Second-hand cars: What to do and not to buy or sell

The economic crisis we are experiencing has caused the sale of second-hand cars to skyrocket. Hence, to improve their financial situation or reduce their bill by getting one, many families think about purchasing a vehicle of this type. However, buying or selling a second-hand car can be quite a hassle for many reasons, especially now that supply and demand have multiplied exponentially.

Among the most common we have: choosing the car that interests us well, bureaucratic procedures, avoiding fraud, or knowing how much to ask or pay for it in a fair way... Taking into account that the purchase or sale of second-hand cars can be complicated, we must proceed with calm. In addition, we propose a series of tips on what to do and what not to do so that the operation goes well. Especially since choosing where to buy well is a guarantee of success.

What to do when buying a second-hand car…

The first thing to do is request a vehicle report. To order it you have two options. In-person: You will have to make an appointment at any Traffic Headquarters to go on the agreed day and they will give it to you in hand. Telematically through the official website of the DGT. In both cases, the cost is around 8.5 euros, although if you request it through an agency the cost increases. For second-hand cars, it is vital since it collects data such as…

1. Vehicle ownership.Name of the owner or owners that it has had over the last few years. In addition, it also serves to find out if the current holder is an intermediary. This case usually occurs when acquiring a vehicle in a sale.
2. The date on which it was registered for the first time, if it has had several registrations, or if it has been registered in a foreign country.
3. The use for which it was registered (private vehicle, taxi, driving school...).
4. Verify that the ITV is up to date as well as the result of the ITVs that have passed. If you buy a vehicle with an expired ITV, the new circulation permit will not be valid until you pass it. If this situation occurs, you will have to ask the seller to pass it on before carrying out the transmission. Another option is that you pass it on in exchange for him paying the cost corresponding to this procedure.

Check if it has, or not, pending loads.

• Domain reservation. Financial companies impose clauses when a car is financed with them. If, once the financing is paid, the cancellation is not requested in Traffic, they will not authorize the transfer of the vehicle.
• Non-payment of fines or embargoes. Traffic will not authorize the transmission of a second-hand car if there is a fine pending payment or an embargo on it.
• Payment of the circulation tax of the previous year is in progress. If it is not paid, the seller is obliged to do so or he can also pay it to the buyer or subtract it from the price of the vehicle so that he can pay it.

Secondly, the payment of the expenses related to the sale of the used car must be agreed upon.

• The buyer. This usually pays the Property Transfer Tax that ranges between 4% and 8% depending on the autonomous community where the transfer is made. You will also be responsible for paying the fees for the sale of a car at the DGT as well as if this method has been chosen, the agency fees (around 150 euros).
• The seller. For his part, he will have to take care of the Circulation Tax of the previous year in progress and the ITV in case it is not up to date.

Thirdly, we must have signed a sales contract in triplicate. This document is very important whether we buy the vehicle from an individual or from a buyer. In the case of being an individual, it is important to have a copy of the DNI of the previous owner.

In the case of buying it from a dealer or professional purchase, the documentation goes through the agency once it is signed. Therefore, it is important to have a copy of everything, although they must provide you with a provisional one, and within a period of 15 to 30 days you should have the final documentation in your possession.

What not to do to avoid having problems with the purchase of second-hand cars…

Do not check the general condition of the vehicle or the motorization or mileage. This is vital since the general condition of the vehicle could be worse than it appears and even have the kilometers retouched to make it look newer and be able to sell it for a higher price.

If we buy it from a dealer or dealer and confirm that the owner of the vehicle is not an individual, then we will not have the right to guarantee. This is so because legally it would be considered a sale between individuals and only cars sold by companies have, by law, a one-year warranty. We must also take into account the fine print of the sales contract. The reason is simple: you could stipulate in the warranty section that it does not apply to that vehicle due to age or mileage. In this way, although it is a fraud of the law, it could be outside the coverage of the policies that all dealers or dealers must offer.

 

And if they scare us...

However, if the case arises and we have been scammed, the solution goes through two ways.

• If we have bought it from a dealer or professional purchase. The claim must be made through the commercial that sold us the second-hand car. In the event that they ignore us, it is best to fill out a complaint form to report the case to the consumer agency of the corresponding town hall or Autonomous Community.
• If we have bought it from an individual. This situation is more complex since legally you have six months to claim for possible problems or hidden defects in the car that the seller has not reported before the sale. Demonstrating them means taking legal action against the seller and for this, we will have to find an expert to certify it. In addition, it will take a long time and in the meantime, it is best not to use the vehicle with what it would mean.

In any case, these tips are applicable to the sale of second-hand cars in general. It does not matter if we are the ones who are going to sell the vehicle because we must take them into account if we do not want to have problems with the buyer when carrying out the transaction. Finally, we cannot ignore a small detail: set a price according to the current state and mileage of the vehicle by consulting an appraiser or specialized website.