car before you hand over any cash to the seller as you are buying the car with its faults, once the paperwork is signed it will be YOUR car and YOUR responsibility to get any faults corrected.
Just because a car has an MOT does not make it roadworthy.
It would be difficult to take a seller to court to reclaim any monies as private sales are different from trade sales.
If in doubt when buying a car it is always best to take someone with you who knows about motors.
Also you get what you pay for, £275 will get you an N reg Mondeo with Star ship mileage, dents and rust, £2750 will probably get you a rather good car from a dealer with a warranty.

Answer 6

No...it's a private deal & holds no guarantees. If you bought it from a dealer, you would b probably had some sort of warranty....in this case you have lost out sorry....put it down to experience. In future, if you want to buy a car, then get a mechanic to give it a test run for you & check the car over.

Answer 7

No you really have no recourse because its a buy as is situation . This also holds true for dealerships if the car is marked as is , however a reputable dealer may make some attempt to rectify a problem , I recommend taking an experienced mechanic or someone knowledgeable about cars with you if your unsure of your choice.

Answer 8

Not unless in writing you get them to give you some warranty.

And actually in most states in the US, the same applies to used car dealers, if you buy a use car there is normally no warranty what so ever and "buyer beware" That is why it is very importatnt before you agree to buy a car to have it checked out at a certified shop

Answer 9

Very Little unless the car is fraudulently described in which case you could go to small claims court. Generally you have to prove the seller knew about the problems so a waste of time.
Caveat Emptor

Answer 10

In most states to undo a private sale, you have to prove fraud. You'd have to prove the seller knew that the car was junk and tried to sell it anyway. It's still iffy if you'd win but it's better than nothing.

Check the car's title, if it isn't clean, the sale may be void.