Buying A Car - Approved Used

Approved used will normally mean it's manufacturer standard backed warranty which is usually as good as it gets for fixing things, problem with a lot of independent dealers is the warranty given isn't worth the paper it's written on or at least involves faff getting things investigated and fixed. That peace of mind can be expensive though compared to market prices for what you're after but for some cars is a no brainer (second hand EV's or anything from JLR group for instance with potentially expensive repairs). If a modern car has been well looked after and serviced, it's just as likely to be sound no matter where you get it, just gotta know what you're looking at or have someone with you who does.
 


No7 said:
Do it. The longer it takes to make your final decision, you’ll end up talking yourself out of it!
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Believe me I’ll not talk my way out of it mate . Got a couple of big financial commitments between then and now, get then out the way and I’ll be going for it.

got a skip delivered this morning to clear the shite out the garage thats migrated in there, in readiness for it.
buster said:
Not approved by Head of Finance more like…
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She’s advised me against it for now you’re right, she’s right tbh. However its imminent.
 
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I’m here lads, you’d can all stand down now. 😂

Approved Used is a scheme ran by a manufacturer whereby the retailer can only display and sell cars that have met certain standards, normally very rigorous due to the fact its the manufacturers name on it. Things like mileage, age, condition and service history limitations. So although you can’t guarantee nothing will go wrong, you generally know you’re getting a well looked after car.

You obviously pay more for it.

You’ll also get the backing of a manufacturer level warranty on Approved Used to. So the risk of anything does go wrong is a lot less. As mentioned above, trying to claim on a third party warranty is a nightmare at the best of times.

Non-approved used from a reputable garage though is also a reliable choice.

On Jazzman’s advice above, whilst mostly correct, you don’t get much better protection from and RAC approved warranty than any other aftermarket. They play every game going to not pay out. The RAC have no vested interest in the cars that are sold at all.

If you have no confidence in buying private, steer clear as there are plenty of shitbags out there and not worth the risk.
 
LewisLad said:
Buying approved used though is effectively them guaranteeing a full service history at the dealer with the car fully checked, guaranteed for a year, sometimes the first MOT costs etc. covered.

The problem is you pay for it. Both times I bought, the price was right so it was worth it. Perhaps that's what he means by doing your research. I stalked Car Guru for months before buying.
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Thats the thing . Do the research and then decide if the car its self meets standard . Mint service history with printable documentation, all recalls done, unmarked fully valeted. If the car was mint id probably pay £200 more for it approved used knowing i could go back into a big glass showroom and kick up shit if it didnt pass muster for a good period .
Having said that they usually want too much over the odds so i end up finding one advertised as similar and travel 200 miles for it from a smaller trader .
 
Gillythedilf said:
I think a Lamborghini hurican . keep talking and looking about it I know.


i think I’ll go for it in march or April, nearly got one over Xmas but it went when I was waiting to sort insurance
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neighbour had one of those parked up(bright green) for a while...he must own a high end garage as hes also had an aventador, mclaren, ferraris etc inc a RR wraith that took over most of the car park
 
Gillythedilf said:
Believe me I’ll not talk my way out of it mate . Got a couple of big financial commitments between then and now, get then out the way and I’ll be going for it.

got a skip delivered this morning to clear the shite out the garage thats migrated in there, in readiness for it.

She’s advised me against it for now you’re right, she’s right tbh. However its imminent.
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Watched any of this channel gilly? / @Goat Eyes some are a canny watch!!!


 
Goat Eyes said:
I’m here lads, you’d can all stand down now. 😂

Approved Used is a scheme ran by a manufacturer whereby the retailer can only display and sell cars that have met certain standards, normally very rigorous due to the fact its the manufacturers name on it. Things like mileage, age, condition and service history limitations. So although you can’t guarantee nothing will go wrong, you generally know you’re getting a well looked after car.

You obviously pay more for it.

You’ll also get the backing of a manufacturer level warranty on Approved Used to. So the risk of anything does go wrong is a lot less. As mentioned above, trying to claim on a third party warranty is a nightmare at the best of times.

Non-approved used from a reputable garage though is also a reliable choice.

On Jazzman’s advice above, whilst mostly correct, you don’t get much better protection from and RAC approved warranty than any other aftermarket. They play every game going to not pay out. The RAC have no vested interest in the cars that are sold at all.

If you have no confidence in buying private, steer clear as there are plenty of shitbags out there and not worth the risk.
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In theory approved used should mean peace of mind and less hassle but not always the case.

I once bought a 4 year old car from a main dealer approved used with a 2 year warranty that was supposed to be equivalent to manufacturers warranty. Not long after collection i noticed the automatic wipers werent working. I bought it from derby and they said any problems you can take it anywhere in the network. Took it into Teesside to get the wipers fixed under warranty and they said they couldnt fix it as a non OEM windscreen had been fitted. Got back on to the dealer in derby and they refused to help as they said each car had a 150 point check and there was no way a car with a non genuine windscreen would get through that.

Several emails and phonecalls later i got sorted but had to get the manager involved and trek back to derby too.

I’m not saying approved used is shit it’s anything but, just be aware that things can slip through, and I suspect the 150 point check or whatever it is is often nothing more than a quick walk around.
 
We bought a vehicle from ebay which was something i thought I'd never do
After saying that my sons mate who has a garage came down with us to check it out and he was gutted he'd missed out on it 😄
 
chevvies said:
Do your research, I’ve bought approved used the last 2 times, no problems.
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This I have bought "Ford Direct" for my last 3 cars. They have all been ex Ford management cars, just over a year old with the balance of the manufacturers warranty left on them. You get a massive saving from buying new, and I've never had an ounce of bother with any of them. In fact the one I have now is coming up to the magic 25,000 miles and I'm looking at "Ford Direct" again for my next one.
 
beezer said:
In theory approved used should mean peace of mind and less hassle but not always the case.

I once bought a 4 year old car from a main dealer approved used with a 2 year warranty that was supposed to be equivalent to manufacturers warranty. Not long after collection i noticed the automatic wipers werent working. I bought it from derby and they said any problems you can take it anywhere in the network. Took it into Teesside to get the wipers fixed under warranty and they said they couldnt fix it as a non OEM windscreen had been fitted. Got back on to the dealer in derby and they refused to help as they said each car had a 150 point check and there was no way a car with a non genuine windscreen would get through that.

Several emails and phonecalls later i got sorted but had to get the manager involved and trek back to derby too.

I’m not saying approved used is shit it’s anything but, just be aware that things can slip through, and I suspect the 150 point check or whatever it is is often nothing more than a quick walk around.
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Aye my ex bought a car from vardys up in Scotland, looked mint and sounded great, turned up like a mobile skip, then it had more miles on than was advertised.
She had a right barney with them, even her bank who sorted the finance weren't much help.
Ended up with about 700 quid back off a 12k motor but I was pushing her to just get a refund, god knows what else they have lied about including the checks etc.
 
Goat Eyes said:
I’m here lads, you’d can all stand down now. 😂

Approved Used is a scheme ran by a manufacturer whereby the retailer can only display and sell cars that have met certain standards, normally very rigorous due to the fact its the manufacturers name on it. Things like mileage, age, condition and service history limitations. So although you can’t guarantee nothing will go wrong, you generally know you’re getting a well looked after car.

You obviously pay more for it.

You’ll also get the backing of a manufacturer level warranty on Approved Used to. So the risk of anything does go wrong is a lot less. As mentioned above, trying to claim on a third party warranty is a nightmare at the best of times.

Non-approved used from a reputable garage though is also a reliable choice.

On Jazzman’s advice above, whilst mostly correct, you don’t get much better protection from and RAC approved warranty than any other aftermarket. They play every game going to not pay out. The RAC have no vested interest in the cars that are sold at all.

If you have no confidence in buying private, steer clear as there are plenty of shitbags out there and not worth the risk.
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That's another very good point. 15 years ago the private sales in the classifieds were mostly real private sales of vehicles by their current owner / user. Now they are heaving with trade sellers pretending to be private sellers to avoid statutory consumer rights, and f***ing idiots with no clue trying to flip cars that they may not even own at the point they put the ad up.

I saw a Cat N Alpina B3 go for £6k at auction about a year ago. Currently on autotrader for £11.5k and it's got panel damage that it didn't have at the auction.
 
beezer said:
In theory approved used should mean peace of mind and less hassle but not always the case.

I once bought a 4 year old car from a main dealer approved used with a 2 year warranty that was supposed to be equivalent to manufacturers warranty. Not long after collection i noticed the automatic wipers werent working. I bought it from derby and they said any problems you can take it anywhere in the network. Took it into Teesside to get the wipers fixed under warranty and they said they couldnt fix it as a non OEM windscreen had been fitted. Got back on to the dealer in derby and they refused to help as they said each car had a 150 point check and there was no way a car with a non genuine windscreen would get through that.

Several emails and phonecalls later i got sorted but had to get the manager involved and trek back to derby too.

I’m not saying approved used is shit it’s anything but, just be aware that things can slip through, and I suspect the 150 point check or whatever it is is often nothing more than a quick walk around.
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I was a mechanic once upon a time, and there’s not a chance on earth I’d have a) checked to see if the windscreen was a genuine part. b) the dealer would’ve said, aye go ahead and replace it providing everything was working as it should.

Checking rain sensitive wipers would have been part of my checks either.

You got sorted, can’t ask for more. Well except a drive down to Derby. I wouldn’t have done that.
legend7 said:
Aye my ex bought a car from vardys up in Scotland, looked mint and sounded great, turned up like a mobile skip, then it had more miles on than was advertised.
She had a right barney with them, even her bank who sorted the finance weren't much help.
Ended up with about 700 quid back off a 12k motor but I was pushing her to just get a refund, god knows what else they have lied about including the checks etc.
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If the bank was a personal loan, they have zero liability over the car so wouldn’t be interested at all.

She could’ve spent the loan on hookers and blow and they wouldn’t have cared.
 
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Goat Eyes said:
If the bank was a personal loan, they have zero liability over the car so wouldn’t be interested at all.

She could’ve spent the loan on hookers and blow and they wouldn’t have cared.
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Nah they actually organised a pcp which I didn't know they could , they paid the garage direct.
They offered something small but I'd have been pushing a refund through for false advertising
 
legend7 said:
Nah they actually organised a pcp which I didn't know they could , they paid the garage direct.
They offered something small but I'd have been pushing a refund through for false advertising
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Aye, there’s a few offer PCP. She could’ve got a refund under distance selling. But so long as she’s sorted.
 
Its all about warranty as far as I'm concerned.

Private gets you nothing
Local back street traders might get you 1 month.
Online traders like Cinch 3 months.
Approved used 1 year generally, maybe 2 years.

You cant underestimate how good a long warranty is. Pure peace of mind.
 
Gillythedilf said:
I think a Lamborghini hurican . keep talking and looking about it I know.


i think I’ll go for it in march or April, nearly got one over Xmas but it went when I was waiting to sort insurance
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You need to sit in one first. Not for anyone near 6 foot or 14st.
Zidane said:
Its all about warranty as far as I'm concerned.

Private gets you nothing
Local back street traders might get you 1 month.
Online traders like Cinch 3 months.
Approved used 1 year generally, maybe 2 years.

You cant underestimate how good a long warranty is. Pure peace of mind.
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I was looking at an xk8 the other day and it was a private sale. The bloke was offering a 3 month warranty for peace of mind. I thought that may come back and bite you the arse mate.
 
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