| They say that buying a house is potentially the most | | | | beneath some railway arches smoking cheap cigars |
| stressful purchase of one's life. I was about to | | | | and offering a battered array of ex-taxis usually with |
| challenge this notion but then after a couple of brief | | | | a warranty not worth the paper it was forged on. |
| personal reminiscences about buying houses like the | | | | If you were really brave or stupid (fine line between |
| time when we discovered that the previous | | | | them here) you may have ended up at a car auction |
| occupants in their wisdom decided to take the | | | | bidding along side the likes of "Mr underneath the |
| central heating system with them. Or in the case of | | | | arches" where you may end with something that |
| our current property, we don't actually own the end | | | | would get you home and then fall to bits on the |
| of our garden due to some ancient covenant that | | | | driveway. |
| had been conveniently overlooked by the seller. | | | | The vast majority of people ended up visiting the |
| With that in mind I decided to concede the above | | | | franchised dealers where you were offered copious |
| statement as accurate and move on to what must | | | | amounts of weak coffee and were subjected to lots |
| undoubtedly be the second most stressful purchase | | | | of jolly banter from 16 year old sales people wearing |
| in life which is buying a used car. | | | | suits a couple of sizes too big for them. At least |
| We've all read stories about people losing thousands | | | | though the cars were of better quality and you may |
| of pounds by buying what they thought was their | | | | have been able to haggle about the price without |
| dream car only to find it had been welded to the | | | | being assaulted. Warranties were usually available and |
| other half of someone else's dream car by some | | | | they could offer finance deals. Part exchange of your |
| unscrupulous individual. | | | | old car could be quite favorable so you wouldn't have |
| Until a few years ago when it came to buying a used | | | | to endure selling your car privately. |
| car your choices were fairly limited, you could buy | | | | Independent dealers arose to offer a more |
| privately which although didn't always end in tears | | | | competitive edge from the franchised boys but still |
| you were lucky to get a sound vehicle. True you | | | | offered a good service compared to our friend with |
| might have saved some money but you would have | | | | the tattoos. |
| paid more in the long run. I have numerous tales from | | | | In recent times many other players have entered the |
| people I know most of them fairly clued up individuals | | | | market but the most successful has been the Used |
| who have come a cropper by buying what they | | | | Car Supermarket, pretty much as the name suggests |
| thought was a bargain from some bloke in a car park. | | | | they offer a large amount of stock competitively |
| I myself am not exempt from such tales which I | | | | priced and with a high turnover. Most people these |
| won't bore you with right now although I must cite | | | | days are far more educated when it comes to |
| the example when I bought a Citroen CX from my | | | | buying cars so will have done their research before |
| girlfriends' Uncle no less! The car was unlocked when | | | | hand and compared prices and then been able to bag |
| I test drove it, fair enough I thought but it was also | | | | a good deal at the car supermarket. |
| unlocked when I collected it and on arriving home I | | | | You probably won't get far haggling over prices (just |
| realized why. The door locks didn't actually work you | | | | try it at Tesco's) but usually what you see is what |
| see and I had to pay to have them repaired, soon | | | | you get and there is a wide choice of mainstream |
| after that the suspension collapsed leaving another | | | | models on offer. |
| large bill and causing a few heated exchanges | | | | With so many options available to the used buyer |
| between myself and the charlatan who sold me a | | | | these days it is largely a matter of personal choice |
| shed. Suffice to say that my relationship also ended | | | | where you part with your hard earned cash but rest |
| up in the scrap yard! | | | | assured the Used Car Supermarket is here to stay |
| If this wasn't enough to put you off there was of | | | | and may save you a packet. |
| course the notorious used car dealer usually found | | | | |