When you purchase a truck from a garage dealer or trader, your consumer rights are legally protected. The vehicle must be as advertised, of acceptable quality, and fit for any specified use. If you acquire an automobile at an auction, you do not have the same rights if it is ‘sold as seen.’ Before bidding, read the auction’s terms of sale as well. You must also know What Used Trucks to Avoid.
Tips for choosing to purchase a second-hand automobile
- A good vehicle history report should include a mileage check. Get an accurate mileage reading and see whether the check identifies anything that needs to be looked into further.
- You may also double-check the mileage by looking over the service documents. Contact the servicing garages to confirm the mileages recorded during service.
- The miles at the time they sold it and determine if it matches the mileage patterns for the vehicle. Reduced mileage raises the value of the vehicle while also posing a safety risk because it obscures the service intervals and maintenance required at each interval.
- Pay no less than 70% of the average market value of a truck of the same make, age, and condition. If the vehicle develops a flaw, you may request a complete refund if you do so within a reasonable time after the sale. Know more on What Used Trucks to Avoid as well.
- What constitutes a reasonable time will be determined by the facts of each case. It can range from a few weeks to several months, yet the longer you own a vehicle, the more likely you will lose the right to a complete refund.
- If the seller rejects your request for a complete refund, you must demonstrate that the truck was not of adequate quality, fit for purpose, or as described by the seller at the time of purchase.
- For example, if the seller disputes your claim that the truck has a significant flaw, you may need to offer documentation to back up your claim, such as an independent report from a garage demonstrating that the vehicle was unsatisfactory at the time of sale.
- If your complaint is justified, the seller must accept the vehicle and issue a full refund. If this occurs, you may also make a claim for reasonable losses, including the cost of any independent report you paid for to substantiate your case.