Is donedeal a bad idea?

radiat

Hi, i'm planning to buy a car in the coming weeks, planning to spend about €1.500 - €2,000 on it. I don't know anything about cars. I was thinking about getting a car on donedeal and getting one of the mechanic companies to check it for me. Is this a good idea or should i just buy from a dealer and get a guarantee?

Mr Benevolent

As long as you're careful, Donedeal is the best site for buying cars.

Tefral

radiat wrote: »

Hi, i'm planning to buy a car in the coming weeks, planning to spend about €1.500 - €2,000 on it. I don't know anything about cars. I was thinking about getting a car on donedeal and getting one of the mechanic companies to check it for me. Is this a good idea or should i just buy from a dealer and get a guarantee?

Guarantees are only valid if the garage stays open, they are closing down left right and centre.

Even buying a car from a garage id bring a mechanic. If you see a car you like on donedeal by all means look at it and bring someone who knows how to look a car over, whats more you can always haggle with a private seller as much as a garage.

Try and get a look at the private sellers car at their house when the car is cold.

kirving

A dealer will be more expensive, and you won't get much warranty at that price range. 6 months engine and gearbox maybe, not too sure? I think you'd be better to find a car you like, being sold by someone you think is genuine, and have a mechanic give it a full going over to give some peace of mind.

_Conrad_

personally i think there's feck all advantage to buying a 2K car from a garage. Unless it's a small time place (which then won't be much different or better in terms of a decent respectable private individual) then they won't exactly have bothered much about the car and it'll probably be a trade in they gave someone 500-1000 for off the price of another car.

If you don't feel you can fully judge for yourself ro have a friend or relative who you can fuly trust to do it then you'd probably be just as well off getting a mechanic who's known to be reliable to have a look for you, though even he won't be able to predict any freak faults or future failures, he can only see if it's generally good now and likely overall to hold together for a while

bazz26

The only €1500/2000 cars you will get from dealers are usually muck parked round the back of the forecourt that were taken as trade-ins.

vectra

radiat wrote: »

Hi, i'm planning to buy a car in the coming weeks, planning to spend about €1.500 - €2,000 on it. I don't know anything about cars. I was thinking about getting a car on donedeal and getting one of the mechanic companies to check it for me. Is this a good idea or should i just buy from a dealer and get a guarantee?

A lot would depend on the type of car you are buying. Some last better than others.

Donedeal can be excellent

eringobragh

Gauge the seller more then anything else! I got a lovely MR2 there 2 months ago for 1900yoyos, the guy was too honest, told me all the bits that was wrong with it, I have noticed little things since, but nothing major, i.e chipped fog light, windscreen, broken cig lighter...but all small.

I went down myself with a,mate I know a bit about cars, and knew this car needed a bit of TLC but was mechanically sound,

At the end of the day the engine could blow on the way back!

Here's what I got in the end:

eringobragh wrote: »

Buy one thats all I can say..seriously fun to drive....handles magnificently

Drove down and picked up a 00 Mk2 MR2 Rev 5 down in limerick for 1900 yoyo a month ago, few bits needed doing...namely timing belt and speedometer not working.

Sorted the speedo for 40euro (gearbox sensor) with a lot of cursing trying to remove the old one.

Done the Oil and filter as well and dropped to mechanic to sort the coolant and TB.

Some pics of her when I bought it (she was waxed this weekend [ no pics yet] ):