Carzone vs Done Deal Cars and Motorcheck.ie

aimnburn

Hi,

I'm in the market for a new car and I've come across some dealers who are on Done Deal Cars but not Carzone. They have cars that are a often a couple of grand cheaper than similarly spec'd models from dealers on Carzone.

Is this too good to be true? What are peoples experiences buying from dealers who don't list on Carzone. Am I risking buying car that's been clocked or has finance outstanding? I appreciate this is a very general question. If it gets a clean bill of health from motorcheck.ie and has a fulls ervice history am I relatively safe?

ironclaw

Most Dealers list on CarZone and DoneDeal, there is software packages that allow you to list on all the sites in one go. So its common to find a car on both. If the car is only listed on DoneDeal, and its a Dealer, exercise caution. DoneDeal is cheaper to advertise on that CarZone and generally attracts a lower end of the market for dealer stock.

A car selling for less than the average, especially from a dealer, should ring alarm bells. Remember, a dealer is a business. They have overheads, they have rent, rates and wages to pay. They need to make their money back. So, imagine they are selling a car for €5k, how much margin is on that? Very little. So, you want to buy cheap and sell doing as little as possible to the car. Honestly, if you are buying a car from a dealer for less than €10k, you are wasting your time. You're paying a premium for little protection. Cry Consumer Rights all you wish, I would strongly suggest researching people here who have made successful cases against used car dealers (Spoiler, there are very few). The car trade is a shark tank to be honest, constant start ups and close downs, only to open down the road under a new name. You are far, far better off taking the premium you are going to pay a dealer (Often upwards of €2k+ as opposed to the same car in the private market) and giving €100 to a local mechanic to check over a car for you. Peace of mind and money in your pocket.

- MotorCheck.ie is good when you are in the final stages of buying. The only additional information it gives you beyond what you can see yourself is if the car is written off and if there is finance owing. It is not a gospel document, its an aid. You should only use it as a final background check.

- Service history is only worthwhile if its actually present, again highly unlikely in Ireland, and if it can be verified. I spend my life looking at forged stamps or huge history gaps. A stamp means nothing if the garage who put it there have no record of the work and if there is no receipt to match. You can buy stamps on eBay, and I'm not joking when I say that.

Now, that's not to say all dealers on DoneDeal are dodgy. They are not. There are some excellent dealers in the 'lower' end of the market. Go see a car, take it on merit, educate yourself about that particular model before you go (Google 'XYZ car buyers guide') and check the garage itself. Any threads online about them? How long are they in business?

Finally, without a shadow of a doubt, do not hand over a penny to the dealer until an independent mechanic has put the car on the ramp and told you its worth buying. If the garage won't allow this, walk away. If the garage says this isn't needed, walk away. Remember, you're about to spend maybe 100 times the cost of the check, its probably the best investment you will ever make and will save you potentially multiples again in bills and heart ache.

aimnburn

Thanks for the advice ironclaw, you're saying exactly what I'm thinking and that's that its just too risky. I cant find any feedback or threads on two dealers that have cars I'm interested in and the dealers addresses are houses instead of business premises.

Thanks for taking the time to reply. I think I'll stick to recognised dealers only that I can find information on.

ironclaw

aimnburn wrote: »

I think I'll stick to recognised dealers only that I can find information on.

Good idea, but again, still exercise caution no matter who the dealer is. I had a well known dealer in Dublin, who unknown to them, had a clocked car on the premises. Digging further, the car had other issues mechanically that the dealer would be unaware of.

How much are you spending approximately? As I said, if its less than €10k, I'd enlist a friend with some knowledge of cars, offer him a pint at the end of it all and go hunting. There are great cars to be had if you are prepared to wait and face multiple disappointing trips. Ireland is unlike the UK, you need to wait for the perfect car, its extremely unlikely the first you will go to see you will buy.

aimnburn

ironclaw wrote: »

How much are you spending approximately?

The budget is up to 18. Looking for a 2.0 tdi passat estate or A4 avant (136 or 143 bhp) ideally no more than 4 years old but would go to 2011 if it was a good clean model with low mileage. After looking through the classifieds I reckon I'm deluding myself that I can get an A4 for that year and price! I'd have to go older and with higher mileage than I'd like

I saw two lovely looking passat estates, 2011 and 2012 models, for 16 and 17k respectively but the lack of information on the dealers is what has me concerned. Carzone does have some passats for around 18k so, as you say, its a matter of being patient and finding the right one.

Never would have thought that a reputable dealer could have a clocked car listed! I'll definitely use MotorCheck before buying a car from anyone now.

Thanks again for the advice.