Expert advice
Here,
then, are some useful tips from our experts to buy a used car safely.
Between the dealership, car showroom, and workshop, it is better to choose the dealer who is
usually able to guarantee a complete organization: not only sales but also a workshop, assistance, and so on. However, it is not always easy to identify
those authorized by the houses, so it is good to inquire.
When
choosing a car, it must be taken into account that there is no blacklist of
models to avoid. Modern vehicles are structured for approximately 350,000
kilometers of mileage and 18 years of life. This is their maximum life cycle. So,
a used car needs to be well maintained, with regular checks and so on. In some
ways, the petrol car is more reliable over time.
Further
help in choosing the car comes from the UNC DOC 01 standard, useful to check if
the selling price is really convenient and if you are buying from a
professional seller (but even if you buy from a private individual, we can help
you!). Read ABC buying a car with UNC DOC 01 standard
If
you buy from a private individual, once you have chosen the car to buy, be
careful that there are no mortgages and administrative stops. To find out, just
ask for a certificate from the Public Motor Registry, the PRA. This can be done
in person, via the Internet, or through specialized agencies. But be careful,
time often passes between the moment in which Equitalia triggers its
"jaws" and the registration of the administrative detention by the
PRA. And it is in this interval that a private individual can try to sell his
car, taking advantage of the fact that the stop has not yet been registered.
Anyone who buys a car under standstill inherits it: that is, he cannot drive it
until the old owner has rectified his position. It is also important to check
the maintenance booklet. A mandatory document, provided by the designer, who
must report, in progressive order, the interventions carried out over the
years.
In
case of defects: If the car was bought by a professional, the buyer is entitled
to what the law calls the Legal Guarantee of Conformity, which by law lasts 24 months.
In these two years, the buyer is guaranteed against lack of conformity: he has
the right to have the vehicle conformed to the conditions of delivery by
repair. If, on the other hand, the damage is too serious or the repair is too
expensive to be convenient, the contract can also be terminated: the buyer
returns the car, the seller returns the money, minus the value equivalent to
the distance traveled. These rules also apply if I buy a used car from a dealer
but the warranty can be limited to one year (it must be written on the
contract, otherwise it is valid for two years).
We
remind you that the Consumer Code provides for a real hierarchy of remedies for
lack of conformity, whether the car is purchased new or used: elimination of
the defect, reduction of the price, replacement of the vehicle with an
identical one, termination of the contract.
If
the defect concerns a car purchased from individuals then the Consumer Code is
not valid, but the Civil Code, so the seller is required to offer the buyer a
defect-free product.
In
case of problems, the competent court is always that of the consumer. So, if
the buyer is from Milan and the seller from Reggio Calabria, the judgment will
be held in Milan. Some sales contracts may have the clause that the competent
court is that of the seller: it is an unfair clause, prohibited by law. Those
who insert it face penalties.
The vexatious clause does not cancel the contract, but if judged as such, only the
clause lapses. Furthermore, the damaged buyer has the right to contact the
Antitrust, which will launch an investigation, at no cost to the consumer, and
the sanctioned professional will pay heavy fines.