BUYING a used car as a business car? Find out how a bad history could adversely affect your business and how to prevent it.
Many businesses these days rely on company cars to get their staff around. It helps provide assets and is also an effective advertising opportunity for your business.
Many business owners opt for getting a decent second hand car for this, which can save money and provide staff with a great car. However, it is worth taking precautionary measures to be sure that the car itself is exactly what it purports to be.
There is nothing more embarrassing and time consuming than finding out you’ve picked a dud when it comes to second hand cars.
What effect can bad history have?
Aside from the obvious dangers that buying a dud car could present your staff with, there are other ways in which this error could have an adverse effect on your business in general.
For example, if the car has been cloned, the circumstances may dictate that you lose the car and your money on the deal altogether, and it can be difficult to prove your innocence in its purchase.
If the car has been ‘clocked’, and has actually done a much higher mileage that the seller is claiming, you might find that it runs into problems further down the line.
So how can business owners prevent themselves from buying a dodgy car?
30-day guarantee
The good news is that in recent years, the market has implemented rules to protect consumers and legit dealers from those dodgy ones of the past.
As such, you are always given a 30-day return period with used cars. While this doesn’t cover you for anything that happens as a result of wear and tear since you bought it, it can prevent you from being ripped off, by covering you for problems you discover or that simply should not develop given the car’s claimed age and history.
HPI Check
Before purchasing if possible – or certainly within the 30-day timeframe -you can get a full HPI Check carried out to tell you a detailed history of the vehicle. This will provide a true insight into the vehicle’s history, and highlight any problems, give a more accurate mileage and warn against any suspicious activity.
