How to Buy a Quality Used Car Online

Over the last few years, the internet has made our lives better and wildly different. If you wanted to buy a used car about 15 years ago, you would visit a dealership, inquire about their inventory, refer to an old magazine or website for reviews, and be offered an extremely limited variety of cars. 

Fast forward to today, and you don’t have to leave your home to find some great cars now. The world’s literally at your fingertips, and with the knowledge of how to buy a used car online, you can make the right decision when it comes to buying second-hand cars.

Know Your Requirements

Regardless of how you want to buy a used car, it’s necessary to define your requirements. This way, you don’t have to switch between platforms aimlessly to look for cars that you might like. It will be great if you can decide on what you want, how much you plan to spend on it, and most importantly, what kind of additional features you wish for.

Most online platforms will allow you to apply filters in order to get to listings that suit your requirements. If you have a particular body style in mind, you can apply the filter for body type, and the platform will display only those results. For e.g., if you’re looking for hatchbacks, selecting the filter to show only hatchbacks will help you land on a desirable car faster.

With that out of the way, you must select the budget. While we strongly believe that deciding your budget before you begin the research is essential, keep it slightly flexible. This further filters your choices to fewer cars that closely match your requirements.

Lastly, make a note of the features that you want from a car. For instance, you might want 4x4 on your SUV, a sunroof for your sedan, or cruise control for your hatchback.

Additionally, if you have shortlisted a few models, make sure to conduct research about how they functioned, or common problems they displayed. This information can be found on online forums, or marketplace comments. 

Research the Right Platforms

There is no shortage of online platforms from which to buy used cars, but you have to exercise caution. This variety is represented by dealerships with some online presence, certified and trusted used-car platforms like CARS24, and even private sellers on social media websites. 

Having decided on your budget, the likely body style, and even some features, it’s a good idea to research which cars can be possibly bought and are available on the various online platforms.

On CARS24, all you need to do is visit the Used-Car section, apply the desired filters , and you’ll get the listings that match your criteria. Once you zero in on the cars that you want, you can move on to the steps listed below.

Inspect the Vehicle Virtually

One of the biggest reasons why buying online makes so much more sense has to be the ability to research and even get a first look of the vehicle without having to step out of your house. Apart from the usual list of primary information like the year, model, and trim level of the car, online listings also have high-quality photos and videos.

These images can help you determine the condition of the exterior and interior of the car, including insights into things like tyre tread. A preliminary inspection can help shortlist cars that may appear in better shape before the physical inspection.

Use Online Tools to Evaluate the Car

There’s a wide range of online tools which can help you choose the perfect used car for yourself. In addition to the previously mentioned filters like body style, price bracket, etc., the listings can further be sorted based on transmission, mileage, features, and even the discounts offered on the cars. If you wish to look for a specific manufacturer or even colour, that can be selected, too.

Other crucial online tools allow looking up further details about a specific car using the registration number. This can help verify the basic details, and minimise the chances of getting scammed. 

But once you’ve finalised the car of choice, a service like CARS24’s Pre-Delivery Inspection is recommended. Trained personnel not only do the entire background check of the car, verifying its history, the car’s unique VIN, and even the paperwork, but will also do a physical check to ensure there are no hidden surprises for the buyer.

Arrange for a Test Drive

With all that out of the way, naturally, the next step is to get out there and test drive the car. Unlike the case with offline dealers, you can book a test drive without having to leave your house. The other thing about online platforms is that the test drive is scheduled as per your convenience and doesn’t involve an over-enthusiastic sales person trying to forcibly sell you the car.

As we previously mentioned in things to check before buying a used car, a test drive can be crucial in separating potential purchases from avoidable examples. Check for illegal modifications, signs of bad repair jobs, and even things that stand out for the wrong reasons: slow pickup, stray noises, and excessive visual wear on parts. Many of these are likely to be flagged in the PDI report, but a test drive offers you a first-hand experience of the car you will buy.

Negotiate Smartly

The increased competition and variety of cars on the market means you can negotiate more and land a better deal than you could earlier. With online platforms, there’s better transparency up front, too. It allows you to speak to the seller about possible shortcomings, based on which a better price can be agreed upon. For instance, if a car you like is nearing a major service, tyre change, or even possible part replacement due to age/mileage, you can use that as the basis to negotiate.

Secure Payment and Ownership Transfer

Buying a used car online can also be a more secure option since there is a verifiable trail of correspondence and payments between the seller and the buyer. The presence of platforms like CARS24 helps minimise scams and increases the overall scrutiny of the whole process.

Following a successful negotiation with the seller and clearing the payment, the process for ownership transfer begins. It is the only way to attain ownership of your new (used) car legally. You can read in detail about the process of transferring ownership and the absolutely essential documents for the same in our ownership guide.

Make the Most of Online Warranty

Everyone wants their used car purchase and ownership to be as hassle-free as possible. The thing about buying a used car online is that many platforms do offer the added assurance of an extended warranty. For instance, CARS24 doesn’t just have a 7-day return policy in place, the standard warranty is 30 days long, which can be increased to 12 months from the date of purchase.

Post-Purchase Tips

Having bought the car, begun the ownership transfer process, and finalised things like online warranty, the ideal next step would be to update the manufacturer service record. It won’t be a bad idea to bring back both the exterior and interior glory by getting the car’s paintwork detailed and its cabin cleaned.

Conclusion

Getting a pre-owned car online has become a much safer and more convenient choice than in the past. In comparison to the offline used-car market, it’s more transparent, has a wider variety of cars on sale, and a platform like CARS24 can include additional benefits like PDI, a 7-day return policy, extended warranty, etc. Following the tips above, buying a quality used car online can be made straightforward, and the ownership hassle-free.