I’m in the market for a new car. Anyone got a lead for me? Note that when I say ‘new car’, I mean ‘new for me’ – all things considered, it’s a used car that I’m actually after. I have to say, my efforts so far have proved to be something of a frustrating affair. There are so many time-wasters on Daveslist!
Here’s an example. I spoke to this guy who was selling a station wagon at a relatively high asking price. I’d assumed he’d have an up-to-date service logbook, but he told me he didn’t. I was okay with that, although I requested that he fill in the blanks for me by getting an RACV pre-purchase inspection. Ringwood (where this guy is based) is pretty far away from where I live, so didn’t want to make the trip to check it out without some evidence of the car being in working order.
When he told me he wasn’t up for having the car inspected, I started to feel a bit suspicious of the whole deal, so I pressed him for more info. After much prodding, he finally informed me that car had not had a roadworthy inspection since it was given to him by a mate of his brother several years ago. Needless to say, I decided not to pursue that prospect any further. There are plenty of places that could do an RWC inspection in Ringwood, so I can only assume he knew that the car wouldn’t pass muster.
This process is making me more aware of why it’s important to keep up to date with car service histories and the like. Once I’ve got my ‘new’ used car, I’m going to do my best to stay on top of this stuff beyond what’s legally required. That way I’ll have a better chance of selling it for a decent price, should I end up wanting to do that.